Obituaries published in the January 2024 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.
JOHN M. ROBERTS
VICTORIA — John M. Roberts, retired publisher of his family newspaper the Victoria Advocate, died Dec. 12 in Round Rock. He was 78.
Promotions, new hires and other staff changes at Texas newspapers reported in the January 2024 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.
Sarah Forsythe, Brenham Banner-Press
BRENHAM – Sarah Forsythe has joined The Banner-Press newsrooms as a reporter.
“Having been part of the audience for the Brenham Banner-Press for just over 10 years myself, I am very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the team,” she said.
As 2023 draws to a close, staffers of TPA member newspapers should start thinking about coverage, photos, special sections and other work they will enter in the next Texas Better Newspaper Contest. The contest opens for entries Jan. 22, so it’s already time to start narrowing down choices and gathering page PDFs for entries.
The Advanced Contest Entry System (ACES) platform goes live for the TPA contest when the entry period opens Jan. 22. Participants will have until Feb. 20 to upload entries on the platform, www.newspapercontest.com/Texas.
By AL CROSS
University of Kentucky
Nonprofit newspaper journalism, until now largely a feature of urban areas, is going rural – especially if the National Trust for Local News keeps up what it’s doing and plans to do.
“By December, we will be the fifth-largest independent newspaper operator in the country” among those that are not publicly traded or owned by hedge funds, the trust’s chief portfolio officer, Ross McDuffie, told the New England Newspaper and Press Association conference Oct. 19.
Lange Svehlak, publisher of the Athens Daily Review, has been appointed regional publisher of CNHI’s newspapers in East Texas.
Svehlak’s expanded responsibilities now include the Corsicana Daily Sun, Huntsville Item, Jacksonville Progress, and Palestine Herald-Press. He replaces Jake Mienk as group publisher.
Svehlak has served as regional advertising director and digital specialist for the East Texas CNHI papers since
2018.
Former Lufkin Daily News staff writer Jess Huff has joined the Texas Tribune as its East Texas reporter.
Huff, who won numerous investigative reporting awards while writing for the LDN, continues to be based in Lufkin as she reports on issues of importance throughout the Pineywoods region.
Promotions, appointments, new hires and other personnel changes reported by Texas newspapers.
JOSH HAVARD
STACY FAISON
The Lufkin Daily News
LUFKIN – Two longtime staff members have taken on new roles at The Lufkin Daily News.
Sports editor Josh Havard has been named editor of the newspaper and news editor Stacy Faison has been promoted to managing editor.
Obituaries published in the December 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.
Ramón Rentería
EL PASO – Ramon Renteria, a veteran reporter and columnist and editor for The El Paso Times who covered local news, politics, education and culture for more than four decades, died on Nov. 3 at his home. He was 75.
Renteria was born on July 12, 1948, in Valentine to Felipe and Epimenia Renteria. He graduated from Valentine High School in 1966 and attended Sul Ross State College in Alpine, and the University of Texas at El Paso.
The importance of government transparency in helping Texans make informed decisions and legislators craft public policy was discussed by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst as keynote speaker when the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Texas Public Information Act.
AUSTIN – Two new honors have been added to the portfolio of S. Griffin Singer, respected Texas journalist and beloved former UT journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
At the recent Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. annual Hall of Fame dinner, Singer was presented the first Friends of The Daily Texan Lifetime Achievement Award by the Friends group.