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Small paper confronts a monumental tragedy

First grader’s abduction, murder leaves Wise County residents reeling

By ROY EATON

Publisher, Wise County Messenger

DECATUR – A wave of sadness and anger swept over Wise County in early December after the abduction and murder of a seven-year-old girl.

Law enforcement officers said Athena Strand was abducted from her home in a sparsely populated area of the county just minutes after she got off the school bus from her first grade classes at Paradise Elementary School.   

Newsprint survey due Jan. 31

Publishers and printing company officials are reminded that the annual recycled newsprint survey form must be filed by Jan. 31.

Each year, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) collects data on recycled newsprint. Texas law requires that newspaper publishers submit their report for 2022 to the TCEQ by Jan. 31. The current survey form is available online for publishers to fill out and return to the TCEQ.

Newsmakers

Promotions, new hires and other changes at Texas newspapers, published in the January 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

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Obituaries published in the January 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

MICHAEL LINDENBERGER

KANSAS CITY – Michael Lindenberger, who worked in Texas metro markets during nearly 30 years of reporting and editing on floods, politics, poverty and social justice for newsrooms large and small — and helped the Houston Chronicle this year earn its second Pulitzer Prize — has died. He was 51.

A war for accountability

Two bad public notice bills mark beginning of session

ANALYSIS By MIKE HODGES and DONNIS BAGGETT
Texas Press Association

Texas Better Newspaper Contest opens for entries Jan. 23

As 2022 draws to a close, staffers of TPA member newspapers should start thinking about coverage, photos, special sections and other work they will enter in the next Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
The schedule for the next contest starts earlier than past years, so it’s already time to start narrowing down choices and gathering page PDFs for entries. There’s also a new contest platform for the statewide contest.

More open government issues

The Texas Press Association government affairs team will work alongside the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Texas Sunshine Coalition in the fight for transparency and accountability reforms during the upcoming legislative session.
Among the issues:
• Restoring access to dates of birth in public records – access that was eliminated by an appeals court ruling.
• Plugging the “dead suspects” loophole used by officials to deny access to crime reports in investigations classified as “open” cases even though the suspect is deceased.

Talking points

Why public notices belong in newspapers
1 The purpose of public notices is to make citizens aware of governmental actions and intent.  That’s why the Texas Constitution and numerous Texas statutes require them. There’s no more effective way to notify large numbers of people than with newspapers, which publish the notices both in print AND online.
2 Newspapers’ readership far exceeds that of any other medium. The number of print readers, combined with our online readers, makes total newspaper penetration most attractive to anyone who must reach a mass audience.

Newsmakers

New hires, promotions and other recent staff changes at Texas newspapers.

Newsmakers

Promotions, staff additions and other change reported at Texas newspapers.

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