DALLAS - Colleen McCain Nelson has been named executive editor of The Dallas Morning News, effective Aug. 11. Nelson, a Pulitzer Prize winner, returns to lead the newsroom where she spent nearly 12 years as a writer early in her career.

The 28-year journalist is the executive editor of The Sacramento Bee and the California regional editor for McClatchy Media. She leads the journalists in McClatchy’s five California newsrooms – The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee, The San Luis Obispo Tribune and the Merced Sun-Star.

Past presidents congratulate Lisa Chappell as she accepts the president’s gavel.

DENTON – Lisa Chappell accepted the gavel of the Texas Press Association presidency during the recent TPA Convention and Trade Show.

Hall of Fame honoree Laurie Ezzell Brown with family members at the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame luncheon.

DENTON — TPA members gathered during the 145th Convention and Trade Show Hall of Fame luncheon to honor veteran Texas journalists.

Outgoing TPA President Bill Patterson presided as the Texas Newspaper Foundation honored the newest inductee to the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame and TPA honored five newspaper veterans with Golden 50 awards.

Showing off division sweepstakes awards in the 2024 Texas Better Newspaper Contest are (from left) Nicholas Cicale, Williamson County Sun in Division 3; Kylie Bailey, Graham Leader in Division 4; Ken Cooke, Fredericksburg Standard Radio-Post in Division 5; Abigail Allen, Pilot Point, Post Signal in Division 6; Craig Garnett, Pearsall, Frio-Nueces Current in Division 7; Ana Cosino-Mize, Madisonville Meteor in Division 8; Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise in Division 9; and Nicole Smith, Luling Newsboy and Signal.

LUFKIN – The Lufkin Daily News and The Daily Sentinel in Nacogdoches welcomed  some exciting leadership changes on June 30, Southern Newspapers Inc. President Leonard Woolsey announced.

Rick Craig, publisher of The Daily Sentinel, retired from the newspaper after seven years at the helm and more than 50 years in the newspaper business. Under his leadership, the newspaper earned its place at the top of editorial contests year after year.

SILSBEE – Dennis and Veronica Phillips of Phillips Publishing, LLC, have purchased the Silsbee Bee from Hicks Media.

“The Bee is the historic newspaper of record for Hardin County, and I’ve spent more than 30 years of my career working to preserve and revitalize community newspapers,” Dennis Phillips said. “While The Bee wasn’t in immediate danger, it was clear the paper needed support and direction to transition effectively into the digital age.”

Phillips added that the staff of the Silsbee Bee was an important selling point.

Promotions, new hires and other employment news reported by Texas newspaper and published in the July 2025 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

ALLISON DRINNON

Sealy News, Colorado County Citizen

SEALY – Allison Drinnon has joined the staff of Granite Media Partners I-10 Group as an area reporter.

Drinnon works as a reporter for both the Sealy News and the Colorado County Citizen.

Obituaries published in the July 2025 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

ROBERT BORDEN

BRYAN – Former Eagle opinions page editor Robert Borden, who retired last year after being at The Eagle in Bryan for 38 years, died May 25 in Tomball, where he had moved only a few weeks earlier from Bryan. He was 75.

According to an article in The Eagle by Robert Cessna, Borden requested no funeral service nor obituary notice. “Those who encountered him thought differently, reflecting on his impact in the community,” Cessna wrote.

AUSTIN — The Legislature has adjourned, and newspapers represented by the Texas Press Association are legally stronger than they were when it convened.

ANALYSIS By MIKE HODGES and DONNIS BAGGETT, Texas Press Association

The final gavel fell 140 days and 11,503 bills after the 89th session began. When the smoke cleared, TPA’s legislative record showed major wins to help members survive a rapidly evolving political and media environment.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Your Texas Press Association is a founding member of the Texas Sunshine Coalition, as well as a cornerstone of the coalition’s legislative efforts. The following is a report on the 2025 legislative session from Laura Prather of Haynes & Boone, who represents both TPA and the coalition. Please note her comments stressing the importance of shoring up support in the Texas Senate, as well as chronicling troubling trends by government entities to stall public information requests.