Sales training, contest awards, fellowship and fun were all on tap when the North and East Texas Press Association hosted its annual conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tyler April 4-6.
The conference featured sales training by Ryan Dohrn in an all-day seminar on Friday. In addition, Lou Ann Sornson with Metro Creative Graphics shared new products to improve sales and ad content.
Staff changes, additions at Texas newspapers.
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Citizens Journal and the Cass County Sun recently welcomed Shawn Larson as editor and publisher.
Larson joined the staff in Atlanta after three years in Bellville, where he was the managing editor for a local newspaper, and had a business managing internet marketing and building websites.
Larson previously served as managing editor of a small newspaper in Hoxie, Kansas, where he said he grew to love the community newspaper industry while developing skills as an editor and manager.
MOUNT PEASANT – Tony Cooper is the new publisher of the Mount Pleasant Tribune, succeeding Mark Henry.
As publisher, Cooper also oversees operations at the Pittsburg Gazette and the Steel Country Bee in Daingerfield.
The three newspapers are part of the Northeast Texas Publishing Group.
Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Cooper is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi.
He spent the past nine years in advertising and management, most recently with the Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Q: If a city council plans to meet with a state senator, does the meeting require a public notice?
LA GRANGE – The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange has dedicated a new facility, the Czech Newspaper Museum, at the Czech Village in La Grange.
The new museum is a replica of an 1800s print shop and tells the story of numerous early Czech newspapers printed across Texas. The museum showcases the tools of a trade — a printing press, an engine and other equipment that was used to print newspapers in that era.
Dateline: Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Canadian, Texas.
It was just another newspaper deadline day in the Texas Panhandle. Started about 4 a.m. Another 14 or 15 hours, and it would be over. Enough joe from the coffee shop next door, and we’d be okay.
A couple of days earlier, Amarillo’s National Weather Service had begun issuing a series of increasingly dire warnings that the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles would experience extremely high winds at midweek. That was nothing new. Been there, done that.
Obituaries published in the Texas Press Messenger, April 2019
TAYLOR – Managing Editor Jason Hennigan has been promoted to publisher of the Taylor Press.
Daniel Philhower, vice president of operations for Granite Publications, announced the appointment.
Hennigan succeeds Richard Stone, who retired March 1.
A native of Taylor, Hennington began his tenure at the Press in March 2013 as a reporter. In early 2014, he was promoted to news editor. Last year, he was promoted to managing editor.
TEXARKANA – James Bright is the new general manager of the Texarkana Gazette.
The announcement was made by Mark Lane, president of WEHCO Media’s newspaper division.
Bright has served as a managing editor, general manager, advertising director and regional publisher for newspapers in Texas and Oklahoma, most recently the Duncan, Okla., Banner and the Express-Star of Chickasha, Okla. His most recent position was marketer for HealthCare Express.