Newsmakers

The Boerne Star announced several staff changes. New on the staff are Krystin Bergmann, Tyler Foreman and Chesley Roe. Bergmann is a graphic artist who replaced Rachel Schulz who decided to be a stay-at-home mom. Roe is relacing Gaianne Culpepper as a part-time assistant and Foreman is replacing Stephen Bartell as circulation driver for the summer.

—Shelia Boggess is a new feature writer for The Monahans News. She worked as news editor at the San Angelo Standard-Times.

—Rebekah Brackin has been named general manager of the San Angelo Standard-Times. She joined the Standard-Times in 2000 and has served as its community news editor, advertising product development manager, advertising sales representative, and, most recently, director of marketing and online operations.

—Smokey Briggs, owner and publisher of The Monahans News and publisher of the Pecos Enterprise, underwent corrective heart surgery at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston on May 22. Briggs reported being sore, but in good condition a few days after the procedure.

—Bob Buckel was announced as the new state chairman for the National Newspaper Association at the 129th Summer Convention June 21 in Arlington. Buckel, publisher of the Azle News, took over for Larry Jackson, publisher of the Fayette County Record. Steve Haynes, president of NNA, and Jerry Tidwell, NNA past president, were on hand to make the announcement during the convention, where Haynes also gave an update on news from the national front.

—Ramiro Burr resigned from the San Antonio Express-News as music writer and columnist after facing allegations that he hired a ghostwriter to produce more than 100 stories and columns since 2001. Burr covered music for 25 years. He worked for the San Antonio Light from 1983 until it folded in 1993.

—San Antonio native Frank A. Bennack Jr. will become interim president and chief executive officer of Hearst Corp. after Victor E Ganzi resigned. Hearst owns seven newspapers in Texas.

—Mike Cox, a former TPA director of member services, has released a new book, “The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900” published by Forge Books, New York. The book quotes from and names several Texas newspapers. Cox was the longtime spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

—Betty Gaskamp joined The Elgin Courier in May as a part-time staff member selling advertising.

—Emily Grobe, who has been the sports editor of the Taylor Daily Press for the past year, will succeed Leah Filion as managing editor.

—Alberto Tomas Halpern won first place in the Mark of Excellence collegiate awards sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. Halpern is a photographer for the Big Bend Sentinel and Presidio International. He is a junior at American University in Washington, D.C., and earned the award for his photograph of a student protest and melee at the campus during Karl Rove’s 2007 visit.

—Debbie Hiott has been named managing editor of the Austin American-Statesman, where she has spent her entire career and began working as an intern in 1990. She is the second-highest ranking editor.

—The Lufkin Daily News announced two editor promotions. Staff writer Ashley Cook has been promoted to city editor, and former News staffer Edwin Quarles has been named night editor. Cook, who replaced Gary Willmon after his death in May, has been the religion reporter since mid-2006 and writing coach since late 2007. Quarles returned after serving as sports editor from June 1998 through July 2000. He worked at the Diboll Free Press from 1993-97.

—Thomas Martinez has been named managing editor of the Victoria Advocate. He joined the staff after working for newspapers in Colorado.

—Davis McAuley retired as editor of the Bastrop Advertiser after more than two decades in the post.

—Kurt Mogonye rejoined the San Patricio County News and Odem Edroy Times as managing editor. He previously was editor in San Patricio County in 2006.

—John A. Moseley, managing editor of the Big Spring Herald, was critically injured in a traffic accident in June. He sustained a head injury and was recovering in a Dallas hospital.

—Michael O’Connor was named news editor at the Cleburne Times-Review. He was special sections editor. Former news editor Thomas Phillips left for a position with a Kerrville newspaper. O’Connor began his newspaper work at the Abilene Reporter-News in 1993, and joined the Times-Review in March 2007.

—Dolan Stidom has been named vice president/circulation for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He had been circulation director and worked for the paper since 1978.

—Robert Swonke has retired as vice president of printing after 30 years with Granite Publications and nearly 40 in the business. He also had served as publisher of the Taylor Daily Press. He started in 1969 in the pressroom of the East Texas Light in Tenaha.

—Jeff Walker has been named sports editor at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal after five years as sports reporter. Walker previously worked at the Abilene Reporter-News. He succeeds Patrick Gonzales, who is assistant sports editor of the Detroit News.

—Tommy Young has joined the Plainview Daily Herald as a staff writer, and Britni Palomino is working as a summer editorial intern. Palomino assumes the position previously filled by Hayley Cox, who is interning this summer at the Amarillo Globe-News. This is Young’s second time to be employed at the Herald. His previous stint at the paper ran from August 2000-June 2001.