PERSONS.

Publishers: The new publisher of the Dothan (Ala.) Eagle is Steve McPhaul, who also will serve as chief operating officer for all Thomson Newspaper properties in Alabama ... In California, Harold Higgins has been named president and publisher of the San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune. ...

David Lawrence Jr. has stepped down as publisher of the Miami Herald. Succeeding him is Alberto Ibarguen, publisher of El Nuevo Herald. ... In Kentucky, Joe Vanderhoof has been named publisher of the Daily Independent of Ashland. ... William Hunsberger has been named publisher and president of The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss. His predecessor, Duane McCallister, has been named publisher of the Gaston Gazette in Gastonia, N.C. .. Ray Woodin has been named publisher of the Rocky Mount Telegram in Rocky Mount, N.C. ... Christopher Doyle has been named publisher of two papers, the Steubenville (Ohio) Herald-Star and the Weirton (W.Va.) Daily Times. ... In Oregon, Gregory Taylor has stepped down as publisher of the Mail Tribune in Medford to take early retirement as part of staff cutbacks at the Ottaway Newspapers property. Succeeding Taylor is James Singletary, Ottaway's vice president of marketing. ... In South Carolina, Larry Tarleton has been named assistant publisher and chief operating officer of the Post and Courier in Charleston. ...

Executive offices: In Colorado, the general manager and executive editor of the Pueblo Chieftain, Barclay Jameson, has retired. Succeeding Jameson is Marvin Laut. ... In Florida, Timothy Landon has been named vice president and general manager of the Sun-Sentinel Co. of Fort Lauderdale. (Succeeding Landon as president and CEO of Classified Ventures of Chicago is David Israel.) In Miami, Knight Ridder has named Karen Stevenson vice president and general counsel. ... Cox Newspapers has named William Beckner chief operating officer of its nine non-daily newspapers in North Carolina. ... In New York, Joseph Richter has been named president and chief operating officer of Ottaway Newspapers Inc. of Campbell Hall. He had been senior vice president. ... In Texas, Dale Peskin has been named vice president for interactive media of the publishing division of Dallas-based A.H. Belo Corp. G.E. McDavid is retiring as president of the Houston Chronicle. Succeeding him will be Vice President and General Manager John Sweeney. ...

Newsroom names: In California, Michael Parks, senior vice president and editor of the Los Angeles Times, has been named executive vice president of the paper. ... In Connecticut, Joseph Pisani has been named editor and senior vice president of both Greenwich Time and The Advocate of Stamford. The editor of The Advocate, Deirdre Channing, has been named director of new media and special projects for both papers. ... In Florida, Jacki Levine has been named managing editor of the Gainesville Sun. ... In Massachusetts, Karen Hupp has been named managing editor of the Herald News in Fall River, and Joseph Dwinell has taken the same title at the Middlesex News in Framingham. ... In Michigan, Susan Belniak has been named managing editor of the Oakland Press in Pontiac. ... In Nebraska, David Eldridge has been named executive editor of the North Platte Telegraph. ... In Ohio, Michael Curtin, editor of the Columbus Dispatch, has been named assistant publisher as well. ... In Rhode Island, Christopher Duffy has been promoted from city editor to managing editor of The Call in Woonsocket. ... #