The Texas Gulf Coast Press Association honored Hall of Fame inductees and celebrated the results of the regional group’s annual Better Newspaper Contest at the 2017 annual convention held in May at the Holiday Inn Resort in Galveston.
Inducted into the TGCPA Hall of Fame were Adair and the late Merle Luker, of the Vidor Vidorian, Greg Peak, Polk County Enterprise, and Chad Ferguson, Banner-Press Newspaper, Columbus.
Ramona ‘Bebo’ Ferguson received a plaque commemorating her year as president as she and other 2016-17 officers completed their terms.  

Recently announced staff changes and promotions at Texas newspapers.

Q: Is it O.K. for a photographer to use a drone to photograph the city’s Fourth of July fireworks event and then send us the photos to publish?

The special session of the Texas Legislature is at the halfway point, and Texas newspapers are fighting to hold onto public notices for property tax matters.

Analysis by Donnis Baggett, TPA Executive Vice President

I continue to get calls and emails on sampling non-subscribers. This rewrite will attempt to draw a sharper line between the two confusing rules that govern non-subscriber copy mailing.
The non-subscriber rules in the Domestic Mail Manual are there to allow you to promote your newspaper to non-subscribers and increase your mail delivery. Too many papers fail to use this tactic, but more are showing interest as newspapers struggle to attract readers and advertisers.

The Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame exists to honor dedicated Texas professionals who made a difference in their local communities, raised journalistic standards – set the bar high - then encouraged and inspired others.
Each year, up to four of these leaders are honored at the Hall of Fame Induction dinner held during TPA’s Midwinter Conference and Trade Show. 

Jaklewicz named news director for Abilene Reporter-News
Greg Jaklewicz is the new news director of the Abilene Reporter-News.
The change was announced June 15 by Tim Archuleta, the regional editor for the USA TODAY Network’s five Texas papers.
“The news director job is the top editor in in our newsrooms,” Archuleta said. Jaklewicz succeds Doug Williamson, who retired last month.

Staff changes at Texas newspapers

Kaley Branch
Gatesville Messenger
GATESVILLE – Kaley Branch recently joined The Gatesville Messenger staff as a reporter covering general news assignments and features.
Raised in Arlington, Branch studied journalism and broadcasting at Tarrant County College. She previously worked as an analyst for XTO Energy in Fort Worth and was a recruiter for MMC Strategic Staffing in Dallas. She and her husband, Taylor, who is a Gatesville High School graduate, moved their family to Gatesville 18 months ago.

Florentino ‘Tino’ Duran
Florentino ‘Tino’ Duran of San Antonio, owner, former publisher and CEO of the bilingual biweekly newspaper La Prensa, died Sunday, June 25.
Born in 1934, Duran grew up “a tough Alazan Apache Courts kid,” according to a Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame biography. After graduating from Lanier High School, he served in the U.S. Air Force before returning home to attend San Antonio College. There, he worked on the school paper, The Ranger, and eventually earned his bachelor’s in political science and master’s in public administration from St. Mary’s University.