Panhandle Press members enjoy annual convention

Panhandle Press Association members show off their awards in the annual PPA newspaper contest. Awards were presented at the annual convention in Amarillo. (PPA photo)

The 116th annual meeting of the Panhandle Press Association was held July 18-19 in Amarillo.

The opening luncheon was hosted by Golden Spread Rural Electric, which has been sponsoring the PPA for about 40 years. Company representatives gave a program on the energy demands that will be required by AI data centers in the Panhandle and South Plains in the very near future and ways Golden Spread is working to help meet those needs.

That evening, PPA members and their families enjoyed supper at Tacos Garcia before gathering at the Bomb City Distillery. The local vodka and bourbon distillery gave members a tour, and everyone bottled their own vodka with the distillery’s owner. 

Saturday’s sessions and meals were all held at West Texas A&M University’s Harrington Academic Hall in downtown Amarillo. Austin Lewter of the Texas Center for Community Journalism gave presentations on covering local governments and cultivating future journalists. Jeff Blackmon of the Hereford Brand gave a program on selling ads in 2025.

The late Carol Whitmire of the Quanah Tribune-Chief and Shaun and Frank Wink of the Panhandle Herald were inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame during Saturday’s luncheon.

Better Newspaper Contest Awards were presented during banquet on Saturday night.  The Clarendon Enterprise won General Excellence honors in Division One, and The Canyon News topped Division Two. Ashlyn Harvell of Canyon and Benjamin Estlack of Clarendon were named as the PPA scholarship recipients for the coming year.

Tim Ritter of The Canyon News was recognized for his service as PPA president this past year. The membership elected Tara Huff of Fritch as president, Shane Lance of Quanah as vice president and Roger Estlack of Clarendon as secretary/treasurer. Jeff Blackmon was re-elected to the board of directors and Shaun Wink was also elected to a full term. Returning directors are Macee Sater of Groom, Suzanne Bellsnyder of Spearman, and Shannon Cook of Canyon. Ritter continues to serve on the board as the PPA’s immediate past president.

Next year’s Panhandle Press Convention will be held in Hereford on April 24 and 25, 2026.