News Release Details

DAVENPORT, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2005--Lee Enterprises (NYSE:LEE) announced today that publishers have been appointed in Davenport, Iowa, and Bismarck, N.D.

-- Julie Bechtel, who has been publisher of The Bismarck Tribune since 2002, will become publisher of the Quad-City Times in Davenport.

-- She will be succeeded by Brian Kroshus, a former circulation manager at The Bismarck Tribune who has headed Lee's network of agricultural publications since 2003.

"Julie and Brian are among our brightest rising stars," said Mary Junck, Lee chairman and chief executive officer. "They've notched success after success by building strong teams, sharing great ideas, and delivering exceptional products to readers and advertisers. Both can be expected to make excellent newspapers even better."

Greg Veon, vice president for publishing, made the announcements in Davenport and Bismarck.

"Julie has built a superb track record everywhere she's been, but her crowning achievement has been in Bismarck, where over the last two years she has led the creation of one of the most innovative newspaper formats in the United States," he said. The magazine-style format is 15 percent smaller and is nicknamed the "Bismarcker." It was modeled in part on a smaller size that has emerged in Europe with mixed success. "In Bismarck, enthusiasm for the 'Bismarcker' has been overwhelming, and the reason is that Julie and her team carefully consulted with both readers and advertisers before and during the long planning and implementation process," Veon said. He added: "While doing all this, Julie and her team led a major renovation of the newspaper's offices, installed a new press, continued to improve the news products and increased circulation."

In Davenport, Bechtel succeeds Michael Phelps, who has left the company. She began her newspaper career in 1987 at the Des Moines Register. After working in various management positions at the Register, she moved to Lawrence, Kansas, to become circulation manager at the Lawrence Journal World. Lee Enterprises recruited her in 1998 to move to Lincoln, Nebraska, as circulation manager. In 2000 she was promoted to operations manager at the Journal Star, and became publisher in Bismarck in July 2002. She has been active in the Bismarck community, serving on the Chamber of Commerce board, the Bismarck/ Mandan Development Association board, the Bismarck State College Foundation and on the United Way board. She and her husband, Rick, have two sons, Matt and Nate.

Veon said Kroshus will continue to have corporate responsibility for Lee's agricultural publications, as well as for The Bismarck Tribune. Both are based in Bismarck. "Brian has been a pivotal architect in the success of Lee Agri-Media, which has grown rapidly, despite several challenging years for producers and suppliers, into the largest network of agricultural publications in the country," he said. Its eight farm newspapers and affiliates serve North and South Dakota, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Kroshus joined Lee in 1997 as circulation manager of The Bismarck Tribune, became general manager of Farm & Ranch Guide in 1999, initiated and oversaw the startup of Bullseye Editions in March 2000, Minnesota Farm Guide in May 2002, and was promoted to group publisher in October 2003. In 2004, he managed the acquisition and integration of Iowa Farmer Today, widely regarded as one of the country's premier agricultural newspapers.

He is a graduate of North Dakota State University. Among community activities, he serves on and recently chaired the agricultural committee of the Bismarck Chamber of Commerce. In 2001 he spearheaded the "I Care a Ton" hay relief effort, which assisted drought-stricken ranchers in Montana and received the Pro Patria award from the United State Department of Defense in 2003. He has two daughters, Megan, 16, and Alyssa, 13.

Lee Enterprises owns 52 daily newspapers and a joint interest in six others. Lee also operates associated online services and more than 300 weekly newspapers, shoppers and classified and specialty publications. Lee is based in Davenport, Iowa, and its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE. For more information about Lee, please visit www.lee.net.

CONTACT:
Lee Enterprises, Davenport
Dan Hayes, 563-383-2163
dan.hayes@lee.net

SOURCE: Lee Enterprises