Davidson new publisher at Fort Payne; Shurett to Albertville

<p>Managing Editor J.D. Davidson has been named editor and publisher of the Times-Journal at Fort Payne, succeeding Ben H. Shurett, who was named publisher of the Sand Mountain Reporter at Albertville.</p><p>The announcement was made Monday by Southern Newspapers Inc., which owns both papers. The changes become effective June 28.</p><p>Shurett is replacing Clifton E. "Cliff" Clements, who has been named publisher of The Baytown Sun in Texas, also owned by Southern Newspapers. Clements is taking the post held by Wanda Cash, who is leaving the Baytown paper to accept a position at the University of Texas at Austin.</p><p>Shurett, a Tuscaloosa native and graduate of the University of Alabama, has been a publisher of four papers since 1980, the last 11 years at Fort Payne.</p><p>Davidson, who has been managing editor of the Times-Journal for six years, began his 20-year newspaper career in his hometown as sports editor of the Mount Vernon (Ohio) News. He came to Fort Payne from the Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal, where he was sports editor.</p>