Click photo to enlarge
Milan Simonich

The Sun-News is re-launching its Santa Fe bureau to expand its statewide report. Veteran newsman Milan Simonich will lead the coverage..

Operating under the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership umbrella, which owns seven newspapers in New Mexico and one in El Paso, Texas, Simonich initially will focus on the upcoming legislative session including Gov.-elect Susana Martinez, the nation's first female Hispanic chief of state. After lawmakers adjourn, he will delve into a broader coverage including the border, water, mining and other subjects important to New Mexicans.

Simonich will be based at the Roundhouse, the state Capitol in Santa Fe.

"Re-establishing our Santa Fe news bureau demonstrates our commitment to our New Mexico communities," said Sergio Salinas, CEO of Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership. "Milan's deep, rich experience will keep our readers informed on a wide variety of subjects, particularly state government and how it shapes our daily lives."

Simonich, 53, has been a newspaper editor and reporter for 32 years, the last two as metro editor of the El Paso Times. Before joining the Times, he worked at two metropolitan dailies, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Denver Post.

While at the Post-Gazette, Simonich at various times taught newswriting at three Pittsburgh colleges and universities.

He was part of a Post-Gazette reporting team in 2002 that covered the rescue of coal miners trapped in a flooded mine near the small Pennsylvania

Advertisement
town of Quecreek. The coverage became the book "All Nine Alive: The Dramatic Mine Rescue That Inspired and Cheered a Nation."

At The Denver Post, Simonich was night city editor and then the city desk editor in charge of coverage for its flagship Sunday edition.

In addition to his editing responsibilities at the El Paso Times, he wrote a series called Hidden El Paso and, more recently, a column on UTEP men's basketball.

Simonich grew up in Pueblo, Colo. He received a bachelor's degree with honors from the University of Northern Colorado in 1979. Journalism and English were his areas of study.

Simonich plans to launch a daily blog, which can be found on lcsun-news.com.

The Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership manages publications in Las Cruces, Silver City, Deming, Farmington, Ruidoso, Carlsbad, Alamogordo and El Paso.