Ellis will not return to St Augustine Record

After a nine-year run as editor, The Record announced in their newspaper yesterday that 67-year-old Peter Ellis will not return to the editor’s desk; as publisher Delinda Fogle had previously indicated.

Ellis was well known outside the newsroom by various groups who received his support. The League of Women Voters was one example. He regularly volunteered to assist Dr. Patricia Gill with candidate forums. Ellis liked politics; and, as editor, he was a standing member of the review board that developed candidate recommendations for The Record.

In 2004, Ellis moved to St Augustine from Longview, Washington; with his wife; Laurie Bennett Ellis. In October 2011, Laurie Ellis was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to the announcement published Sunday. Peter and Laurie Ellis have said that they want to spend more time together; however, they have yet to announce any specific plans.

During Ellis’ time at the newspaper, he saw some good years and some not so good years; he was editor during the parent company’s petition for bankruptcy and the reorganization that followed. Morris Communications, the Georgia company that owns the newspaper, never promoted Ellis to publisher — and he was there long enough to see several publishers come and go.

Professionally, Peter Ellis never saw eye-to-eye with Historic City News. Despite that fact, which editor Michael Gold attributed largely to the fact that Ellis never seemed to embrace current and emerging technology in publishing, Historic City News never made the differences personal. We grew to accept him for the talents that he showed over his time here rather than dwell on our disagreements.

Photo credits: St Augustine Record archive photograph