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February 26, 2009 EDITION

Eason named Blowing Rocket editor Entertainment editor bids farewell to MT after 13 years From Staff Reports Jeff Eason has been named editor of The Blowing Rocket, replacing Jerry Burns, who is retiring from that position. Burns will continue with the newspaper as editor emeritus and consultant. Eason, 48, has been with The Mountain Times for 13 years and has edited the popular Focus section for the past decade. After 13 years with The Mountain Times, entertainment editor Jeff Eason has been named editor of The Blowing Rocket, starting March 2. Photo by Mark Mitchell He is a graduate of Watauga High School and majored in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After college, he worked as a radio deejay, bartender, truck driver, welder and movie extra before gravitating back to print journalism in the mid-1990s. Eason is a winner of three North Carolina Press Association Awards, and his stories and interviews have been published widely. He is married to Leslie Boehler Eason. “It’s an incredible honor and exciting challenge to be named the editor to follow in Jerry Burns’ footsteps at The Blowing Rocket,” Eason said. “As a Watauga County resident since 1976, I realize why many people call Jerry ‘Mr. Blowing Rock.’ His admiration for his hometown is evident in the job he has done at the Rocket for the past 44 years. I plan on keeping that tradition alive at the Rocket.” Bruce Morrison, publisher of Mountain Times Publications in Boone, a group of five newspapers, which includes The Blowing Rocket, said, “Jeff Eason was the natural choice to become the editor of The Blowing Rocket. He will be replacing a Blowing Rock icon in Jerry Burns, who has contributed so much to the community for many years. Thankfully, Jerry will continue to be associated with the newspaper.” Morrison added, “We are especially proud that that Jerry Burns was honored for his community service by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting, plus Mountain Times Publications was named the business of the year for 2008. Jerry Burns and Jeff Eason are strong contributors to the excellence of our newspapers.” “I’ve no doubt Jeff will do an amazing job and will continue to build on the legacy that Jerry created. Although we’ll miss Jeff around the office, I’m also pleased that our current news editor, Frank Ruggiero, has agreed to step into Jeff’s role as entertainment editor,” Mountain Times Publications group editor Jason Reagan said. Burns will be honored on Sunday at the Hayes Performing Arts Center as the “chief cheerleader” of Blowing Rock. The reception begins at 6 p.m. and a “toast and roast” at 7 p.m. Burns has served on numerous community boards and as a member of the Blowing Rock Fire & Rescue Service and the Blowing Rock Rescue Squad. He is a winner of the Citizen of the Year Award. He served for many years as a member of the Rotary Club. He is a former mayor pro tem. Among his hobbies is a collection of Gene Autry memorabilia.

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