February 2005

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Newsmakers Odilon Arambula officially retired Dec. 31 after 33 years at the Laredo Morning Times. It was his 70th birthday and the day that the Times recognized him as Laredoan of the Year. Arambula joined the Times in 1971. He became managing editor in 1976 and was named editor in 1981, a position he held until spring 2004 when he was named executive editor. -- The Bandera Bulletin promoted James Taylor to associate editor-in-chief and Jessica Hawley as lifestyles editor. -- Wendy Benjaminson, an assistant managing editor at the Houston Chronicle and former Associated Press staffer, is returning to the AP as correspondent in charge of the Houston bureau. She replaces Michael Graczyk, who is moving to a new special writer role for the AP in Texas. In other Texas AP changes, Annabelle Garay is returning to the Dallas staff and El Paso correspondent Chris Roberts has left the AP to join the El Paso Times. Schuyler Dixon also joined the Dallas AP staff. Dixon was an assistant sports editor at The Dallas Morning News and has worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, San Angelo Standard-Times and Odessa American. Dixon replaces Dino Chiecchi, who has left to join the San Antonio Express-News’ Spanish language operations. -- Margarette Chasteen has been named the new publisher of the Pearland and Friendswood Journals. Chasteen joined the Journals in March 2004 as an advertising sales representative. She became general manager of the papers in September. -- The Copperas Cove Leader-Press welcomed four employees to its staff. Account executive Lynn Forster and graphic designer Travis Martin joined the staff. The Leader-Press also welcomed back graphic designer Debbie Rigney who was on staff for eight years before taking a one-year leave of absence. Andrea Hauk joined the paper as office manager. She is the daughter of publisher and associate publisher Larry and Joyce Hauk. -- Sandy Denson took over as business manager of The Baytown Sun Jan. 5. She has 20 years experience and was serving as an advertising representative for the daily. -- Randy Dillon, previously with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, has been named circulation manager for The Herald-Coaster in Rosenberg. Dillon was with Knight-Ridder Newspapers for the last nine years. -- The Galveston County Daily News and reporter Laura Elder have been selected for a 2004-05 Silver Apple award, given by the Texas Classroom Teachers Association. Elder and The Daily News were named Silver Apple recipients in the print category for publications with circulation of less than 50,000. -- The Gatesville Messenger was named Small Business of the Year for 2004 by the Gatesville Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 20. The award was the first ever granted for businesses with less than 10 employees. Judging was based on commitment to good and ethical business practices; innovativeness of the product or service provided; growth in employees, sales, net income or customer base; commitment to establishing superior consumer relations; and community involvement, chamber involvement and corporate citizenship. Publisher Marshall Day was attending the Texas Press Association Midwinter Conference in Dallas during the event and sent Janice Velasquez of the Messenger staff to accept the honor. -- Joanne C. Gosselin has been named to the new position of general manager of the Amarillo Globe-News. She had been advertising director since Dec. 1, 2001. -- Amanda Gosnell is the new bookkeeper at the Colorado County Citizen. She is engaged to marry Aaron Oppermann on April 9. -- The Hill Country News in Cedar Park hired a new reporter and announced an employee’s election to the local chamber of commerce. Advertising representative Bill Robison was named president of the Leander Chamber of Commerce. The editorial department hired a new reporter Frank Flaton to covering the city of Leander. -- Pam Hudson, a new resident of Jacksboro, was hired as staff writer for the Jack County Herald and Jacksboro Gazette-News. She came from the DeLeon Free Press where she worked in all aspects of the newspaper business for two years. -- Shauna Lewis has been promoted to managing editor at the Leader News in Lytle. The 2001 Texas A&M journalism graduate has been employed at the paper since September 2002 as a general assignments reporter. She replaces Greg McReynolds, who becomes the city editor at the daily Idaho State Journal in Pocatello, Idaho. -- Two Lubbock Avalanche-Journal employees marked longtime anniversaries. Rodney Shaw in production reached the 50-year mark and Dominic Caranfa in operations marked 40 years. -- The Texas Press Association board of directors earlier this month selected Donnis Baggett to fill out the remainder of Phil Major’s elected director term that expires June 30. Major was elected treasurer of the TPA board in June 2004. Baggett is publisher of The Eagle in Bryan and chairs the TPA/ Texas Daily Newspaper Association Legislative Advisory Committee. -- L.W. McCall is the new publisher of the Borger News-Herald. He came from the publisher role of The Pampa News where he had been for the past seven years. Prior to that, he was publisher of the Linton (Md.) Daily Citizen and was general manager and national sales representative of the Mid Valley Town Crier in Weslaco for eight years. Interim publisher Chuck Williams led the Borger newspaper for several months following the retirement of publisher Judy Allen in April 2004. -- April Martin was named lifestyle editor of the Sweetwater Reporter. She came from Arizona where she was an assistant editor at a daily. -- Carol Munroe has joined the news staff at the Aransas Pass Progress and Ingleside Index. She had been a freelance writer, resume writer and editor since 2001. -- The News Dispatch in Driftwood received the Central Texas Crime Prevention Association’s 2004 Printed Media award at its annual membership meeting at The Salt Lick Restaurant Dec. 17. Publisher Dale Roberson was on hand to accept the award. -- Amber Palmer assumed the duties as managing editor of The Clarksville Times Jan. 3 following the retirement of Ben Black. She returned to her family business, which also owns the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune, after being a teacher for four years. -- Jacquelynn Schroeder came on board as a new general assignment reporter in early December at The Bay City Tribune. She is a graduate of Northwestern Oklahoma State University. -- Jake Shaw, sports editor of the Corsicana Daily Sun, has been named managing editor of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. Shaw had been sports editor since September 2003. -- Jodie Steck, assistant director of photography at The Dallas Morning News, has joined the White House photo staff. -- Lisa Sullivan, marketing director of The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C., has been named marketing director of the Austin American-Statesman. Sullivan joined The Herald in 1996. -- Nick Voinis, former director of member services for Texas Press Association, has left Public Strategies to handle communications for the sports department at the University of Texas at Austin. Voinis has worked for Kay Bailey Hutchison, Carole Keeton Strayhorn and David Dewhurst. -- Janet S. Weaver, who began her career working as a reporter in Texas, Florida and Virginia, has been named executive editor and vice president of The Tampa Tribune.