There’s been an uptick in recent years of newspapers found in violation of the 75 percent advertising rule, which prohibits Periodicals from running more than 75 percent advertising percentage in more than half the issues in a 12-month period.

Postal Tips by Max Heath

FAIRFIELD – Freestone County Publishing, LP, announced the acquisition of a second newspaper and the appointment of a new publisher to head the operation.
Richard Nelson has assumed duties as the editor and publisher of The Fairfield Recorder and the Teague Chronicle, acquired from longtime owner Patricia Massey Wilkins.
Both newspapers will maintain their offices in Fairfield and Teague. 

The Texas Gulf Coast Press Association honored Hall of Fame inductees the 2017 annual convention held in May at the Holiday Inn Resort in Galveston.

Inducted into the TGCPA Hall of Fame were Adair and the late Merle Luker, of the Vidor Vidorian, Greg Peak, Polk County Enterprise, and Chad Ferguson, Banner-Press Newspaper, Columbus.

Ramona ‘Bebo’ Ferguson received a plaque commemorating her year as president as she and other 2016-17 officers completed their terms.

Recently announced staff changes and promotions at Texas newspapers.

The special session of the Texas Legislature is at the halfway point, and Texas newspapers are fighting to hold onto public notices for property tax matters.

Analysis by Donnis Baggett, TPA Executive Vice President

Jaklewicz named news director for Abilene Reporter-News
Greg Jaklewicz is the new news director of the Abilene Reporter-News.
The change was announced June 15 by Tim Archuleta, the regional editor for the USA TODAY Network’s five Texas papers.
“The news director job is the top editor in in our newsrooms,” Archuleta said. Jaklewicz succeds Doug Williamson, who retired last month.

Staff changes at Texas newspapers

Kaley Branch
Gatesville Messenger
GATESVILLE – Kaley Branch recently joined The Gatesville Messenger staff as a reporter covering general news assignments and features.
Raised in Arlington, Branch studied journalism and broadcasting at Tarrant County College. She previously worked as an analyst for XTO Energy in Fort Worth and was a recruiter for MMC Strategic Staffing in Dallas. She and her husband, Taylor, who is a Gatesville High School graduate, moved their family to Gatesville 18 months ago.

Florentino ‘Tino’ Duran
Florentino ‘Tino’ Duran of San Antonio, owner, former publisher and CEO of the bilingual biweekly newspaper La Prensa, died Sunday, June 25.
Born in 1934, Duran grew up “a tough Alazan Apache Courts kid,” according to a Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame biography. After graduating from Lanier High School, he served in the U.S. Air Force before returning home to attend San Antonio College. There, he worked on the school paper, The Ranger, and eventually earned his bachelor’s in political science and master’s in public administration from St. Mary’s University.

RUIDOSO, NM — TPA members attending the 2017 Summer Leadership Retreat celebrated innovation and success while sharing ideas and strategies for facing challenges in the newspaper industry.
The retreat at the Inn of the Mountain Gods featured a number of round table sessions. Members brainstormed and discussed topics ranging from ideas for increasing revenue to ethics in news coverage and legislative concerns, especially in relation to publication of public notices in newspapers.