Detroit publisher to head California group

The former editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press and a former Knight Ridder newspaper executive has taken the helm of the 60,000-circulation Daily News Group in Northern California. Carole Leigh Hutton will replace Shareef Dajani, who was named publisher of the Palo Alto-based group only a year ago. An article announcing Hutton's appointment did not give any indication of any changes she might have in mind for the Daily News Group, which has editions in six cities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Under Dajani, the chain eliminated Monday editions in several cities and reduced its daily in Los Gatos to a three-day-a-week operation. Dajani will stay with the paper's owner, MediaNews, heading up its local speciality publications.