Adios, Rich Credit: photo by Jana Birchum

Yep, it’s true: After a 46-year journalism career, including 11 at the local daily, Austin American-Statesman Editor Rich Oppel is retiring. He will be replaced by Managing Editor Fred Zipp.

Here’s a look back at what I wrote a few months after he first came to town. As you can see, we were pretty optimistic about his arrival. Too bad the Statesman never quite reached the level for which we’d hoped.

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