David Ball joins the Silsbee Bee as reporter. Ball spent time at several newspapers in the region, including Jacksonville Daily Progress, Vidor Vidorian and the Port Arthur News.

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Lauren Cabral and Geoffrey Hill joined the Copperas Cove Leader Press as reporters.

Cabral joined in May and will serve through this month until returning to her pursuit of a journalism degree at the University of Alabama.

Hill joined after a hiatus in journalism. He also has a background in law enforcement.

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Bob Dennis, publisher of the Corsicana Daily Sun, has been named publisher of the Register-News in Mount Vernon, Ill., and the Times-Leader also in Illinois.

He was promoted to publisher of the Daily Sun in 2004. Both newspapers are part of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.

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Rick Dunham has been named Washington, D.C., bureau chief of the Houston Chronicle.

Dunham comes to the Chronicle from Business Week magazine where he was a senior writer covering the intersection of politics and policy in Washington. He joined Business Week in 1992 after seven years as a national political reporter for the Dallas Times Herald.

He has served as president of the National Press Club and chairman of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

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Peg Howeth is the new staff writer for the Lake Country Sun. She and her husband own Blossom Kingdom Flowers & Gift. She previously served for two years as executive director of the Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.

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Jean Kwon is the new government and legal reporter for the Austin Business Journal. She worked for two years as a contributing writer for the Austin American-Statesman.

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Hana Manal joined the Bandera County Courier as a contributing writer for the summer. She will enter her sophomore year at Baylor University where she is a contributing writer for the university ’s The Lariat.

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Woody Morgan is the Borger News-Herald’s new sports editor. While in high school, he worked briefly as a stringer. He has experience in broadcasting and worked for newspapers in California but recently returned to Texas to become editor at The Eagle Press in Fritch for a year before joining the News Herald.

Brooke Huff joined the staff as a general assignment reporter, replacing Morgan. Huff previously worked for a weekly in Virginia.

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Valerie Reddell has been named editor of the Polk County Enterprise to replace Barbara White who retired after 28 years as editor. Reddell returned to work for Polk County Publishing in January as special sections editor and news editor.

James E. Baugh has joined the staff as reporter. Baugh has been active in a number of community projects and is the 2008-09 chairman of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Polk County.

Baugh and Polk County Publishing Co. printing division manager Jennifer Birdwell were recently honored by the ACS for directing one of the region’s most successful events. The 2007 Polk County event grossed nearly $250,000.

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Glenn Stifflemire, publisher of The Port Arthur News, resigned in late June, saying it was time to move on to a new challenge.

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The Texas Medical Association named winners in its Anson Jones awards, which recognize health reporting.

Circulation 100,000 or more, Bob Moos of The Dallas Morning News “Medicare? The Doctor Is out Physicians Leaving Program Over Fee Cuts;” citation of merit Sue Goetinck Ambrose, The Dallas Morning News, “Diets of Rodents May Have Tainted Decades of Research.”

Circulation less than 100,000, Melissa McEver, Valley Morning Star in Harlingen, “Jumping CHIP;” citation of merit Michael Hines, Times Record News, Wichita Falls, “Heart 2 Heart;” honorable mention Alison Beshur, Kerrville Daily Times, “Doctor: Medicare Payments Not  Enough.” For in-depth print, Carolyn Poirot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, won for “Shot Against Cancer.” A citation of merit was presented to Robert T. Garrett, The Dallas Morning News, for “Privatization of State Health Care Enrollment.” An honorable mention went to Hina Alam and Jessica Savage, Lufkin Daily News, for “ER State of Emergency.”

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David T. Wedel was named publisher of the Midland Reporter-Telegram. He served 18 years at the newspaper as controller, business manager, and most recently general manager.

Charles Spence, current publisher, will step away from the day-to-day activities immediately and retire at the end of the year.