Debbie Aylesworth, general manager of The Canyon News, has been named publisher. Aylesworth had been advertising manager of the newspaper from September 2001 until mid-2006, when she was named general manager. Aylesworth first worked at the News from 1994-97 in a part-time role as society and religion writer. The News is managed by Moser Community Media, of which Jim Moser is president.

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Roxann Chavez took on an additional role as general manager at the Alpine Avalanche. She had been an advertising representative and will now oversee the business end of the operation as well.

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David Danley has joined The Light and Champion in Center as a news reporter. This is Danley’s second tenure with the newspaper, having served as reporter and photographer for three years in the mid 1990s.

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Harry T. Darby left the Alpine Avalanche to become publisher at sister newspapers The Vindicator in Liberty and Anahuac Progress. Darby replaced Emmett McKinley who left to pursue other interests. Darby joined Granite Publications in October 2003 as publisher of the Madisonville Meteor and moved to Alpine as publisher in October 2004.

Vindicator editor Jerry Gaulding has been promoted to general manager of the Progress and Vindicator.

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Patty Finney resigned her position as news editor at the Elgin Courier to drive a school bus.

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John Flores, a former Texas reporter for 10 years, has published a book about Alfredo “Freddy” Gonzales, a Texas marine sergeant who won the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1968. The book is titled “When the River Dreams: The Life of Marine Sgt. Freddy Gonzalez.”

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Kelly Griffith joined the staff at the Bullard Banner News. She is a 2006 graduate of Bullard High School.

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Travis Harsch is the new sports editor of The Canyon News. Harsch is an Amarillo High School graduate who is completing work toward a degree in political science at West Texas A&M University. He expects to graduate in August 2007.

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Deborah Martin, assistant arts and entertainment editor for the San Antonio Express-News, and Michael Maza, assistant arts editor for The Dallas Morning News, were among 25 arts journalists chosen from 21 states to participate as fellows in the third National Endowment for the Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. The Institute will be conducted by USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism in Los Angeles Jan. 30–Feb. 9.

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Kevin Moran has been reassigned to the Houston Chronicle online edition from his longtime post as the daily’s Galveston County reporter. Harvey Rice will replace Moran on the island beat. Moran covered Galveston Island and Galveston County news for 25 years.

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Terry Ann Rendon joined the Uvalde Leader-News as a reporter and writer for the Lifestyles section. Rendon earned her master of arts in journalism from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., in August. Her experience includes writing for TheStandardReport.com in Virginia Beach.

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Tamra Spence left the Hill Country News in Cedar Park to work in public relations for Round Rock school district. She spent five years as reporter, ad rep, managing editor and associate publisher at the News.

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Erika Wilson is the new editor at the Stamford American. She attended Texas Tech University while earning a bachelors degree in public relations.

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Michelle Yedica has joined the staff of the Fort Stockton Pioneer as bookkeeper while Amber Reeves is on maternity leave and will be taking over the composing duties when Reeves returns.

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Larry Walker completed his tenure at the San Antonio Express-News where he served 15 years as publisher. Walker was chairman in 2006 before officially retiring at the end of December.

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Bill Woodall, of Bluebonnet Publishing Co., was seriously injured Nov. 27 in a car accident near      Kilgore. His passenger, publisher’s assistant Jessica Matlock, also was injured. A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that Woodall’s Mazda pickup was headed east on Texas Highway 31 while a Mitsubishi Montero was headed south on FM 3053 around 8:14 p.m. The 27-year-old driver of the Montero did not stop at a stop sign and both vehicles collided, the trooper said.

Woodall is publisher of the Kilgore News Herald and three weeklies.