CINCINNATI – Darryl Hicks, general manager of the Press Journal in Vero Beach, Fla., since 1985 and president of the newspaper since 1996, is retiring effective Aug. 1.With his retirement, Hicks, 63, ends a 41-year career that began catching newspapers coming off the press in the mailroom of his hometown paper, the News Herald in Conneaut, Ohio. He spent 25 years, primarily in management, at the News Herald and other newspapers in Northeast Ohio owned by Rowley Publications, before joining the Press Journal. The Press Journal is owned and operated by The E. W. Scripps Company, which acquired the newspaper in 1996 from John J. Schumann Jr. and the Schumann family. “It has been exciting and fulfilling being part of a growing newspaper and community,’’Hicks said. “And I’ve been blessed to work with wonderful people. I like to think we have served our community well, both under the Schumann family and Scripps, which very much believes in giving back to the communities it serves,” Hicks said. “Darryl’s integrity and professionalism shine and these qualities are reflected in the newspaper he publishes,’’ said Thomas E. Weber Jr., editor and president of Treasure Coast Publishing Company. “He made a great contribution to the success of the Press Journal and Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing Company. His steady, knowledgeable hand at the helm of the Press Journal will be missed.” Treasure Coast Publishing is a Scripps operating unit that includes three daily newspapers – the Press Journal, The Stuart (Fla.) News and The Tribune in Fort Pierce, Fla. – the TCPalm Web site and two weekly newspapers, the Jupiter Courier and Sebastian Sun.Hicks joined the Press Journal in 1985 and became general manager and associate publisher before being named the newspaper’s president in 1996.In Ohio, Hicks was president of the Conneaut Jaycees and a state director of the organization. He also served on the board of trustees of Brown Memorial Hospital, Conneaut, and was president of its Exchange Club. He was finance chairman of the Western Reserve Association of the United Church of Christ in Northeast Ohio. In Vero Beach, Hicks was president of the Vero Beach-Indian River County Chamber of Commerce in 1991, was a member of the West Side Rotary Club and served on boards of numerous community organizations. He also served on the board of the Florida Press Association.He served in intelligence operations with the U.S. Air Force from 1955-1959. The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks and interactive media. Scripps operates 21 daily newspapers, 10 broadcast TV stations and three cable television networks, with plans to launch a fourth.Scripps national television network brands include Home & Garden Television, Food Network, Do It Yourself and Fine Living, due to launch in early 2002.The company also operates Scripps Howard News Service, United Media, the worldwide licensing and syndication home of PEANUTS and DILBERT, and 31 Web sites, including hgtv.com, foodtv.com, diynet.com and comics.com.