On Monday evening, March 16, my wife and I had finished dinner and were settling in to watch a recording of the national news when my phone rang. The number and name identified the caller as the general manager for our newspaper in Gatesville.

Election season is under way. Many would say the cycle never ends. No sooner are votes tallied than strategists eye the next election. Make no mistake, many lawmakers routinely cast votes with one eye on policy and one eye on politics, especially if they are in swing districts.

My introduction to S. Griffin Singer dates back more than 30 years. A second-year journalism student at the University of Texas, I faced a long list of required courses with numbers for names and no roadmap to sequence them. 

By YVONNE MINTZ, The Facts

Spring is upon us and all late-season cold fronts aside, the sun is shining.

John Denver put it well in his old song:

“Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes

Can make me cry

Sunshine on the water

Looks so lovely

Sunshine always makes me high.”

How much more can we take? 

That question is the topic of many of our conversations between newspaper colleagues.  We discuss it quietly with almost a whisper, as if it’s some big secret we’re afraid others will find out about.

By LISA CHAPPELL, TPA President 2025-26

As the new year dawns, we look ahead to an exciting calendar in 2026.

As we do, we are grateful for a busy 2025 and count our blessings for the relationships fostered along the way. 

By AUSTIN LEWTER, director, Texas Center for Community Journalism