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Thursday, March 20, 2003

By The Associated Press

Dennis "Denny" Dible, former editor of the Beaver County Times in Bridgewater and The Dominion Post in Morgantown, W.Va., died Tuesday at his home in Morgantown after a long illness. He was 56.

Mr. Dible joined The Dominion Post in late 1997 as managing editor. He became editor in April 1998. His health forced him to step down.

Under his guidance, The Dominion Post added popular local features, like the "Pet of the Week," profiling animals at the county dog pound. After the program began, the adoption rate at the center went up and more than 80 percent of the pets pictured in the paper were adopted, said Kathryn Greever, a former board member of the Mon County Humane Society.

Mr. Dible also established a readers' advisory council that met regularly to discuss the paper and its contents.

Before joining The Dominion Post, Mr. Dible had been executive editor of the Beaver County Times; managing editor of The Columbian in Vancouver, Wash.; managing editor of the Kingsport (Tenn.) Times-News; city editor of the Sandusky (Ohio) Register; and editor of The Sentinel in Lewistown, Mifflin County.

He won several awards for his editorials, including top honors at the 2001 Keystone Press Awards and the 1999 West Virginia Press Association awards.

A journalism graduate of Kent State University, he began his newspaper career in 1969 as a reporter for the Norwalk (Ohio) Reflector.

He was a member of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and had served on ASNE Readership & Research and Future of Newspapers committees.

Since 1982, he had frequently lectured at the American Press Institute, a midcareer training headquarters for newspaper industry executives, and Appalachian Lifelong Learners, West Virginia University's Learning in Retirement program.

"Denny brought a lot to the entire newspaper," Dominion Post Publisher Dave Raese said. "His opinions in other areas were well-received by other department heads. But his true passion was local news. He knew that it was the key for survival of our industry."

Hastings Funeral Home in Morgantown is in charge of arrangements.