Reporting on a secret decision to spend public money on a Travis County official’s home security system and a series of editorials and news stories about questionable ethics by Odessa city leaders have won this year’s Spirit of FOI Awards.

The 85th annual National Newspaper Week celebration, Oct. 5 - 11, is a time to reflect on and reinforce the vital role newspapers play in informing, empowering, and uniting communities.

Report for America is accepting newsroom applications through Oct. 20.

RFA is a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. 

RFA has placed more than 700 reporters into more than 450 newsrooms in all 50 states to fill critical news coverage gaps. 

The Northern Brazoria County Chamber of Commerce held a special ribbon cutting ceremony for The Alvin Sun, celebrating both the publication’s 135th anniversary and new location at 218 W. House Street.

By STEPHEN COLLINS, Managing Editor, The Alvin Sun

LAWTON, OK - Southern Newspapers, Inc. (SNI) has sold The Lawton Constitution to Hillary Communications.

DALLAS – DallasNews Corporation, the holding company of The Dallas Morning News and Medium Giant, announced shareholders approved the company’s merger with Hearst at the company’s special meeting Sept. 23. The deal closed Sept. 24.