N.D. Paper Appoints its First Woman Editor

By: (AP) Peggy Bellows, a senior editor at The News Tribune, has been named editor of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota's largest newspaper.

Bellows, 49, is the newspaper's first woman editor in its 127-year history. She will begin her new job May 2, Forum Publisher William C. Marcil said.

A native of Philadelphia, Bellows is one of three senior editors at The News Tribune, which has a daily circulation of about 129,000. Earlier, she was the first woman editor of the Herald & Review in Decatur, Ill.

While at the Herald & Review, Bellows gained prominence when a judge ordered her to jail for refusing to hand over unpublished photographs in a murder case. She served no jail time because the sentence was stayed pending an appeal, and the trial court's decision later was overturned

In Fargo, Bellows succeeds Lou Ziegler, who became editor of The Forum in May 2000. He died on Jan. 29, after a battle with cancer.

Ziegler hired Bellows in 1984 as features editor and assistant news editor at the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y. During 12 years there, she worked as a sports writer, news editor, copy desk chief, assistant managing editor and electronic publishing editor.

She then spent eight months as city editor of The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., before moving to Decatur.

Bellows holds a bachelor's degree in English from Bloomsburg State and a master's degree in communication from Syracuse University.

Her husband, Henry, grew up in Wayzata, Minn. The couple have three children. Bellows said she believes the newspaper should be a watchdog and an ally of the community.

"It needs to be an affectionate watchdog," she said, "not just to kick because you can."