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Newsmakers

Stephen Garcia

PLEASANTON – Stephen Garcia is the new sports editor for The Pleasanton Express, which has one of the largest sports sections dedicated to high school and sub-varsity sports in Texas. 

Garcia, who grew up in Corpus Christi, received his bachelor of arts degree in mass communication with a print journalism concentration from Louisiana State University. 

After graduation, he wrote for Sports of Boston, covering the NFL, NBA, New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and Fantasy Football. He also wrote for Louisiana Football Magazine, Baton Rouge, where covered Louisiana high school football players and coaches. 

Garcia also served as sports editor for Alice Newspapers, Inc., where he oversaw production of sports sections for four newspapers — the Alice Echo-News Journal, Nueces County Record Star, Duval Press and Freer Press.  

Most recently, Garcia served as editor of the Community Impact newspaper Pearland-Friendswood in Stafford. 

With the help of local photographers, Garcia’s mission is to cover local sports teams in the four independent school districts in the Pleasanton area.

BEN TINSLEY

BURLESON – Veteran Texas journalist Ben Tinsley recently joined the Burleson Star as managing editor and staff writer, publisher Tyler Patton announced.

A second-generation journalist, Tinsley worked most recently as a staff writer for the Texas Jewish Post in Dallas, and as managing editor of the Glen Rose Reporter. 

He noted he has worked with Burleson Star Sports Editor Ricky Moore previously, at the Lewisville Leader.

 A 1991 graduate of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Tinsley has been known for his coverage of hard-news stories. 

In the 1990s, Tinsley tracked down the original members of the Republic of Texas separatist group before they broke into factions. Also in the 1990s, he reported on the epidemic of heroin deaths in Plano. 

Tinsley also covered the aftermath of the Texas A&M Bonfire collapse. He covered Hurricane Rita’s rampage across East Texas, and the aftermath of the massive tornado that struck Fort Worth in 2000.

During his more than 25 years working in Texas, New Mexico, Indiana, Wyoming, and Nevada, Tinsley has won several writing and reporting awards from media organizations such as APME, the Press Women of Texas, and the Association for Women Journalists. 

His experience includes working as a reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Arlington Morning News, the Amarillo Globe-News, the Galveston County Daily News, the Odessa American, the Baytown Sun, and the Sheridan (Wyoming) Press. 

While in Las Vegas he covered business news for the Las Vegas Business Press and also the entertainment industry for Vegas Eye blog and Las Vegas Food and Beverage Magazine. 

He also worked as a radio reporter in Clovis, New Mexico.

Mike Compton

SNYDER – Mike Compton is a new staff writer for the Snyder Daily News. 

Compton will cover community events and meetings for the newspaper.

A 2001 graduate of Snyder High School, Compton attended Baylor University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in American history with a minor in public relations in 2005. While in school and after, he worked with the communications and development team at the Baylor Alumni Association and Baylor Line Magazine as an assistant editor. 

Starting in 2010, Compton worked for Globe Energy in payroll and accounts payable, which he said provided him with a solid business background. “Communication is something that I’ve always felt is the key to success in any endeavor. This position gave me the chance to work muscles I didn’t know I had,” Compton said. 

We’re excited to welcome Mike to the paper and look forward to our readers getting to know him through his work,” Publisher Bill Crist said. “His roots in Snyder will serve him and the newspaper well.”

Alexandria Randolph

KERRVILLE – Alexandria Randolph has joined the editorial team at The Kerrville Daily Times.

She will serve as crime editor, responsible for reporting on the efforts of law enforcement agencies and the justice system in Kerrville, Kerr County and the surrounding Hill Country territory, according to Times managing Editor Lisa Treiber-Walter.

Randolph and Treiber-Walter previously worked together in Marble Falls with the semi-weekly Highlander and the weekly Burnet Bulletin, both part of the Highland Lakes Newspaper Group.

In addition to crime news, Randolph will cover community events, general news stories and human interest pieces. She will also contribute to the Times’ special sections, including the newly introduced monthly magazine, Hill Country Charm.

Randolph is a 2011 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in English and minor in journalism. She started with the Highland Newspaper Group in 2012 as a staff writer for the Highlander in Marble Falls and later at the helm of the Burnet Bulletin, where she covered Burnet County  beats for both publications.

For her efforts, she won first place in feature writing in 2015 in the South Texas Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. She also was named third-place Journalist of the Year. In 2016, Randolph’s photography earned her a first place in the Texas Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.