SUNBURY – A Valley newspaper is changing publishers. Announced Tuesday, The Daily Item/Danville News current publisher Frank Leto is leaving the area. Leto will become publisher of The Joplin Globe in Missouri, effective July 16.
Fred Scheller will replace Leto as publisher of both papers starting July 16 as well, Scheller tells WKOK. Scheller is no stranger to the Valley, having begun his career in 1976 as a part-time employee at The Daily Item. He also rose to become the paper’s general manager.
Scheller has been serving as publisher of The Daily Star and the weekly Cooperstown Crier in New York since 2015. Scheller tells us he will retain those roles in addition to his new duties for The Daily Item and Danville News. He says he will move back to the area and work remotely for the two New York papers.
Scheller says discussions went on with parent company CNHI Newspapers for about a week before the formal announcement was made.
