Newsmakers

Brenda Adams was named publisher of the Sweetwater Reporter. She has more than 25 years experience and most recently was advertising director at the Fort Madison (Iowa) Daily Democrat. Before that she worked for newspapers in Louisiana and Oklahoma. Kelly Hicks left her position as managing editor of the Reporter to pursue other interests.

Bill Atkinson, publisher of the Cleburne Times-Review, has been named publisher of Courier Publications in Maine, which includes seven weeklies owned by Crescent Publising LLC. He was general manager of Lone Star News Group, which includes the Times-Review, Weatherford Democrat and Mineral Wells Index and is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.

The Austin American-Statesman named a new general manager and a change in another top slot at year’s end. Belinda Gaudet will take over as general manager this month. She was publisher of sister newspaper the Lufkin Daily News. She replaced Larry Kline who was named vice president of classified advertising at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jim Ripley, vice president and chief financial officer since 1996, will retire at year’s end. He will be replaced by Edward Burns, a financial executive at parent company Cox Newspapers Inc. for more than 20 years.

Libby Averyt, a 17-year veteran of the Caller-Times in Corpus Christi, became editor and vice president of the newspaper effective July 1. Averyt had been managing editor since 2000. She succeeds Deborah Fisher, who left to become an assistant managing editor at The Tennessean in Nashville.

The Baytown Sun has welcomed new staffers, including city editor Joseph Lohan, copy editor Rachel Zoch and general assignments reporters Beth Gullett and Ken Fountain. Lohan previously was sports editor at the Kerrville Daily Times. Zoch just completed her journalism degree at the University of Texas at Austin after a previous career in technical editing following an earlier college degree. Fountain previously was a Houston correspondent for a national legal news service and worked as a Navy journalist. Gullett has worked as a freelancer for the Houston Press and the Houston Chronicle’s ThisWeek section. She has also worked at the Pasadena Citizen.

The Bellville Times earned the 2003 Austin County Soil & Water Conservation Media Award. Editor and publisher Bruce White accepted the award.

Hal Braswell is the new editor of the Tri County Leader in Whitehouse. He came from the managing editor role at the Drumright (Okla.) Gusher. He has worked in newspapers for 10 years in Oklahoma, Mississippi and San Antonio. He replaced reporter/photographer Jim Brown.

Maribel Castelan took her job as marketing specialist at The Brownsville Herald a step beyond the office. She organized the newspaper’s citywide Fourth of July parade that garnered more than 50 floats from area businesses and organizations. The newspaper began hosting the parade three years ago to celebrate its founding date of July 4, 1892.

Lenora Carter, publisher and chief executive officer of the Houston Forward Times, was elected treasurer of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents more than 200 African-American-owned newspapers.

David Claybourn was named sports editor of the year by Texas Association for Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS). He is sports editor at the Greenville Herald-Banner and won for coverage of Greenville Christian School, his fourth such honor.

The Courier in Conroe announced a change in the newspaper’s top job. Chuck Williams left his role as publisher last month. He had led the newspaper since March 2001. His other Texas posts include stints at the San Marcos Daily Record and the Big Spring Herald. Robb Reeves was named the new publisher. He came from Selma, Ala., where he was president of Selma Newspapers Inc. and publisher of The Selma Times-Journal. He is a former publisher of The Observer newspapers in New Caney, Kingwood and Humble, a group of free papers that also are part of Houston Community Newspapers.

Richard Nelson has been named managing editor of The Sealy News. He came from the Jacksonville Daily Progress where he was news editor. He also worked at The Baytown Sun, The Houston Post and Tyler Morning Telegraph during his 20-year career. Larry Krantz was named his replacement at the Progress. He most recently worked for the Tyler Morning Telegraph and had a stint at The Paris News.

Shawn Reneau is the new retail advertising manager for the Denton Record-Chronicle. He has worked there more than 30 years and most recently handled commercial printing and pre-print sales.

The San Antonio Express-News announced several staff changes. Macarena Hernandez was promoted to the projects team where she will provide in-depth reporting from the border area. Nora Lopez has been named state editor. Lopez began her career as an intern 17 years ago and returned in 2000. Rachel Benavidez joined the staff as an assistant state editor. She previously was city editor at The Brownsville Herald. Matt Oliver, vice president of production, was promoted to the new position of director of productivity management at the newspaper division of Hearst Corp. He will be based in San Antonio. Scott Frantzen, head of circulation, will add production and transportation to his duties. Nina Brooks, vice president of technology and chief information officer, will add the imaging department.

Three Texans are among the first-place winners in the 2002 Amy Writing Awards, which encourage writers to communicate biblical truth to a secular audience. Alan Cochrum of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram won the first place $10,000 prize. Patrick Butler won the third place $4,000 prize while at the Lindale News & Times (he is now the religion writer at the Tyler Morning Telegraph). Mike Haynes, a columnist for the Amarillo Globe-News, won a $1,000 award of merit.

Two staff members have joined the Van Zandt Newspapers, L.L.C. editorial staff. Wilbur Callaway, a native of Grand Saline, has returned after a six-year absence to serve as sports editor for the Van Zandt News, Canton Herald, Wills Point Chronicle, and Van Banner. A 43-year veteran of Texas newspapers, Callaway was general news editor for Campbell McNeill Newspapers (now Van Zandt Newspapers, L.L.C.), from 1981-1997. Brittani Ledesma, a student at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, recently joined the staff as a staff writer covering Grand Saline, Martins Mill and the Canton Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. She is attending Tyler Junior College on a full music scholarship.

Michael Wright is the new publisher of the Guymon (Okla.) Daily Herald. He had been editor of the Borger News Herald, where he started as sports editor in 1996. Lisa Elliott was named as his replacement in Borger. She began at the News Herald in 1995 and became full time in 1996. She later was a copy editor at the Amarillo Globe-News before returning as staff writer to Borger in 2001.