Shown during the presentation of the James Madison Award at the recent FOIFT conference in Austin are (from left) Yvonne Mintz, FOIFT vice president and TPA president; Lydia Aranda, Diana Fuentes’ sister; Ysa Aranda, Diana’s niece; Sylvia Fuentes, Diana’s sister; and Josh Hinkle, president of Investigative Reporters and Editors, where Diana was executive director.

A-MARK PRIZE

During the 2027 contest season, TPA members will have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes  in a statewide competition.

In June, 2027, TPA will award its first A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism totaling $15,000 in cash prizes for winners.

The A-Mark Prize is Funded by the A-Mark Foundation and recognizes excellence in investigative journalism that uncovers issues previously unknown to the public. The prize helps reinforce the essential role of watchdog reporting.

A series by The Dallas Morning News on a failed crime-fighting plan at the local housing authority and reporting by KRIS 6 News on questionable land deals and tax incentives involving the Corpus Christi Housing Authority have won this year’s Spirit of FOI Awards.

The Morning News won in the Class AA category for news outlets in markets with 500,000 population or larger, and KRIS 6 News won in the Class A category for markets under 500,000. The Houston Chronicle and KVIA-TV of El Paso received honorable mentions in the large-market category.

While describing the atmosphere in covering the Trump administration, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Garrett Haake pointed out that Donald Trump is the only U.S. president in the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. He described covering the Oval Office as a wrestling match where one “might get hit with a proverbial steel chair.”

BurnAtlas, a burn planning tool for landowners and burn associations, publishes a free national burn ban map that is updated every day. Each county lists its official source agency and the time it was last checked. Newspapers can link readers to the map at burnatlas.org/burn-ban-map, link to individual county pages, or add a free widget to their own website that updates itself. A free data API is also available. Commercial use is allowed with a “Powered by BurnAtlas” link.

To register, visit burnatlas.org/developers.

Two TPA member newspapers have changed ownership.

South Texas News acquires Hood County News in Granbury

GRANBURY – South Texas News, Inc., has expanded well beyond its namesake by acquiring The Hood County News from Hyde Media Group, LLC, owned by Paul Hyde, a longtime Hood County resident and founder of the Hyde Law Firm.

The acquisition increases the total number of newspapers operated by the company in Texas to 11, reinforcing its commitment to delivering comprehensive local journalism.

At the recent NNA/NNAF meeting in Detroit, Michigan, outgoing National Newspaper Association Foundation  President Randy Keck received his past president plaque from his successor Jeanne Straus, president and publisher of Straus News, a local media group based in Chester, New York.

DETROIT – Randy Keck of Aledo has completed his term as president of the National Newspaper Association Foundation, but Texas remains well represented on the boards of both the NNAF and NNA.

Obituaries published in the October 2026 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

PHIL REYNOLDS

MARBLE FALLS – Former South Jetty reporter Phil Reynolds, whose career in journalism spanned 70 years, has died at the age of 85.

Reynolds died on Sept. 8 at the Marble Falls assisted living facility that had been his home for a few months. He had been battling health problems including emphysema and pneumonia but continued working in journalism to the end.

Craig Garnett (left), joined by wife Melissa Garnett, accepted the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors’ Eugene Cervi award at the organization’s annual conference in Cardiff, Wales, held July 15-19. At right is Chad Stebbins, executive director of the Missouri Press Association and ISWNE.

The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors chose Uvalde Leader-News publisher and owner Craig Garnett as the recipient of the prestigious Eugene Cervi award this year, which honors community journalists with a commitment to public affairs and watchdog reporting.

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas in cooperation with the Texas Attorney General's Office will hold an open government seminar on Oct. 8 in Amarillo. The public is welcome to attend the free half-day training on the Texas Public Information Act, the Texas Open Meetings Act and public records cost rules.