March 9, 2005

RALEIGH — Just in time for its 15th anniversary celebration Friday, the John Locke Foundation has begun a major expansion of its flagship publication, Carolina Journal — including new local editions in Greensboro, Charlotte, and Asheville and a new officer to run its Carolina Journal division.

The Raleigh-based think tank recently hired Jon Ham to serve as vice president and publisher of Carolina Journal. Ham formerly served as the managing editor at the Durham Herald-Sun and as its director of digital publishing. He spent nearly 20 years at the Herald-Sun in various capacities, before that working at newspapers in Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama.

As vice president of JLF’s Carolina Journal division, Ham will oversee not only the print publication but also Carolina Journal Online, a popular daily web site devoted to North Carolina politics and public policy, and “Carolina Journal Radio,” a weekly hour-long newsmagazine broadcast on 20 commercial radio stations in the state, including affiliates in Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Asheville, Wilmington, and Chapel Hill.

One of Ham’s main tasks will be to manage the expansion of Carolina Journal. Published since 1991 as a monthly journal of news, analysis, and commentary, Carolina Journal has approximately 25,000 readers statewide. Starting in April, special local editions of CJ will appear monthly as sections of The Rhinoceros Times in Greensboro, its companion paper The Rhinoceros Times of Charlotte, and The Tribune newspapers in Asheville and Hendersonville.

“We are delighted at the opportunity to deliver Carolina Journal’s unique brand of news and commentary to 160,000 readers each month,” said John Hood, chairman and president of the John Locke Foundation.

“And we couldn’t be more fortunate than to have an experienced hand such as Jon Ham at the helm during this important expansion of JLF’s Carolina Journal division.”

Ham will join a CJ staff with many years of experience in journalism and public policy. Editor Richard Wagner formerly edited the Kinston Free Press and worked at other newspapers in North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and California. Executive Editor Don Carrington and Associate Editor Paul Chesser write many of CJ’s cover features and investigative stories. Associate Editors Donna Martinez, co-host of the weekly TV show “At Issue” on the Triangle’s NBC 17, and Michael Lowrey, an economist and longtime CJ contributor based in Charlotte, focus on local, regional, legal, and transportation issues. Other staff and contributors cover education issues and write on books, culture, the arts, and state and national politics, among other topics.

The Locke Foundation will celebrate its 15th anniversary on Friday, March 11 with a banquet at the North Raleigh Hilton featuring remarks from U.S. Sen. George Allen of Virginia and an awards presentation to Wilmington-based activist Joyce Fernando and Moore County Commissioner Michael Holden.

JLF issues research reports on state and local issues in North Carolina, publishes Carolina Journal in its various forms, hosts a suite of websites, and conducts events and other programs to foster public policy debate in North Carolina and advance principles of individual liberty, the free market, and open, honest, and limited government.

As part of the 15th anniversary festivities, which begin at 6 pm, there will be a cameo appearance by John Adams, President of the United States, and Vice President Thomas Jefferson. Direct from Colonial Williamsburg, they are scheduled to debate the future of the country at a Locke Foundation event the previous evening, March 10 at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Inn.

The Adams-Jefferson debate tonight in Chapel Hill is sold out, but tickets are still available for the John Locke Foundation 15th anniversary celebration at the North Raleigh Hilton. The banquet price is $50 per person. A limited number of tickets are available to attend a private reception with Sen. George Allen and other special guests, with the cost $75 per person and $125 per couple (including the banquet). Call 919-828-3876 for details or visit the JLF events page.

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