Newsmakers

Promotions, staff additions and oither changes at Texas newspapers.

KEITH KOHN
Victoria Advocate

VICTORIA – Keith Kohn is the new editor of the Victoria Advocate.
The veteran with 40 years experience in the newspaper industry introduced himself to readers in a column.
Kohn moved to Victoria from Charleston, South Carolina, where he was a local news editor. His team recently won awards at the South Carolina Press Association’s annual competition.
He noted that his specialty is local news, “watchdogging our elected leaders and businesses to ensure they’re playing by the rules.”
Prior to working in Charleston, Kohn was a local watchdog editor in Palm Springs, California. Previously he was local editor at Newsday in Long Island, New York, and at the Orlando Sentinel in Florida. He also spent time as a senior editor in China and as a business editor in upstate New York.
“I’m here to help The Advocate – already a fine paper with a stellar reputation – get even better,” Kohn told readers. The Advocate’s staff and leadership are known for their quality journalism, and that will continue, he said. “There won’t be any shake-ups – just additions.”
He noted plans to expand the news staff in order “to do the job newspapers are supposed to do – inform, educate, entertain and advocate for you, our readers.” The
The new editor’s family includes his wife of 42 years and six grown children.

PENNYLYNN WEBB
Palestine Herald-Press

PALESTINE – PennyLynn Webb has been named editor of the Palestine Herald-Press, according to Publisher Jake Mienk.
Webb will direct newsroom operations, oversee Palestine Magazine, work to build digital content and strongly focus on community engagement, Mienk said in announcing the appointment.
Webb is a sixth-generation Texan from Grapeland. She has spent most of her life in the area and has strong ties to Palestine.
Webb has more than 15 years experience in the media industry in roles such as reporter, photographer, editor and publisher.
She has been with the Herald-Press since 2015, beginning as a community reporter and serving several different roles as she climbed the ranks to editor.
Webb has worked at KIVY radio in Crockett, published a magazine and worked at The Messenger in Grapeland and County life Magazine in Crockett.
She attended Trinity Valley Community College in Athens.

TOMMY CULKIN
The Paris News

PARIS – The Paris News has hired its next managing editor to lead newsroom operations.
Sports editor Tommy Culkin succeeds former managing editor Klark Byrd, who is leaving the newspaper for a position in Wyoming.
Culkin has been a member of the paper’s editorial staff since October 2018, serving as the sports editor since early 2020.
“Tommy has proven himself a capable editor in his role as sports editor. He’s cultivated many positive relationships with our local school districts, and I look forward to seeing him carry that same energy to all of the newsroom’s operations,” Publisher Clay Carsner said.
As a news reporter for The Paris News in 2018 and 2019, Culkin helped the paper maintain its reputation as one of the best of its circulation size, receiving recognitions from the Texas Press Association and Northeast Texas Press Association for his reporting.
He was also recognized for his work as sports editor, placing second in the North and East Texas Press Association’s 2021 Better Newspaper Contest.
Before joining The Paris News, Culkin worked for Byrd for two years as the primary news reporter for The Clayton Tribune in Rabun County, Georgia. He attended Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where he received his bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in communications.
Culkin thanked Byrd for the work he did as managing editor, saying his guidance has helped prepare him for the role.
“It’s been my pleasure to hire and watch Tommy grow as a journalist at two newspapers, and I truly believe I’m leaving the editorial department in good hands,” Byrd said.

CURTIS BURTON
Fairfeld Recorder

FAIRFIELD – Curtis Burton, retired mass media instructor and journalist, has joined the staff of the Fairfield Recorder as news reporter.
Burton will primarily provide coverage for the Fairfield area while also assisting the newspaper’s sister newspapers, Teague Chronicle and Groesbeck Journal. He recently moved to the area from Paducah. Burton taught and worked in several capacities in the newspaper industry in the San Antonio area as well as in New Mexico. He came out of retirement to join the Chronicle.
Burton’s interest in media began when he first studied journalism at Paducah High School. He was editor of the student newspaper and worked at the weekly newspaper, where he learned operations of the back shop, building hot type pages and operating a Linotype. During his tenure in the newspaper business, he has seen transitions from hot type to offset printing to digital printing.
While a student at Texas Tech university, he worked as a reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. He graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in English and earned a master’s in mass communications in 1976.
As a teacher, he was faculty adviser for a number of high school newspapers. Following his retirement from teaching, Burton worked for the Pearson Corporation in San Antonio several years in the development of state tests in language arts and writing.

KAYLA MICHALEC
Halltesville Tribune-Herald

HALLETSVILLE – Kayla Michalec has joined the staff of Lavaca County newspapers as an advertising sales representative.
She came to Halletsville from Flatonia, where she coaches t-ball, serves as a Praha CCD teacher and volunteers with the Praha and Moulton Catholic church picnics.

HANS LAMMEMAN
Halletsville Tribune-Herald

YOAKUM - Hans Lammeman is the new lead reporter for the Yoakum Herald-Times.
He also assists with reporting at The Shiner Gazette and other publications in Lavaca and DeWitt counties as needed.
A 2020 graduate of the University of Houston, Lammeman most recently worked as a government and community news reporter at The Sealy News. He spent time volunteering in the emergency management field with AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps.