Texas Happenings 2007, No. 21
Week of October 22, 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.
COVERING TEXAS AP STYLE: LOOKING FOR THE NEXT BIG STORY
A single phrase in a routine press release from the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office led Monica Rhor to a story about the efforts to identify a 17-year-old Houston girl who was found shot to death. The release described the unidentified "decedent" as having braces.
In "Little Girl Lost," Rhor traced the efforts of a Houston homicide detective and a forensic anthropologist to find out the girl's name and solve the case. She then talked to people who knew the girl - Melissa Flores - to paint a portrait of a young girl who spent her short life in foster care, and now lies buried in an unmarked grave.
After the story ran, readers began donating money to buy a headstone for Melissa, and Child Protective Services started a fund for donations.
Rhor also reported about the battle to clean up the environment in Port Arthur, one of the country's most polluted cities. The story, which included interactive graphics by Francois Duckett and a slideshow by Mat Otero, began with a news story in the spring about plans to incinerate deadly nerve gas byproduct in Port Arthur.
That led to a bigger question about why the city had become home to such a large concentration of chemical plants and refineries, even though the air was so tainted that it smelled and residents were getting sick.
Were those plants a benefit or bane to the residents? What was it like for people who live in Port Arthur?
Several months of reporting to track down data on pollution and polluters, lawsuits and city contracts involving the plants, interviews with city officials, environmental activists, experts, scientists and residents followed.
Fort Worth Correspondent Angela K. Brown reported from the small West Texas town of Tuscola about the controversy surrounding a book on a ninth-grade reading list that resulted in a popular English teacher being placed on leave and facing possible criminal charges. She talked to several parents and students, finding out that most of the community thinks the teacher should be reinstated.
Brown also traveled just across the state line to Thackerville, Okla., for a story about an Internet-based company that sells templates for fake excuse notes for people who want to skip work. The notes appear to come from a doctor or hospital, and one is an authentic-looking funeral service program.
Brown also reported on a triple murder-suicide in which a man killed his estranged wife and two stepchildren in Fort Worth before a nearly seven-hour standoff with police in nearby Arlington. He then killed himself as he drove into a lake with police in pursuit. She later did a follow-up story about how some Arlington officials want police to explain how the man was able to drive around police cars that had been surrounding him and then flee, possible endangering other drivers.
In Dallas, Jeff Carlton reported that Texas is second in the nation with more than 200 public school teachers sanctioned for sexual misconduct between 2001-05. The Texas figures were gathered as part of a seven-month investigation in which AP reporters sought records on teacher discipline in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Carlton also wrote a feature on Michael Sorrell, the new president of Paul Quinn College, a historically black school in South Dallas. In just five months on the job - the first four as interim president - Sorrell has shaken up the beleaguered college by instituting a business-casual dress code, making class attendance mandatory and cutting the football program, a move that saves the school $600,000 a year.
Austin Supervisory Correspondent Kelley Shannon was there when three University of Texas students were rescued after being lost in a cave.
Firefighters, paramedics and citizen cavers spent hours locating the two women and one man, who'd been inside Airman's Cave some 30 hours. The cave is known for its length, running beneath highways and shopping centers in Austin, and for its thin openings.
Only rescuers of small build could slither inside the cave and get to the students. They emerged healthy and uninjured.
LOOKING AHEAD:
TEXAS POLITICS
WASHINGTON - The last couple of times Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison dipped her toe in the gubernatorial pool, Gov. Rick Perry bit back, making it clear he planned to run for governor in his usual ferocious manner. How things have changed. When rival Republican Hutchison pronounced earlier this month that she may run for governor in 2010, Perry hardly blinked. Instead, he endorsed GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, much to the dismay of Perry's ardent anti-abortion supporters in Texas who believe the former New York mayor is too liberal on social issues. Perry's willingness to distance himself from religious conservatives may signal Perry is done with running for state office and make it easier for Hutchison to run in a GOP primary in Texas.
The story by Suzanne Gamboa and Kelley Shannon is moving for use in weekend editions, Oct. 27-28. With AP Photos.
AP MEMBER EXCHANGE: HORSE RESCUERS
HITCHCOCK - Jennifer Sylvester caters to guests of varied temperaments at the East Texas equine sanctuary where she works: sweet horses, mean horses, mellow horses. She takes in - and dotes on - horses considered useless by former owners. The organization she works for, Habitat for Horses, is part of a loose network of 100 or more rescue groups across the country determined to provide a safe place for every imperiled horse. Sanctuaries like hers face a new urgency: To save American horses from being slaughtered across the border in Mexico and Canada. By Lisa Sandberg, San Antonio Express-News.
AP Photos
MONDAY
FAIRCLOTH EXHIBIT
DALLAS - A teal velvet gown embellished with beads and sequins that was worn by first lady Laura Bush during inaugural festivities is among the creations highlighted in an exhibit of works by Texas designer Michael Faircloth. The exhibit, spanning more than two decades, showcases about 20 designs from gowns worn to galas to a Renaissance-inspired bridal gown to cocktail dresses. The exhibit, "Reflections: Work by Michael Faircloth," will be on display through Dec. 21 at Fashion on Main, a downtown gallery space opened by the University of North Texas last year. By Jamie Stengle.
AP Photos.
COVERING THE GENERAL ELECTION IN TEXAS
Texans will get their say on Nov. 6 on some of the issues the Legislature wrestled with in the spring. Sixteen constitutional amendments are on the ballot statewide, including amendments to codify the plant to record all legislative votes and to fund cancer research.
Austin Supervisory Correspondent Kelley Shannon previewed the election issues in a story slugged Constitutional Amendments that has moved in advance of the election.
We also plan a separate by Elizabeth White on a constitutional amendment to authorize the denial of bail for someone who violates certain court orders or conditions in a feloy or family violence case.
A separate story by Liz Austin Peterson will look at Houston Mayor Bill White’s political future as he faces easy re-election to his final two-year term.
If you have questions about AP election coverage plans, please contact Texas News Editor Wendy Benjaminson in Houston at 281-872-8900 or wbenjaminson@ap.org.
AP BOARD APPROVES NEW PRICING STRUCTURE
A major overhaul is on the way for prices and packages offered to Associated Press member U.S. newspapers. The Associated Press Board of Directors approved the changes, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2009.
The new plan centers on a core service of all national, state and international breaking news with options for adding other services or purchasing stories individually.
The basic assessments charged to newspapers will continue to be based on circulation.
The new “Member Choice” plan will affect U.S. newspapers.
In addition to the core breaking news service, member newspapers also would be able to add premium services with in-depth news analyses, business, sports and entertainment articles. Members also would be able to buy stories on an individual basis.
SHOWTIME FOR THE NBA
While the NBA defending champion San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets are getting ready for the opening of the NBA season, AP writers are putting the finishing touches on season previews.
The stories on the Spurs and Rockets are moving for use at will. The preview on the Mavericks is for weekend editions.
FRIDAY NIGHT STARS
OK. It seems like the high school football season in Texas just began. But, the reality is that it is time for you to start thinking about your choices for Friday Night heroes.
We’ll be sending your sports editors information soon on how to nominate their choices for the all-state team. And we’ll be needing your help to put together the playoff pairings.
For the pairings, we ask that you send pairings from your coverage area to dalcarbon@ap.org and aptexas@ap.org. Be sure to include records, the date and time of the game and the stadium.
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES LAUNCHES NEW PRESS
The San Angelo Standard-Times has a new look. The newspaper began print production on a 46-inch press web with a new editorial front end system and new page design on Aug. 27.
Editor Tim Archuleta says the narrower web has helped produce a cleaner paper. Readers called to compliment the more compact size and the cleaner look.
But the paper says one change had to change. Readers didn’t like the smaller size of the crossword and Sudoku puzzles so the staff had to revert to the larger sizes.
AP EXCHANGE TRAINING
Many editors have started working with AP Exchange in the past few weeks. As with any new system, a learning curve is necessary and we'd like to help with this as much as possible.
Searching for news is one thing, but putting AP Exchange to work for members is what we really hope to be able to do. AP offers online AP Exchange training for your newsroom to teach some of these enhanced features.
Contact Texas Chief of Bureau Dale Leach or Assistant Chief of Bureau Barry Bedlan to book a session or simply sign up for the open sessions every Thursday at 11 and 4:30 ET.
SPECIAL EDITIONS
The special edition package on holidays will move Nov. 6. Weddings will move Dec. 4.
APPLAUSE PLEASE
THE GALVESTON COUNTY DAILY NEWS took a first-place award for print quality in the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association contest.
WILLIAM McKENZIE, editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News, took second place in the SNPA’s commentary division for newspapers over 50,000 circulation. RODGER JONES of the Morning News received an honorable mention.
Other winners included:
• MICHAEL A. LEMMONS of the Amarillo Globe-News, 3rd place spot news photography.
• MARK M. HANCOCK of the Beaumont Enterprise, 3rd place sports photography.
• WICHITA FALLS TIMES RECORD NEWS, 3rd place print quality, circulation 25,001-50,000.
ELECTED
DOUG TONEY, editor and publisher of The Herald-Zeitung in New Braunfels, has been elected to a three-year term on the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation Board of Trustees.
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
• June 11, 2007
• June 25, 2007
• July 13, 2007
• July 27, 2007
• August 6, 2007
• August 20, 2007
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• September 24, 2007
• October 8, 2007
