ARCHER CITY – Archer County News Editor Nathan Lawson has been promoted to publisher.
Lawson joined the newspaper in June 2020 and succeeds Jerry Phillips, who has chosen to move into a reduced role with the newspaper. Phillips said he will still be heavily involved in the community and will continue to serve as community interests reporter for the newspaper.

Promotions, staff additions and other recent changes at Texas newspapers.

After 147 years of covering the local community, the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald ceased publication with the July 15 edition.
The Bass, Wright and Reeves families have managed the newspaper for the past 69 years.
“It breaks my heart to close the business, but it is no longer financially sustainable,” Susan Reeves, current publisher, said.

OLTON – The Olton Enterprise published its last edition June 25, 96 years after L.L. Kyle started the paper and 14 years after publishers Phillip and Ursula Hamilton rescued the publication from an even earlier demise.
The Hamiltons announced June 4 the newspaper was for sale but they were unable to find a buyer by the end of the month.
First printed on Thursday, Feb. 18, 1926 by Kyle, the Enterprise was the oldest continually operating business in Olton and believed to be the oldest business in Lamb County.

WALLIS – Johnny and Joanie Griffin announced the June 3 edition of the Wallis News-Review would be the newspaper’s last.
They put the newspaper up for sale earlier in the spring with a goal of retiring in June.
“We have been unsuccessful in finding a new owner to continue publishing the newspaper,” Johnny Griffin said in a June 8 announcement on Facebook.
The Wallis News-Review was started in 1974 by Ray and Maridel Dungen and managed in Wallis for many years by Lucille Jemela. 
All are longtime friends of the Griffins, who purchased the newspaper in 2006.

In the last six years, interest in local news has declined, for several reasons. Community newspapers can’t do much about most of the causes, but there are some things they can do. It starts with understanding the problem.

Obituaries published in the August 2021 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

I fondly characterize newsrooms as organized chaos. That definition has aptly described operations for the past 18 months with the impact of COVID-19. The story has demanded constant attention, and there are likely fewer reporters to handle the task due to the economic toll of the pandemic.

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant

It’s almost time to work up our 2021 Fall Sports posters (we include football, band, volleyball, fall tennis, cross country, cheerleaders, twirlers, flag lines and drill teams) for two of our area schools. Suzanne works very hard every year to top the previous year’s revenue and I expect she will do the same this year.
And no – you can’t borrow her to sell yours.

Media Contact: Sarah Warnke
512-494-2865 | swarnke@echristianpr.com 

Simple tips to conserve water during Texas summers
By Todd Danielson, VP of Engineering, Texas Water Utilities, SouthWest Water Company