Nominations are sought for annual awards and recognitions to be presented at the 2025 TPA Convention and Trade Show in June.
Nominations are sought for the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame, which recognizes newspaper veterans who have made outstanding contributions to the industry and to the communities they serve while mentoring and inspiring others to improve the quality of journalism. Nomination forms are available on the Texas Newspaper Foundation website, www.tnf.net.
AZLE – Longtime newspaper publisher and Hyde Media President Kim Ware has retired.
Ware served as publisher for the Axle News and Springtown Epigraph, and their successor the Tri-County Reporter, for more than a decade. In all, she has worked for the newspapers for more than 25 years.
LONGVIEW – Carpenter Media Group has acquired M. Roberts Media, a cornerstone of the Texas media landscape since 1942.
M. Roberts Media is the parent company of seven award-winning newspapers and a variety of magazines and publications that serve Victoria and East Texas.
UVALDE – Texas A&M University Press has released Uvalde Leader-News owner and publisher Craig Garnett’s book “Uvalde’s Darkest Hour.”
Garnett’s firsthand experience covering the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary provides critical insights for those seeking to understand the impact of the tragedy on the Uvalde community.
SAN MARCOS – The San Marcos Record has transitioned from five to three print days per week.
Publisher Mandy Farrow announced the Dec. 1 change in a story published Nov. 24.
“This change has been discussed for years,” Farrow, said. “It’s not about delivering less; it’s about delivering better. This strategy allows us to adapt to how our readers consume news while continuing to uphold our standards for quality journalism.”
The Daily Record is embracing the change to meet readers’ expectations in the digital age.
LEONARD – On Dec. 12, Leonard Graphic Editor and Publisher Betsy Blevins announced the newspaper would close by the end of 2024 unless a buyer was found.
In a second announcement published Dec. 19, she said that edition would be the newspaper’s last.
Blevins has owned and operated the 134 year-old Leonard Graphic for 15 years, purchasing it from Bethany and Charles Russell. During her tenure, the newspaper has earned recognition from the Leonard Chamber of Commerce as the Business of the Year and won awards in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
New hires, promotions and other staff changes as reported in Texas newspapers.
TRISH CHOATE
Gannett
WICHITA FALLS – Trish Choate has been named editor of the Gannett newspapers in Wichita Falls, Abilene and San Angelo.
Choate served as interim editor of the publications beginning in March.
Obituaries published in the January 2025 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.
WILLIAM WALLACE
BEAUMONT – Former Wharton County Journal-Spectator publisher William (Bill) Wallace died Dec. 6. He was 72.
Wallace served as publisher of the Wharton County Journal-Spectator and East Bernard Express from May 2009 until January 2023. Following his tenure in the Wharton community, he and his wife Karen moved to Beaumont.
ANALYSIS By DONNIS BAGGETT, Texas Press Association
AUSTIN — It’s a busy season for the newspaper folk who have your back on the battleground of Texas politics. And we need your help.
With the opening gavel of the legislative session still weeks away, we’re already up to our helmet straps from a blizzard of pre-filed legislation. Not surprisingly, several legislators have already filed bills calling for the end of governmental public notices in newspapers.
As the year draws to a close, TPA members are encouraged to start selecting their best work in 2024 to enter in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
The contest opens for entries on Jan. 20 on the ACES contest platform, the online system used for the past two years. Entries submitted should have been published during the 2024 calendar year. Deadline for entries is Feb. 18.