Weimar owners add Eagle Lake weekly

EAGLE LAKE — The Eagle Lake Headlight has new owners. Amy and Cathy Fearing sold the newspaper to Bruce and Lynda Beal.

The Headlight had been owned by members of the Fearing family since 1988. Amy and Cathy took over in January after their mother Jeannine Fearing, died Dec. 30, 2004.

The Beals also own the Weimar Mercury, which they purchased in 1993, and will continue to operate both newspapers as separate publications. The Beal’s son, James Sweet, will serve as publisher in Eagle Lake.

4th generation in Coleman

COLEMAN — Michael Autry has purchased an interest in the Coleman Chronicle and Democrat Voice from Stan Brudney, effective Jan. 1, 2006.

Autry is the great-grandson of Coleman County Chronicle founder Roy Autry.

Brudney, son-in-law to Roy Autry Jr., who is Roy Autry’s son, plans to retire at the end of the year after 33 years with the newspaper.

Co-publisher Brett Autry, grandson of Roy Autry, will remain.

Milton Autry, the founder’s other son, retired from the newspaper in 1992.

Granite buys Diboll Free Press from Temple-Inland

DIBOLL — The Free Press in Diboll has changed hands as Temple-Inland sold its interest to Granite Publishing Partners, part of Granite Publications of Taylor, as of June 7.

Granite chairman Jim Chionsini is no stranger to East Texas. The first newspaper he purchased was the East Texas Light in Center in 1978. The San Augustine Rambler and The Sabine County Reporter in Hemphill also were purchased before the small group was sold in the 1980s.

Chionsini then moved to Lufkin and lived there for eight years.

Candace Velvin assumed duties as editor and publisher at the Free Press. She came from The Light and Champion in Center, where she served as publisher for the past four years and previously served as editor for eight years

Granite Publications is a family of community newspapers with 19 publications in Texas.

Corpus daily to host Learning Newsroom

CORPUS CHRISTI — The Caller-Times is one of only 10 newspapers nationwide selected to participate in the Learning Newsroom Project.

The three-year-long program helps partner newspapers improve workplace culture and increase readership.

Sponsored by American Press Institute and American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Learning Newsroom Project provides extensive training for selected newspapers.

Amarillo rolls out auto advertising tab

AMARILLO — The Amarillo Globe News launched a stand-alone semimonthly publication called Drive featuring automobile and auto dealer advertisements.

The full-color publication will be distributed free at 400 locations in Amarillo and Canyon and 100 other locations in the Panhandle area.

Drive ads also will be featured in the Globe News classifieds and on the Web site www.drive.amarillo.com.