Texas Happenings 2007, No. 12
Week of June 11, 2007TEXAS HapPENINGS is a biweekly advisory to AP member editors on upcoming stories or projects of special interest and a source of news about other AP developments.
ARON DETAILS RAY JOHNSTON’S INSPIRING STORY
Texas sports editor Jaime Aron began talking to loan officer-turned-Dallas Mavericks player-turned-cancer patient Ray Johnston about a feature on his journey this time last summer, when his former teammates had just lost in the NBA finals and Johnston had just won his second bout with cancer.
Then cancer hit for a third time, before his 28th birthday.
After weeks of interviews - at Mavs games, doctor appointments, youth-league practices, and more - Johnston's story is finally being told in a story moving in advance for weekend editions June 15-17.
MAVERICKS MIRACLE MAN: One-time Mav faces cancer with 'attaboy' spirit he showed on court
DALLAS - Ray Johnston got the chance of a lifetime when the Dallas Mavericks saw him at a Hoop-it-Up tournament and invited him to a tryout. A former walk-on at Alabama, Johnston ended up making their summer-league squad. Soon after, Johnston was in a coma because of a rare, undiagnosed case of leukemia. His incredible recovery, two relapses and - most of all - the way he's fought back have inspired everyone on the Mavericks. "Ray is definitely one of the toughest guys I've ever met," Dirk Nowitzki said. BC-BKN--Mavericks Miracle Man. By Jaime Aron. With: AP Photos, AP Video
Also in the weekend enterprise report for Texas:
SATURDAY-SUNDAY:
VIRTUAL BONDING
UNDATED - Fathers and their children are finding new ways to spend leisure time together that doesn't involve playing catch in the backyard or fishing at the lake. The virtual worlds found in video games have become an increasingly popular place for dads to bond with their children. Many fathers say these games bring them closer to their kids by providing a safe, convenient way to stay in touch and talk to their children on their own terms. By Technology Writer Matt Slagle. AP Photos planned.
MONDAY:
HURRICANE RITA-REBUILDING
KOUNTZE - Nearly two years after Hurricane Rita flattened her home, Mary Ripka and other southeast Texas victims are finally beginning to receive the long-promised government assistance. State officials say more than $500 million in federal money earmarked for 22 southeast Texas counties is just now beginning to make its way to thousands of people. By Joe Stinebaker. AP Photos.
MEMBER KUDOS
From stories on police shootings to border fence issues, Texas AP members continue to contribute stories on-cycle.
Some of the recent examples include:
• Tyler Morning Telegraph sharing stories on a police shooting and a substitute teacher who continued to teach even after she was indicted on a charge of having sex with a student.
• The Valley Morning Star contributing a story about a capital murder charge filed against the mother of a newborn.
• The Bryan-College Station Eagle sharing its story on the sentence given to a child molester.
• The Brownsville Herald sharing a story about concerns that a border fence would leave a portion of the University of Texas at Brownsville and a Texas Southmost College campus on the Mexican side of the fence.
• The River Cities Daily Tribune contributing a story about the identification of skeletal remains found in a barrel in Lake Buchanan - remains of a man missing since 1990.
• The Beaumont Enterprise sharing a story about authorities seeking a Port Arthur man who was ordered by a judge to undergo treatment for tuberculosis.
• The Laredo Morning Times sharing a story about the court appearance for three Zapata County officials indicted on federal charges.
These are just a few of the latest examples of member help. If you have stories to offer, please e-mail them to dalcarbon@ap.org. If you have a question about whether we might be interested in the story, please call the AP and ask for the supervisor at 1-800-442-7189.
2007 EDITION OF AP STYLEBOOK IS OUT
The latest version of the AP Stylebook is out. And, just as last year, there are plenty of updates.
If you were perplexed when you turned to the AP Stylebook to try to figure out when daylight saving time began, then you’ll love the new edition. It spells out the change in the law so you won’t be in the dark any longer. And did you note there’s no longer a hyphen in daylight saving time?
The stylebook is full of changes.
Baghdad stands alone in datelines. The planets entry has been changed to denote the downgrading of Pluto. There’s a new entry for the word “female.” And the entry for “pupil, student” is gone. So no need to try to figure out when to use which one. We no longer make the distinction.
Norm Goldstein, editor of the 2007 Stylebook, points to the functionality and constant updates that you can get through the subscription-based online edition of the Stylebook.
“The online Stylebook provides searchable, instant access, with constant updates as well as notification of changes,” Goldstein says. “It also allows the addition of a user’s own entries to create a private stylebook.”
Here’s a look at some other revisions for 2007:
New entries including: African Union; airstrike; BlackBerry; Boogie; carry-on; Chennai; farmers market; female; GPS; headlines; hip-hop; homebuyer; homeowner; intefadah; Islamic holy days; Katmandu; mentally retarded; Mumbai; Swift boat.
Changes and updates include: Baha’i; datelines; daylight saving time; editor-in-chief; European Union; Fatah; Mexico; RSVPl; telephone numbers; U.S. time zones map.
Deletions: Internet Search Tips; husband, widower; Laundromat; pupil, student; Serbia-Montenegro; U.S. Court of Military Appeals; Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
The spiral-bound book costs $17.95. Go to http://www.apbookstore.com for details on prices and ordering.
GET YOUR STAFF TRAINED ON AP EXCHANGE BEFORE YOUR AP GOES AWAY
If you’re still relying on YourAP to get copy and photos, it’s time to think about making the switch to AP Exchange. YourAP will be phased out this year. So get the training now on the new Web-based view of all your AP material
Contact the AP to book training on AP Exchange for your newsroom. E-mail talkback@ap.org to sign up for a 60-minute online training session.
You’ll learn all you need to know during this session on how to search for locally relevant news in the AP database and to build custom feeds to deliver relevant news in less time.
Don’t forget AP’s regularly scheduled School of Search online training that takes place every Thursday at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m EDT. You may RSVP for the sessions at talkback@ap.org.
SPECIAL EDITIONS
The special edition package on back to school will move July 10.
DEATHS
MARVIN LAVERN ELLIS, a former executive editor of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, died June 2 of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and heart complications. He was 73. Ellis worked for the newspaper fulltime from May 1971 until retiring Dec. 31, 2005. In addition to executive editor, he served as operations editor and sports director. Ellis also previously worked for the Odessa American, Kermit Sun and Austin American-Statesman.
JON SENDERLING, former editor of the Dallas Times Herald editorial page and former executive director of news and information for the University of Texas at Dallas, died June 3 in Dallas of complications from a stroke. He was 66. Senderling worked for the Trenton Times and Newsday in addition to holding several key positions with the Times Herald.
ON THE MOVE
BEN BARKLEY has been named publisher of the Sweetwater Reporter. Barkley served as managing editor from June 2004 until his appointment earlier this spring as publisher. RON HOWELL, who served as sports editor for 17 years, was named managing editor. JAY LANGLEY, a May graduate of Texas Tech University, has been named sports editor.
DEREK PRICE, editor of the Herald-Banker in Greenville, has been named managing editor of The Cullman (Ala.) Times. Price has worked at a number of papers in Texas and Arkansas. In Cullman, he succeeds Brian Lacy, who is joining Cullman Electric Cooperative. Lacy previously worked at The Huntsville Item in Texas.
SALO OTERO is retiring as sports editor of the Laredo Morning Times. Otero has been sports editor for the newspaper for 37 years. His retirement is effective July 31.
BOBBIE SALDIVAR has retired after 40 years with The Brownsville Herald. Saldivar began at the paper as a typist and eventually became production department head.
INDUSTRY NEWS
The AP Industry News summary is now available on the new AP Exchange system, a free system offering you Web-based access to the AP report. On AP Exchange, media industry news items will be available immediately, rather than transmitted once a week. For more on AP Exchange you can visit www.ap.org/apexchange.
If you do not have AP Exchange access yet, please contact AP Texas Chief of Bureau Dale Leach.
An AP Exchange account will permit you to access and search industry news, along with all your AP text, photo and graphics services. Until an AP Exchange account is created for you, we can add you to an e-mail list for distribution of media industry news items as soon as they arrive. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please send your request by e-mail to talkback@ap.org.
If you’ve got news to share for TEXAS HapPENINGS, please send the material to Linda Franklin at lfranklin@ap.org.
PREVIOUS ISSUES:
• April 16, 2007
• April 30, 2007
• May 14, 2007
• May 28, 2007
