Editor returns to home state to manage The Current

MARENGO — Iowa native Winona Whitaker returned to the state this month to manage The Hometown Current, succeeding Melinda Wichmann who is leaving the industry after 35 years.

Whitaker began her journalism career in high school in Centerville, Iowa. She wrote for her hometown newspaper, The Daily Iowegian, while also serving as editor of Centerville High School’s newspaper, The Student Times, and as co-editor of its award-winning yearbook, The Black Diamond.

Following her graduation in 1982, Whitaker joined the Iowegian as a sports reporter, later serving as sports editor and city editor before leaving the industry.

Whitaker returned to journalism in 2016, writing for media corporation CNHI at The Ottumwa Courier and The Clinton Herald. She managed The Moberly Monitor-Index in Moberly, Missouri for a year before returning to Iowa to run The Current.