The U.S. Postal Service has long provided a website, Postal Explorer at pe.usps.gov, with an abundance of useful information at the ready for those willing to “explore.” It has been rebuilt in recent months to comply with certain standards, and although confusing at first, prior users can find everything, and more, that they are used to seeing.

Q: The superintendent of a school district I cover sends out a weekly e-mail to school board members. First, do you know where I could find, either in statute or in an attorney general’s decision, whether that e-mail is considered public record? Second, I would like to be included on the list for receiving those e-mails. Do you know of any statute or AG decision that would require the superintendent to include me on the list?

A number of years ago I lived in a small town that had what most small towns have: a community newspaper. In this particular case, the owner of the paper also held political office (Justice of the Peace). He had very strong political beliefs, and they came through very clearly in the pages of his newspaper.
In fact, his beliefs were so strong, and so extreme, there was little if any tolerance in his newspaper for opinions that were not in line with his.
This period came to mind because there was, in that newspaper, what I consider to be a huge conflict of interest.

Postal prices have been approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission mostly as the U.S. Postal Service proposed and changed effective Jan. 22. Most of the details were given in the November issue of Pub Aux, so I will highlight them here with an emphasis on the ones of greatest importance for newspapers and their shoppers.

Changes in the business environment for community newspapers have encouraged a growing number of publishers to investigate the Requester Periodicals category that allows a newspaper to qualify for Periodicals rates and service by having more than 50 percent of its circulation either paid or requested. The General Periodicals category long-used by newspapers requires paid circulation.

Q: I am new to Texas and want to check on laws regarding the advertising of alcohol and tobacco products in print and online that are specific to tobacco barns and liquor stores. 

A: First, here is a link to a list of laws affecting advertising in the Texas Alcoholic Beverage code:

http://texaspress.com/legal-notice-laws

(Click “Alcoholic Beverage” to view the short list of laws.)

Second, another good resource is the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission marketing practices link:

It’s January, and thoughts will turn shortly to spring – but before that, many a publisher will be considering contest entries.

It will be June before those coveted plaques are handed out, but the deadlines for entries will be much sooner, and I have a few thoughts (and pet peeves) to share about newspaper contests and participation therein.

Q: I need campaign finance reports for a couple of contested local races, but I am under the impression that I may not get access to those in time to write a story before the election. What all do campaigns have to keep track of? Is there a way to get this type of information while it’s still extra relevant?

“But just as I say,

It takes judgment, brains, and maturity to score

In a baulk line game,

I say that any boob can take

And shove a ball in a pocket.”

– Professor Harold Hill, 

The Music Man

By the time you read this I will have traversed my 60th birthday – or at least I hope I will have traversed it. I guess that remains to be seen.

Charles Walls doesn’t have that much time on his hands. After retiring from a career in architecture and construction, he moved back to his hometown of Des Arc, AR, to help his mother, Dean Walls, now 94 with failing eyesight, who continues working at the family newspaper, the White River Journal, which was started by Charles’ grandfather in 1907.