Former Birmingham News publisher Victor Hanson II dies

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Former Birmingham News publisher Victor Hanson II has died. Son Victor Hanson III says his father died in his sleep Friday at a hospital after a brief illness. Hanson’s family owned the newspaper for decades in the early 1900s, and he began working there after graduating from the University of Alabama in 1954. He held jobs that included reporting and selling advertisements. The Newhouse family kept the Hansons in leadership after purchasing the News in 1955. Hanson was named president in 1980 and publisher three years later. He retired in 2000.