I love working at community newspapers.
Most of all, small-town newspapers are true reflections of the communities they serve. Those small towns and cities are all things hyper-local.
Everyone pretty much knows everyone else. Or if they don’t, they know “his brother’s sister-in-law’s son’s cousin.”
Move into a new neighborhood and don’t be surprised if a new neighbor knocks at your door holding a chicken-and-spaghetti casserole, offering a warm welcome and politely inquiring, “Have y’all found a new church home yet?”

Leadership changes announced at Texas newspapers.

Texas Press Association’s final Summer Leadership Retreat is set for June 21-23 at La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa on Lake Conroe in Montgomery.
Registration forms are available online at www.texaspress.com.
Deadline for room reservations at La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa is 5 p.m. June 6. TPA’s special room rate is $129, single or double, per room per night. Call 936-448-3024 to make reservations.

As the 55th session of the Texas Legislature opened in 1957, this photo was on the cover of the February edition. The cutline boasted Austin's population had reached 190,000, making it the state's fifth largest city. In addition to a new courts building under construction northwest of the Capitol grounds, it was noted that "on nearly every vacant lot, a building of some sort was going up." (Bill Malone photo)

Every now and then, I like to share with all National Newspaper Association members some of the calls and emails we get from members where we have helped them in their businesses. Here’s a sample of recent, and hopefully relevant, questions with answers.

The Texas Demographic Center keeps tabs on just about everything anybody would want to know about Texas: Demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, migration and immigration and population growth. 
Reporters looking for data on individual counties can find some resources here.

Q: We received the following statement from our school district’s communications director when we asked about the status of candidates for the board of trustees:
“To preserve the continuity of the election filing period, (the school district) will release the names of everyone who has completed the filing process when the filing period ends on Feb. 16th @ 4 p.m.”
After perusing Texas attorney general opinions I was unable to find one that addresses when candidates have to be named. 

Well, it’s been about a month since Texas Attorney General spokesman Marc Rylander bloviated his way into the headlines.
 I find myself still seething over his remarks during an AG’s training conference, in which he slandered our profession and essentially encouraged public information officers for governmental entities to slow-ball public information requests from the news media.
Nearly every day, I find myself turning the whole episode over in my mind. His remarks have me reacting in so many ways. Let me count some of them.

MISSION – Denise M. Rendon, Progress Times director of sales and marketing and owner of Savy Publishing LLC, has purchased the newspaper from Jim Brunson.
Rendon began working for the Progress Times as an advertising account representative in 2012 and was named director of sales and marketing in 2016. She has now assumed the role of publisher.
Brunson, who retains ownership of the Winter Texan Times, said he is pleased to leave the Progress Times in good hands with Rendon. 

WHITESBORO – Austin Lewter has returned as publisher of the Whitesboro News-Record.
The appointment was announced by Scott Wood, owner of the newspaper, who noted that Lewter is “a hometown boy with a proven track record in the newspaper industry and a passion for community journalism.” 
Lewter grew up in Whitesboro and graduated from Collinsville High School. He has a degree in journalism from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and completed his graduate school work in mass communications at Stephen F. Austin State University.