Newsmakers

Stephen Beasley, former advertising manager of the Amarillo Globe-News, has been named publisher of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Beasley worked at the daily from 1990 until 2002 when he left to become general manager of the Savannah (Ga.) Morning News.

Beasley succeeds Mark Nusbaum who was named publisher of the Topeka (Kan.) Capital Journal where he worked 27 years before becoming publisher in Lubbock in 1999.

Morris Communications owns the Globe-News, Morning News and Capital Journal.

--

Kit Brenner has joined the Boerne Star & Hill Country Recorder as a paginator. Brenner was editor for the Recorder for 20 years.

--

Gary Connor, longtime publisher of the Corsicana Daily Sun, left Oct. 18 to become publisher of the Palestine Herald-Press. Both newspapers are owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. Connor had been with the Sun for 26 years, serving the last 13 as publisher.

The Sun announced that Bob Dennis would become the new publisher and Mike Armstrong was named advertising director.

Connor replaces Larry Mayo who retired after serving as Herald-Press publisher since 1980. Mayo first joined the staff in 1977 as general manager after a stint as human resources director at the Dallas Times-Herald.

--

Kathy Cooke has been promoted to advertising manager at The Rockdale Reporter. She has seven years experience in the business, which has been owned by the Cooke family since 1911.

Also joining the Reporter staff as advertising representative is Romanita "Didi" Juarez, who worked previously in sales for the yellow pages and in the food industry.

--

Luci Cranford, a reporter for the O’Donnell Index Press, received the community builders award from the local Masonic Lodge. The award is the highest given to a non-Mason who exemplifies distinguished service to the community.

--

Joy E. Cressler joined the Cleburne Times-Review as a staff writer. She most recently was editor of the Crowley Star.

--

The Dallas Bar Association honored The Dallas Morning News reporter Lee Hancock for excellence in legal reporting. Hancock received a Philbin Award from the bar association for her series of articles on the East Texas murder trial of Deanna Laney.

Allen Taylor, formerly of Midlothian Today, won for best suburban newspaper feature story.

--

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas presented its James Madison Award to the late Howard Swindle, 58, an investigative reporter and editor at The Dallas Morning News who led the paper to three Pulitzer Prizes. Swindle died in June after a five-year battle with cancer.

--

Daniel Garza has joined the staff of the Aransas Pass Progress and Ingleside Index as city reporter. He came from the San Patricio County News and Odem-Edroy Times where he was assistant editor.

--

Gene Haddock has been promoted to vice president of circulation for the Houston Chronicle. He had been the director of circulation single copy sales and new business development. Haddock joined the Chronicle in October 2000.

--

Ed Hoke, publisher of the Kirbyville Banner, was severely injured in a one-vehicle accident on Sept. 17 while driving home from covering a high school football game.

Hoke was driving on Highway 1004 to Kirbyville about 11:45 p.m. when he fell asleep at the wheel, the Banner reported. His 2002 Chevrolet Tracker left the roadway and overturned near County Road 572.

The Banner reported that Hoke, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the car.

His 17-year-old daughter Traci Hoke also was in the car and was driven by private car to a hospital and later released. She was wearing a seatbelt.

--

Dave Kucifer is taking over as publisher of The Navasota Examiner. Kucifer most recently served as publisher for the Kilgore News-Herald, retiring in October 2001. He also has worked at The Orange Leader, The Houston Post, Tyler Morning Telegraph, Taylor Daily Press, Lamb County Leader-News, Moore County News-Press and Sweetwater Reporter.

--

Teresa Nino has joined the San Antonio Express-News as director of community relations. She will fill the role of Veronica Salazar, vice president of community relations, when she retires in December.

--

Tom Pennington of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was awarded first place in the Southern Newspaper Publish-ers Association Foundation Photo of the Year contest for his photograph of a U.S. soldier approaching a sleeping boy during a night raid in Iraq.

Barbara Davidson of The Dallas Morning News won third place for her photo of the scene following a hit-and-run accident in Baghdad.  

Honorable mentions went to Kevin Bartram of The Galveston County Daily News for a photograph of a police standoff on a pier and to Paul Moseley of the Star-Telegram for a photo of an injured worker at a power station waiting to be rescued.

The photo contest, in its third year, attracted more than 325 entries.

--

Michael A. Perez is the new editor of The Portland News. He came from the Alice Echo-News Journal where he was sports editor.

--

The Press Club of Dallas cited several weekly TPA members in its 46th annual Katie Awards in the select circulation newspapers division:

Richard Connor, Fort Worth Business Press, Best General Column “Cowboy Chic Just Cheeky”; Mary Alice Robbins, Texas Lawyer, Best Specialty Reporting/Column “The Tongue-in-Cheek Awards”; Will Pryor, Texas Lawyer, Best Guest Column “My Friend, Dan”; Durhl Caussey, Oak Cliff Tribune, Best Humor Column “The Door Slammed” and Best Series; Bill Thompson, Fort Worth Business Press, Best Headline Portfolio “1-800-CRASH”; Mary Alice Robbins, Texas Lawyer, Best Reporter Writing Portfolio “Body & Soul”; Best Select Circulation Special Interest Newspaper edit and art staff, Texas Lawyer.

--

Rebecca Robbins has been named editor of the county life section for the Williamson County Sun. She had been the education reporter since August 2003.

--

Larry Rose, retired publisher of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, won a first place in the Carmage Walls Commentary Prize from the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Second place honors went to William McKenzie of The Dallas Morning News. The Walls Prize, named for the late Benjamin Carmage Walls whose newspaper career spanned seven decades, recognizes outstanding commentary on local issues.

--

The Snyder Daily News announced three staff changes.

Managing editor Wade Warren assumed the new position of assistant publisher. He has worked for newspapers in Lamesa, Littlefield, Brownfield and Burnet.

Bobby Allen, sports editor for the last two years, was promoted to managing editor. Larry McCarthy, who joined the staff in August, replaces Allen as sports editor.

--

Stuart Wilk, vice president and associate editor of The Dallas Morning News, is retiring after almost 25 years with the newspaper. He joined the staff as night city editor in 1980 and rose to managing editor in 1996. In 2001, he became the first managing editor to hold the title of vice president.