Newsmakers

Wanda Garner Cash, publisher of The Baytown Sun and TPA 2nd vice president, has been elected to another term as president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Don Flores, vice president and editor of the El Paso Times, was re-elected as vice president and Keith Shelton, journalist in residence for the University of North Texas (ret.) is back for another term as secretary. Joel White, a Houston attorney, is the new treasurer, replacing Kathy Vetter. Vetter, managing editor/enterprise and investigations of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, will remain on the board. New board members include Maria Eugenia Guerra, publisher and CEO at LareDOS; Brett Thacker, assistant managing editor of the San Antonio Express-News; Fred Zipp, managing editor of the Austin American-Statesman and Linda Quick, a marketing consultant.

Joey Dauben has been named among the finalists for the Felix Morley Journalism Competition, which recognizes reporting on constitutional rights, individual liberty and personal responsibility. Dauben is a reporter for the Ellis County Press in Ferris. The Morley competition is sponsored by the George Mason University Institute for Humane Studies.

The Dallas Morning News named Harold Gaar as vice president/retail display advertising, and Jason Kays as vice president of advertising marketing.

Mike Eddleman joined the Seguin Gazette Enterprise as the new managing editor. He came from the Round Rock Leader where he was sports editor for nearly three years. He replaced Wayne Frazer who left in October and has since assumed a publisher’s position in the Midwest.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram gave two veteran staffers new roles. Andrew Marton, the art critic since 1999, became senior writer for arts and entertainment. Gaile Robinson, a features writer and editor since 1996, assumed the position of art and design critic. She worked at The Dallas Morning News and Los Angeles Times before coming the Fort Worth.

Carolina Garcia, managing editor of the San Antonio Express-News for five years, has been named executive editor of the Monterey County (Calif.) Herald. Before coming to San Antonio she worked 16 years at the Milwaukee (Wis.) Journal-Sentinel.

Rodolfo Gonzalez of the Austin American-Statesman won second place in the 2003 Community Service Photojournalism category from the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He won for a series of photographs of Jacqui Saburdio, the Venezuelan student who suffered severe burns over her body in a fatal accident caused by a drunken driver in 1999. The girl gained national attention after the newspaper portrayed her in a special report.

The Houston Chronicle won this year’s Dart Award for Excellence in Reporting on Victims of Violence from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at the University of Washington.Written by Daniel J. Vargas and photographed by Andrew Innerarity “The Legacy of Love” package told the story of a local resident Angela Hudson who barely survived after her estranged husband set her on fire.Other staffers on the team who produced the narrative package were Diane Cowen, Jason Middleton, Catherine McIntosh, David Einsel, Susan Barber, Sarah Bonassin and Brian Howard. The Austin American-Statesman won an honorable mention for its “Chasing Hope” coverage of Jacqui Saburido, who was burned beyond recognition in a 1999 accident caused by a drunken driver.

Sally Jenkins, a Forth Worth Star-Telegram sports columnist, is working on her second biographical novel with Tour de France-winning cyclist Lance Armstrong. The first book they co-authored “It’s Not About the Bike” was on the New York Times bestseller list. Once the project is complete Jenkins plans to write books with only her byline. She is the daughter of nationally recognized sportswriter and author Dan Jenkins.

Whit Jones is the new general manager and editor of The Pearland Journal. He has more than 20 years of experience at weekly and daily newspapers.

Mike McIlvain is the new managing editor of The Belton Journal. McIlvain’s newspaper experience is extensive and he came from sister newspaper the Copperas Cove Leader-Press where he worked for several months. He recently returned from London where he was studying for his masters in international journalism at City University, where he is scheduled to graduate in May along with journalists from around the world.

The murder case of Philip True, the Mexico City bureau chief for the San Antonio Express-News who was slain by two Huichol Indians in 1998, took a turn last month when a Mexican federal court returned the case to a lower court. The two men who were convicted and given 13-year sentences in May 2002 after years of legal wrangling will remain free after their convictions were declared unconstitutional because a state appeals court magistrate had an undisclosed conflict of interest with a defense attorney. The new court can reassess the same penalty, lessen it or return a new verdict, the Express-News reported.Meanwhile the newspaper announced the winners of its 2002 Philip True Awards, which recognize the slain reporter. Winners were reporter John Tedesco, photographer Juanito Garza, copy editor Laura Clark and graphic artist Monte Bach.

The News-Dispatch in Dripping Springs was recognized by the Central Texas Crime Prevention Association as Outstanding Crime Prevention News Media for 2002. Editor and publisher Dale Roberson accepted the award, the second for the newspaper.

Cindy Parkhurst was named publisher of the Colorado County Citizen in Columbus. She had been serving as interim publisher and has been with the newspaper for 11 years, having worked in many departments including bookkeeping, advertising, design and production.

The Stephenville Empire-Tribune announced one new hire and one retirement.Bud Jones has been named sports editor of the Stephenville Empire-Tribune. He also has worked at the Brownwood Bulletin and De Leon Free Press. Debra Wesson retired after nine years service. She most recently was advertising manager and began in classified ad sales in 1994.

Wayne Stewart was promoted to news editor of the Palestine Herald-Press. He had been covering city government and business news for nearly two years. He is married to chief photographer Christina Cutler. He replaced Tom Embrey who took a job as managing editor at the McKinney Courier-Gazette.