Press Women of Texas announced its annual awards in March at the 111th annual conference in Waco.

Bonnie Arnold, Hill Country Recorder staff writer, won six awards for reporting and editing work. Arnold joined the Recorder staff in mid-December after working more than eight years at The Mountain Sun in Kerrville. Arnold also was named president-elect of the group.

Sammie Franklin, Pleasanton Express senior associate editor and feature and news writer, won first place, two second places, two third places and an honorable mention. Franklin has been part of the staff for more than 50 years.

 

The Bandera Bulletin announced two new columnists. Peggy Tobin, who has written on and off for the Bulletin since 1951, returns and new writer Feather Wilson began his association.

 

Two new employees have joined the staff of The Bastrop Advertiser.

Brad Holbrook is the new sports editor while Debbie Denny is a new retail advertising representative. Holbrook graduated from Baylor University in May 2003 with a bachelor of arts in journalism.  Denny has 25 years advertising experience with five years at weekly newspapers in San Patricio County.

 

Manny Benavides is the new sports editor at The Brownsville Herald, succeeding Russ Goodall. Benavides has been with the Herald since 2002, first as a sports writer and then as a copy editor.

 

Steve Berry has joined the staff of The Monahans News. His title is advertising representative but he will continue his past work as a staff writer and photographer.

 

Bart Cannon, a Cleburne Times-Review columnist since December 2000, was named the Dallas/Fort Worth area’s writer of the year by the American Christian Writers Association. Cannon was honored for the book he wrote and published in August 2003 “Champions Through Christ: Winning the Game of Life” and for his Cannon Blast columns.

 

The Dallas Morning News announced several staff changes.

George Rodrigue has been named vice president/managing editor. He succeeds Stuart Wilk who was named vice president/associate editor.

Gilbert Bailon was named publisher/editor of Al Dia, the News’ Spanish language daily.

Walt Stallings became senior deputy manager and Sharon Grigsby became deputy editorial page editor. New assistant managing editors are Leona Allen Collin County; Mark Miller Sunday/Page 1; Mark Edgar national, international, state and political; and Pamela Maples projects/investigations.

 

Larry Dierker, former Houston Astros manager and pitcher, resumed his broadcasting and writing career as a weekly baseball columnist for the Houston Chronicle. Dierker wrote almost 300 weekly columns for the Chronicle from 1988-96.

 

John Egan has been promoted to editor of the Austin Business Journal. Egan, who has more than 18 years of experience as an editor and reporter, has overseen the newsroom’s day-to-day operations as managing editor since August 1999. Egan replaces Rickie Windle.

 

The Ennis Daily News announced two staff promotions.

Melissa Severson has been named composition editor. She joined the staff six years ago. Micah Chaplin was named managing editor. She previously worked for the Corsicana Daily Sun and joined the staff in March.

 

Ron Franscell has been named managing editor for features, sports and presentation for The Beaumont Enterprise. Franscell most recently worked for the Denver Post. He replaces Gerry Dickert.

 

Diana Fuentes has been named editor of the Laredo Morning Times. Fuentes had most recently been Sunday state editor at the San Antonio Express-News. She succeeds Odie Arambula, who has been named executive editor.

 

Chris Grant joined The Pflugerville Pflag as sports editor. Grant comes to the Pflag from The Bryan-College Station Eagle where he was a copy editor.

 

Lauren LaFleur is the most recent addition to the Jacksonville Daily Progress news writing staff as a new reporter. Before joining the staff she worked in customer service and education.

 

The Lufkin Daily News and Daily Sentinel in Nacogdoches announced three staff changes. Jeannie Cook is the new advertising director. Kay Hendricks has been promoted to retail advertising manager. Jacqueline Berry was promoted to classified manager.

 

Jon McMahan has joined The Wylie News as Murphy reporter and an advertising representative. McMahan was formerly with the J.C. Penney Co. Inc. as advertising, marketing and copy chief.

 

Mike Martoccia is the new publisher of the Greenville Herald-Banner and Commerce Journal. In 1999, he joined Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., and spent four years as the Indianapolis advertising sales director before last year becoming regional advertising director for two of CNHI’s Indiana newspapers in Lebanon and Zionsville.

 

Cheryl Diaz Meyer, recent Pulitzer winning photographer of The Dallas Morning News, won the Association for Women Journalists photography award for her photos of the war in Iraq.

 

Candice Moke is the newest member of the Hereford Brand staff. Moke is an advertising sales representative. For the last two years Moke has been with the Castro County News in Dimmitt as an ad representative.

 

The Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune won the eighth annual Titus County Corporate Spelling Bee on April 3. The event came down to the teams from Titus Regional Medical Center (TRMC) and the Daily Tribune team members Clint Davis, Melissa Hill and Amy Hinton. The event benefited Communities in Schools of Northeast Texas.

 

The Muleshoe Journal announced two staff changes.

Leah Bell was promoted to general manager. She will continue as advertising manager. Bell has worked for the Journal for more than six-and-a-half years. Leslie Radford is the new managing editor. She is a graduate of Eastern New Mexico University and worked at the Journal while in high school.

 

Toni Nolen joined The Buffalo Press as a new staff writer. He has served as a substitute teacher, teacher’s aide and bus driver in the Buffalo school district for four years, and worked at the Limestone County Detention Center as unit law librarian.

 

Kim Nussbaum is the new advertising director of the Abilene Reporter-News. She earned the bulk of her advertising experience at the sister E.W. Scripps newspaper the Times Record News in Wichita Falls where she spent 17 years. Most recently, she was advertising director at two Gannett Co. newspapers.

 

Terry Schaub brings more than 20 years of newspaper experience to his new publisher/editor position at The Smithville Times. He has worked at the Lampasas Dispatch-Record and was web director at the Killeen Daily Herald.

 

Benjamin Christian Sharp, a reporter for the Wharton Journal-Spectator, married Kristen Renee Suchadoll April 17.

 

Randall Sumpter has been picked to lead the restructured journalism program at Texas A&M University. Sumpter has been an A&M professor since 1996. A&M last year decided to close the journalism degree plan.

 

Julie Toland has joined the staff of the Andrews County News as lifestyles editor. Toland has worked at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and Plainview Daily Herald.

 

The State Bar of Texas announced the 2004 Texas Gavel Awards: Individual articles/editorials: Alice Echo-News Journal Nicole D. Perez; San Antonio Express-News Gloria Padilla; The Dallas  Morning News Kevin Krause Series of articles/editorials: Texas Lawyer John Council and Miriam Rozen; The Monitor, The Brownsville Herald, Valley Morning Star; The Beaumont Enterprise Shane Graber; The Dallas Morning News Holly Becka, Tanya Eiserer and Howard Swindle; Fort Worth Star-Telegram Linda Campbell

 

Anthony Wilson was named managing editor at the San Angelo Standard-Times. Wilson was with the Abilene Reporter-News for 13 years, most recently as assistant managing editor.