VALDOSTA — Long-term journalist and publisher Alpheus “Al” Byers Parsons of Valdosta died Monday. He was 73.

Parsons, who edited and published The Lake Park Post for many years, had been an investigative reporter, columnist, editor and publisher during his long career. He won Associated Press awards for investigative reporting and feature and editorial writing during his time with The Oregon Journal, The Tampa Tribune, The Clearwater Sun, The Citizen and the Adel News-Tribune. Parsons won a first place feature writing award from the AP while working as a reporter and columnist for The Valdosta Daily Times.

The Boca Beacon in Boca Grande, Fla., won 10 Florida Press Association awards during his tenure there. The Madison Enterprise-Recorder in Madison, Fla., won nine Florida Press Association awards and a School Bell Award for first place editorial excellence while Parsons was editor.

A former speechwriter for President Gerald Ford, Parsons also had worked for various newspapers and TV news organizations. He published poetry and fiction and authored two books.

Parsons fought as a U.S. Marine in the Korean War. He was born June 6, 1932, in Seattle, Wash., and lived most of his life in Florida.

He is survived by twin sons, Alpheus Parsons of Webster, Fla., and Byers Parsons of Denver, Colo.