The newspaper’s editor, Jack Miles, said James died Wednesday at a Kansas City, Mo., hospice.

James had been the paper’s publisher since 2007 before retiring earlier this year.

Before that, he was publisher of the Cass County Democrat-Missourian in Harrisonville. His career also included various industry leadership positions, including a stint as MPA president in 1998.

He was inducted into the MPA Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2001.