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.

Editor & Publisher Magazine named Leonard Woolsey as its 2023 Publisher of the Year.

Woolsey, president of Southern Newspapers Inc. and publisher of The Daily News in Galveston, learned of the honor during Editor & Publisher’s recent Senior Leadership Conference in Chicago. Woolsey was among numerous reader-generated nominees evaluated by a committee of E&P’s editorial department, according to the industry publication, which is known as the “bible of the newspaper industry.”