One writer moves on, another takes over

Incoming: Buckeye.

Outgoing: Wolverine.

Any college sports fan — especially the football sort from Ohio and Michigan — will know exactly what those mascots mean to them. It’s rivalry time, to the fullest extent.

Here at the Reporter, we’ll be changing reporters this week, welcoming in Tom Corrigan (a Buckeye fan) and wishing Josh Hicks (a Wolverine supporter) well at his new post at the Bellevue Reporter.

Hicks, a Michigan native, has been with the paper for 2 ½ years, keeping readers abreast of all kinds of news, from sticky City Council situations to emotional features to Friday night football games. He’s been the consummate professional the whole way, and we’ll miss him for his ability to juggle a reporter’s notebook, digital camera and video camera and write engrossing stories on top of that.

Hicks’ goal was to be a “backpack journalist” — a term for carrying all the tools of the trade on assignment — and he’s certainly achieved that. And he’ll continue to shine in Bellevue, a twice-weekly paper with a larger coverage area.

He’s enjoyed his run in Bothell and Kenmore, but wants to be on the scene in Washington’s fourth biggest city. Take Bellevue by storm, sir.

Stepping in from the Marysville Globe is Corrigan, who’s been with that publication for about a year, writing news and feature stories and handling photography.

Prior to that, the Ohio native worked for Sun Newspapers in Cleveland for 15 years and Gazette Publishing for two years.

He’s coming at us with a load of experience and we’re looking forward to showing readers his writing and reporting skills each week. (His first stories will appear Oct. 15.)

His former colleagues Linda Kramer and Mark Morilak at Sun give him high praise and I, too, am anticipating a rewarding newsroom experience with Tom.

On the personal side, he moved to the Seattle area three years ago with his wife, Michelle, a certified ophthalmic technician. He enjoys fishing and, obviously, Buckeye football.

So, when you see him around town, wish his team luck in the Nov. 22 matchup with Michigan.

No hard feelings, Josh.