Mizell prowling in California

Former Beacon Journal managing editor Mizell Stewart III, vice president/content of the

Mizell Stewart

newspaper division of E.W. Scripps whose current home is near Middletown and Hamilton in southwestern Ohio, is roaming northern California now that his eyepatch is gone from cataract surgery.

It's work, not fun, or so he says. He and his group are checking out Scripps properties in the La-La Land.

Explains Mizell:

"Visiting the Scripps-owned Redding Record Searchlight (about two hours north of Sacramento) and then joining Scripps journalists attending the Investigative Reporters & Editors conference in SF later in the week. Eye is fully recovered!"

Mizell lives in West Chester Township, which is convenient to his Cincinnati-based Scripps job but a lot different than his native Cleveland.

Mizell succeeded Debra Adams Simmons as the BJ’s top newsroom dog and was replaced by Bruce Winges, the current big kahuna in the BJ newsroom, or what’s left of it (about 60 people, down from 200+ when I retired in 1996). Debra succeeded Jim Crutchfield.

Mizell left the BJ in 2007 to become editor of Scripps’ Evansville, Indiana Courier & Press. His newspaper stops included Dayton, where I was with the Daily News till I switched to the BJ, and Tallahassee, where Florida politics are run in the state.