Austin American-Statesman publisher, editor accept buyouts

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Austin American-Statesman Publisher Susie Biehle (BEEL) and Editor Debbie Hiott have announced that they are accepting buyout offers from owner GateHouse Media and will be leaving the paper.

Hiott announced Monday that she will depart Sept. 30, while Biehle said she will leave Nov. 30.

Buehle has been the Statesman’s publisher since November 2012 after having advanced to vice president and general manager of USA Today. Hiott, who joined the Statesman as an intern 28 years ago, has been editor since November 2011.

The announcement comes five months after GateHouse finalized its purchase of the paper from Cox Enterprises, which had owned the paper for 41 years. The American-Statesman recently extended voluntary buyout offers to all employees but hasn’t revealed how many employees have accepted buyouts.

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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com