C&S Media adds 2 weekly papers

WYLIE — C&S Media, Inc. has added two weekly newspapers to its publications.

On Feb. 3 the company, owned by publisher Chad Engbrock and his wife Sonia Duggan, began The Sachse News and The Murphy Monitor. C&S already publishes The Farmersville Times, The Princeton Herald and The Wylie News.

Both newspapers will be published on Thursdays and available on racks and to subscribers via mail and home delivery.

Patty Montagno will continue as the Sachse beat reporter. She has been with The Wylie News for six years.

Jennifer Miller will continue covering Murphy. Miller previously worked for the McKinney Courier-Gazette and Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Donnita Nesbit Fisher will serve as managing editor and Brian Honea will be sports editor, positions they hold in the other C&S publications.

Massey buys The Star Group

BURLESON — Susan Hutson and James Moody sold The Star Group, which includes the semiweekly Burleson Star, to longtime publisher Ike Massey.

The DFW area group includes the weeklies Alvarado Star, Crowley Star, Joshua Star, Keene Star and South Tarrant Star in Everman.

Wayne and Susan Hutson started the Burleson Star in 1965. Moody joined the business in 1971 and became publisher of all the papers after Hutson’s death in 1981.

Massey was CEO and publisher of The Houston Post from 1991-95. He  then became president and CEO of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group and later publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News. From 2001-03 Massey was vice chairman of DFW Community Newspapers in Plano.

Rickenbacher Media represented Hutson and Moody in the transaction.

La Feria adds Los Fresnos

LA FERIA — The publishers of the La Feria News Don and Mary Beth Wright have expanded and added a new publication for the city of Los Fresnos — the Los Fresnos News.

The first issue was scheduled to roll off the presses Jan. 5. The new home of the Los Fresnos News will be at 112 West Ocean Blvd. in Los Fresnos.

Production of both papers will be at the La Feria News offices at 102 S. Main St.

Big Spring launches fee-based Web site

BIG SPRING — The Big Spring Herald’s Web site in December launched major changes including subscription-based access to content.

“The bottom line ... is that we can’t make the improvements we want to make to the Web site and provide online readers with a complete news package while continuing to offer access to the site for free,” publisher Susanne Reed said.

Visitors to the site will be able to access all advertising including classifieds without subscribing.

Copperas Cove says hola to El Aguila

COPPERAS COVE — The Copperas Cove Leader-Press, in conjunction with its sister newspapers the Belton Journal and Harker Heights Evening Star, launched the bilingual newspaper El Aguila.

El Aguila will be available at news stands around Copperas Cove and from Temple to Lampasas. Joyce Hauk, associate publisher of the Leader-Press, will serve as publisher. Mauricio Rocha, Hauk’s uncle, will serve as editor.

Laredo unveils redesign

LAREDO — On Jan. 23 the Laredo Morning Times took on a new look with a re-design headed by Hallie Paul, assistant manager editor, and Thadtt Stewart, lead lA/projects designer, both of sister newspaper the San Antonio Express-News.

The re-design team also included Times chief designer Emilio Rabago and senior paginator Alex Mondez.

Seguin expands online

SEGUIN — The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise expanded its Web edition to include previously unavailable content such as letters to the editor, crime digest and features. Wedding and engagement announcements also will be added to the site.

Users will be required to register to read stories more than seven days old. An extended paid archive will be available soon through NewsBank.