Three members of The Herald staff have been named news editors and a former member of the news team has rejoined the newspaper in a copy editing capacity.

The following have assumed greater responsibility in the realignment, necessary because of the recent retirement of Noel G. Carroll as managing editor and the newpaper's conversion to a morning newspaper:

   » Sarah Adams, a 19-year veteran, from news editor to news editor/nights.

   » Joe Wiercinski, who has been with The Herald since 1988, from copy editor to news editor/days.

   » Nick Hildebrand, who has been with the paper for six years, from copy editor to news editor/weekends.

In addition, Joseph P. Kapusta, who retired as director of newsroom operations in 1998, has been rehired as a member of the copy editing team.

Ms. Adams has been choosing the placement of local and wire news and feature stories since being named The Herald's news editor in 1994.

She started as a reporter in the newspaper's former Greenville bureau. She received The Herald's C.B. Lartz award for excellence in newswriting in 1985.

During her tenure, she has filled almost every editing slot at The Herald, from pulling wire stories to designing pages, editing local copy, writing headlines and coaching reporters.

A former high school and college English teacher, Ms. Adams holds a bachelor's and master's in English from Edinboro University.

She and her husband, Ray McCauley, live in Greenville.

Wiercinski joined The Herald as a reporter covering Sharon. He previously had been news director of radio station WPIC, Hermitage, for 10 years.

At The Herald, Wiercinski also has served as a beat reporter at the courthouse, in Farrell and as political writer.

He joined the editing desk and editorial board in 1994.

Wiercinski, who lives in Hermitage with his wife, Carol, is a graduate of Thiel College, Greenville, with a bachelor's in English.

Hildebrand started as a reporter in the former Mercer bureau, covering Grove City and eastern Mercer County. He joined the paper's copy desk in 1997.

Hildebrand has been The Herald's political editor, preparing semi-annual voters guides and coordinating election coverage.

He previously worked at The Record-Argus, Greenville, where he served as courthouse reporter and night editor.

Hildebrand is a graduate of Greenville High School and earned a degree in political science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He lives in West Salem Township with his wife, Betsy.

Kapusta, 57, first joined The Herald in 1967 after graduating from Penn State with a bachelor's in journalism. He held various reporting and editing positions before taking early retirement in 1998 when the newspaper was owned by Ottaway Newspapers Inc.

He lives in Hermitage with his wife, Sharon, and son, Joey. He also has two grown stepchildren, Vince Trenga and Courtney Trenga.

Kapusta is a son of Joseph J. Kapusta, Hermitage, and the late Mildred Kapusta.