PERSONS.

Publisher: At Fayette Newspapers Inc. of Fayetteville, Ga., (Fayette County News, Today in Peachtree City, East Coweta Journal) Matt Guthrie has been named editor and publisher; previously, he was publisher of the military newspaper division at Landmark Communications of Norfolk, Va. Earlier, Guthrie has been a publisher at papers in Hattiesburg, Miss., Richmond, Va., and Plymouth, N.C., The Georgia native started his newspaper career at Georgia's Covington News. ...

More Gannettoids: At Gannett's Press-Citizen in Iowa City, Dan Brown has been named general manager; previously, he was advertising and marketing director, a job he'd held since last September. The lifelong Iowa City resident joined the paper in 1991 as an account executive. Brown replaces Susan Patterson Plank, who remains vice president of marketing and digital development at Gannett's nearby Des Moines Register, a job she's held since early 2006; she'd held positions at both papers for about 18 months. Patterson Plank joined the Register in 2001 as vice president on-line and had earlier been director of e-business development at MidAmerican Energy. ... At Gannett's Indianapolis Star, Julie Metzger has been named executive editor for digital and custom content; previously, she was publisher of The Star-Press in Muncie, Ind., (a job she'd held since 2005), and The Palladium-Item of Richmond, Ind. (a job she'd held since October). Additionally, Metzger will also be director of niche publishing for Gannett's Interstate Newspaper Group. A native of Muncie, Metzger started her newspaper career at the Muncie Star in 1979 and later became the paper's assistant state editor. She has also worked for Gannett papers in Ohio and Vermont and was named executive editor of The Chronicle-Tribune of Marion, Ind., in 1998, and executive editor of the Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, La., in 2003. At The Star-Press, Gene Williams has been named general manager; he remains executive editor, a job he's held since October 2007. Earlier, he was managing editor of news and new media at Massachusetts' Cape Cod Times. A 30-year newspaper veteran, Williams has been with papers in Miami, Allentown, New York City, Cleveland and Fresno, Calif. Later, he was managing editor of the Contra Costa Times and was senior news editor at Netscape. ... At Gannett's Ohio papers, the Zanesville Times Recorder and Coshocton Tribune, Rick Szabrak has been named general manager; he remains general manager of the nearby Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, a job he's held since 2006. Earlier, Szabrak was group circulation director of Gannett's Newspaper Network of Central Ohio (NNCO) for a year and before that was regional circulation director for the company's Central Wisconsin Group and circulation director at Wisconsin's Wausau Daily Herald. He joined the company in 1986. ... Also at NNCO, Len LaCara has been named on-line and audience development editor for the group's 13 web sites; LaCara had been managing editor and general manager in Zanesville and Coshocton since October 2005. Earlier, LaCara was managing editor at West Virginia Media Holdings (State Journal), managing editor at the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, AME at Missouri's Springfield News-Leader and news editor at New York's Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. He started as a reporter and copy editor at Wisconsin's Racine Journal Times. Taking LaCara's place will be Pam James; previously, she was community conversation editor, a job she'd held since 2007. A Zanesville native, James joined the operation in 1987 and later was lifestyles editor and city editor. ...

Front office: At The Citizen of Laconia, N.H., Jim Russell has been named general manager; previously, he was corporate circulation director at George J. Foster Co. Inc. of Dover, the paper's parent company, a job he'd held for six years. Earlier, Russell was with Massachusetts' Essex County Newspaper Group (Salem Evening News, the Daily News of Newburyport, Gloucester Daily Times) for 24 years, rising to assistant circulation director. Russell replaces John Howe, who retired after 32 years at The Citizen. ...

Vacation desk: Into every life a little play must come and mine commences in a few days and runs for a week. Unless something major breaks, NewsInc. will return Aug. 3. ... #