06/21/2005

Ashton named AP news editor for Utah

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Linda Ashton, news editor in Anchorage for The Associated Press, has been named AP's news editor in Salt Lake City.

The appointment was announced June 20 by George Garties, bureau chief for Colorado and Utah.

Ashton, who in her new assignment will supervise coverage of Utah, has been news editor in Alaska since August 2003.

She joined the AP in New Orleans in 1987 and moved in 1990 to Spokane, Wash., where she helped cover the siege at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.

She worked in AP's Seattle bureau for three years before becoming the correspondent in Yakima, Wash., in 1998, covering waste cleanup at the Hanford nuclear reservation, as well as Indian and Hispanic issues and agriculture.

Ashton grew up in Portland, Ore. She has bachelor of science degrees in technical journalism from Oregon State University and in forest management from the University of Montana and began her journalism career as a reporter at the Alexandria (La.) Daily Town Talk.

She replaces Chris Clark, who was named news editor for Kansas and Missouri.

Contact: Jack Stokes, AP Corporate Communications, 212.621.1720