John Lannan, longtime newsman, dies at 87

John Lannan, a reporter and editor for numerous organizations, including The Associated Press, has died. He was 87.

Lannan, who suffered from Parkinson's dementia, died Thursday at Cove's Edge at Miles in Damariscotta, Maine, said one of his sons, Jonathan Lannan.

He started at the Manchester Union Leader and the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire before joining The AP in Augusta, Maine. He covered the U.S. space program, including the moon landing, for the Boston Herald-Traveler and Washington Star.

During the Nixon administration, he was an assistant to the president's science adviser and filled a similar role for the Salk Institute.

Lannan was owner/publisher of the weekly Summit County Journal in Breckenridge, Colorado, and taught at The School of Mines and the University of Denver.

Attribution: mysanantonio.com

James Bertram Rowland - Reporter for 25 years, June 18, 2015

James B. Rowland, “Jim”, a 35 year resident of Annapolis and previously of Silver Spring, MD, passed away on Thursday, June 18, 2015 at Somerford Place in Annapolis from complications related to Alzheimer ’s disease. Jim was born on October 2, 1928 in Los Angeles, CA, to the late Clarence and Ellen Hetchler Rowland. He was a 1951 graduate of the University of MD, receiving Bachelor’s degrees in History and English. He was a reporter with the Washington Star for 25 years, followed by a 20 year career with the Maryland State Budget Office as a Public Information Officer. During that period he also worked in the Governor’s office for Blair Lee, III and Harry Hughes. Jim was a gifted writer, avid reader and history enthusiast, with a particular passion for American Revolution and Civil War history. He also enjoyed travelling with his companion of 35 years, Mary Ann Porter.

William C. Thompson Jr., 78, of Edgewater, Production Manager

William C Thompson Jr., 78, of Edgewater, MD was born on June 30, 1936 and entered eternal life on June 10, 2015 after a long battle with COPD.

He worked at the Washington Star and Washington Post Newspapers as a production machinist, from where he retired from in 1998. Bill enjoyed life at his home in Ponder Cove fishing and boating on “Lucky Lady,” family crab feasts and cookouts. He was a faithful “Redskin” fan and enjoyed attending the games with his nephews. Bill was an active member of the Elks Lodge in Edgewater and Moose Club in Annapolis.

Attribution: Edgewater-Davidsonville 
Patch

Earle D. Hightower, Washington Star Photographer, June 8, 2015

Earle D. Hightower was born October 8, 1922 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the fifth child of Eugene Clyde Hightower and Alta Theo Fiske and died June 8, 2015 in Pinehurst. He graduated from Salida (CO.) High School and was a journalism major at Mesa College when WW II began. He enlisted in the Army March 1942 and was honorably discharged in 1946. He met Laurene Dale Jones, whom he described as a “beautiful Army telephone operator” at Ft. Knox. They were married 69 years at the time of his death. They moved to Los Alamos, NM , where he was the first civilian Chief of Security at the AEC test site, where the atomic bomb was being tested. He was promoted to Sandia Base and then to the Las Vegas Test Site, and finally to headquarters in Washington, DC.

While a new father and full time employee he earned a BA from American University. He later earned a Master’s Degree and a BS from University of Maryland. He retired as Assistant Director of Security for the AEC after 30 years of service. While with the government, he invented and patented various masking and de-bugging devices. In his “off hours” he began two weekly newspapers, the Gaithersburg (now Montgomery County) Gazette, and the Damascus Courier. He was also a professional photographer for the Washington Star, photographing D.C. political and society notables. After retirement he had a second career as a licensed real estate broker and appraiser. He was a tireless animal advocate, rehabilitating crows, treeing poachers until they could be arrested, and nursing various abandoned dogs and cats back to health. In his final years he wrote a book, “The Oppenheimer Conspiracy”, based on his confrontation with the physicist at Los Alamos.

Attribution: newsobserver.com
Full story: Hightower