The Austin American-Statesman announced three staff promotions and changes. Sandra Kleinsasser was named news editor/features. She has worked at the newspaper for 21 years. Jim Phillips returned to the main newsroom as assistant metro editor. He had been head of the Williamson County bureau for three years and is a 21-year veteran at the newspaper. Sue Owen replaced him as Williamson County editor. She joined the staff in 1995.

The Azle News announced two staff changes. Carla Stutsman was promoted to news editor. She will oversee the total news content each week. She joined the staff in 1996. Her promotion filled a management void created by the departure of managing editor Edwin Newton last June. Summer intern Vanessa Sanders returned to Howard Payne University and Jeri Field replaced her as reporter. Field was the former lifestyle reporter who returned to Azle after working as a feature writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

David Bloom is the new managing editor of The Baytown Sun. He spent the last five months as news production chief at the Virgin Islands Daily News. He also worked at the Sun’s sister newspaper The Facts where he was managing editor.

Terry Britt left Van Zandt Newspapers to join the Denton Record-Chronicle as a sports writer. He covered sports for the Van Zandt group for seven years.

Dwight M. Brown, vice president of advertising for the Houston Chronicle, has been named senior vice president of advertising for the Denver Newspaper Agency. Brown, who has spent his entire 26-year newspaper career with the Chronicle, will be responsible for all retail, national, classified and strategic development advertising for the agency, which publishes The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. He assumes his new duties Oct. 1.

Banks M. Dishmon Jr. is the new president and group publisher for DFW Community Newspapers, which owns the Plano Star Courier, Frisco Enterprise, Rowlett Lakeshore Times, Celina Record, Little Elm Journal and other publications. Dishmon most recently was vice president/chief operating officer of the Michigan-based Observer Eccentric Hometown Newspapers. He replaced Bruce Raben.

David Dix filled the advertising director position at the Orange Leader vacated after 44-year veteran Ray Trahan retired. Dix came from the Port Arthur News where he was account executive. He also worked at The Houston Post, Houston Chronicle and McKinney Courier-Gazette.

Sylvia Garcia is the new editorial assistant at the Breckenridge American. She will graduate from Texas State Technical College in December. She replaced Mindi Ratliff who served as the editorial assistant for three years before leaving to attend Texas A&M-Commerce.

The Houston Chronicle received 18 awards, the most for any publication in the 2001 Society of American Travel Writers’ Central States Chapter writing and photography contests. The Chronicle also recently announced two promotions in its circulation department. Gene Haddock, single copy sales and new business development manager, has been promoted to director of circulation - new business and single copy sales. Lawrence Smith, home delivery manager, has been named director of circulation - home delivery, sales and retention.

Herbert Kollatschny will cover Sealy High School sports for The Bellville Times. He started at the Times in 1956 in the mechanical department and worked 14 years before joining the News in 1970. He returned in the 1980s but left again for the News where he retired in 1998.

Charles Lawson was promoted to circulation manager of the Plainview Daily Herald. He had been district sales manager for three and a half years.

Jo Ann Livingston was promoted from a reporting position to news editor of the Waxahachie Daily Light.

Jim Looby assumed the role of managing editor of the Brownwood Bulletin. He had been news editor. He joined the staff in 1998 as reporter and returned in July 2000 after a stint at a Dallas area newspaper group. Editor Steve Nash moved into the news editor position.

Brenda McAnulty is covering Oglesby news for the McGregor Mirror.

The Monitor in McAllen announced two staff changes. Steve Fagan was named editor. He came from the Morning News in Florence, N.C., where he was editor. He also worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from 1982-85. Stephen Spivey was named business editor. He has reported on business issues for the Monitor since March 2000.

Bill Morgan will become publisher of the Jacksonville Daily Progress effective Sept. 17. He had been publisher of the Sweetwater Reporter, also a Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. publication, since February 2000. He replaces Chris Bradford who purchased the Castro County News.

Jeff Morris was named sports editor of the Big Spring Herald. He replaced Doug Law who left to pursue other interests. Morris came from the Victoria Advocate and brings almost 20 years experience in newspapers.

Richard Nelson is the new sports editor of the Jacksonville Daily Progress. He spent six years in advertising at The Houston Post before returning to the newsroom at his hometown newspaper The Baytown Sun in 1997.

The Palestine Herald Press announced three staff additions. Tom Embrey was hired as news editor. He came from the Boone County Recorder in Florence, Ky. where he was editor. Embrey replaced Heather Loyd who joined the Wichita Falls Times-Record-News as copy editor. John Hasselmeier joined the sports staff as reporter. He came from the Kilgore News Herald where he was a general assignments reporter. Danny Butcher is the new circulation manager. He came from the Plainview Daily Herald and had stints at the Amarillo Globe News and Lubbock Avalanche Journal.

Ella Mae Reyna joined the Groom/McLean News as editor. She replaced Pam Quisenberry who left to become a teachers’ aid in the local school district.

Sheryl Smith Rodgers, news editor of the Blanco County News, won two first place awards for writing from the American Agricultural Editors Association. Her articles appeared in two magazines and were selected from among 324 entries.

Janet Rodstrom is the new classified advertising director of The Focus News in DeSoto. She has 12 years experience in classified advertising and customer relations and came from Today Newspapers.

John Sparks joined the Wood County Democrat editorial staff. He was publisher of the Rockwall Chronicle from 1993-96 and has 34 years experience working in professional communications.

Ben Thompson retired from the Plainview Daily Herald after 48 years as production manger. He watched the newspaper go from hot type to cold type to computer production.

Tabitha Tucker is the new reporter/photographer of the Panola Watchman. She replaced Kathy Waldrop who moved to Kentucky. Tucker plans to attend Panola College in fall 2002.

Steve Van Cleve is the new publisher of the Fort Stockton Pioneer. He came from he East Valley Tribune in Arizona where he worked for a year after a completing a five-year stint as editorial page editor of the Pacific Stars and Stripes in Tokyo.

The Victoria Advocate announced three staff changes. Randy Reese is the new education reporter. He had been working for the newspaper’s Matagorda County Advocate for the last 10 months. Katania Castaneda is the new business reporter. She has international career experience, having reported for newspapers in Mexico and Canada. Donyle Demos is the new copy editor for the Lifestyle pages. She will coordinate graphics and page design on section fronts.

Pam Warren is the newest reporter on The De Leon Free Press staff. She was teaching second grade in the Alvarado school system, where she started the Rising Star Writing Project, a program to encourage young writers.

Gary Wright joined the Ennis Daily News as advertising sales representative. He has more than 20 years sales experience.

Karen Wright, publisher of The Dublin Citizen, received the Community Builder Award from Dublin Masonic Lodge #504. It is the highest honor the Masonic Lodge awards to a non-Mason.