From Staff Reports

Reporter and staff writer Ashley Vansant has been named sports editor of the Shelby County Reporter.

He fills the position left vacant by current sports editor Eric Burkett.

Burkett has accepted a managing editor position at the Barnwell County People Sentinel and the Allendale County Citizen Leader in South Carolina.

&uot;I have enjoyed the time I’ve spent in Shelby County,&uot; Burkett said, &uot;and look forward to using the knowledge I’ve gained here in my new position.&uot;

Burkett and his wife, Amy, an accountant, will move to South Carolina at the end of the week.

Vansant said he was looking forward to expanding his work at the Reporter as the sports editor.

&uot;I love sports, and I know Shelby County does, too.

&uot;The Reporter has a fine tradition of presenting sports coverage to its readers, and I look forward to being a part of that,&uot; he said.

Vansant is a graduate of Hoover High School and Auburn University.

He currently lives in Alabaster with his wife, Kristin, and his son, Sam.

Reporter publisher Tim Prince expects a smooth transition this week.

&uot;Ashley has done an outstanding job as a reporter and we can all expect to be even more impressed with what he will accomplish as Sports Editor,&uot; Prince said. &uot;I believe this to be a good move for our company, one that our readers will recognize in the pages of our newspaper each week.&uot;

The Reporter covers sports at 14 high schools, Oak Mountain State Park, UM and youth leagues across the county