WHEELING — The past, present and future of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register were among those celebrated this past weekend during West Virginia Press Association Hall of Fame events held at Oglebay’s Wilson Lodge.

The weekend was highlighted by the WVPA Hall of Fame inductions Saturday, which included the late executive editor of The Intelligencer and News-Register, J. Michael Myer. Myer served as executive editor of both publications for 23 years.

Prior to that, he was editor of the Wheeling News-Register, a position he assumed in 1991. At the time of his death from COVID, Myer was president of the trustees of the West Virginia Press Association Foundation, the educational non-profit supported by the state’s newspaper industry.

Myer was a past president of the Press Association and winner of the Adam R. Kelly Award, the West Virginia newspaper industry’s highest honor, and numerous editorial and writing awards.

His 46-year newspaper career included stints as a reporter, weekly newspaper publisher and editor and then editor of the daily newspapers. Myer was well-known throughout West Virginia and Ohio for his daily editorials and columns that focused on local and state issues.

During Saturday’s ceremony, former WVPA Executive Director Don Smith also offered a remembrance of the late publisher of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, G. Ogden Nutting, who died in August at age 87. Smith read a tribute to Nutting, who was a member of the WVPA Hall of Fame Committee, sharing stories of Nutting’s work with reporters and talking of his efforts to develop community newspapers in West Virginia.

The weekend’s events also included honoring the WVPA’s inaugural class of Rising Stars and MVPs. The association’s Rising Stars are outstanding employees who have been with their respective publications five years or fewer. Among those was Nick Henthorn, the sports editor of The Intelligencer and News-Register. The association’s MVPs are outstanding employees with at least five years at their respective publications. Among those was Brian Clutter, operations manager of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register.