PPA Hall of Honor inducts Class of 2026

Showing off general excellence awards in the Panhandle Press Association Better Newspaper Contest are Roger Estlack, (left) The Clarendon Enterprise in Division 1; and Tim Ritter, The Canyon News in Division 2. Awards were presented at the 117th Annual Panhandle Press Association convention in Hereford. Contest results are available on the TPA website. (Photo by Sue Brown)

The 117th annual meeting of the Panhandle Press Association in Hereford opened with a luncheon on July 17 hosted by Golden Spread Rural Electric. Company representatives gave a program on the energy demands required by AI data centers in the Panhandle and South Plains in the very near future and ways Golden Spread is working to meet those needs.

The luncheon was followed by a revenue roundtable.

Friday evening, PPA members and their families enjoyed supper at the Hereford Country Club. Jeff Blackmon shared a letter written to him as the publisher of the Castro County News in 2026 from the late Don Nelson, the owner of the paper in 1976. The letter was included in a time capsule as part of the bicentennial celebration.

Also Friday evening, the Better Newspaper Contest Awards were presented with The Clarendon Enterprise winning General Excellence honors in Division One, and The Canyon News topping Division Two.

Ashlyn Harvell of Canyon and Benjamin Estlack of Clarendon were named as the PPA scholarship recipients for the coming year.

Saturday’s sessions and meals were all held at the Hereford Civic Center. Austin Lewter gave presentations on AI in Small Newsrooms and Brevity News Writing. Jeff Blackmon also discussed uses for AI and discussed time-saving ways to use technology as well as InDesign and Photoshop tips.

Neoma Wall Williams of Hart, Kerrie Steiert of Hereford, and Jeff Blackmon of Hereford were inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame during Saturday’s luncheon.

Tara Huff of Fritch was recognized for her service as PPA president this past year. The membership elected Shane Lance of Quanah as president, Tim Ritter of Canyon as vice president, and Roger Estlack of Clarendon as secretary/treasurer. Suzanne Bellsnyder of Spearman and Elyssa Harris of Plainview were elected to the board. Returning directors are Macee Sater of Groom, Jeff Blackmon of Hereford, and Shaun Wink of Panhandle. Huff continues to serve on the board as the PPA’s immediate past president.

Next year’s Panhandle Press Convention will be held in Canyon on July 16 and 17, 2027.

– From Roger Estlack, PPA secretary/treasurer