Texas Happenings, No. 25
Week of December 17, 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.
TELLING THE REST OF THE STORY: TEXAS AP STYLE
Houston's flying cockroaches, mosquitoes, stifling humidity and heat and frequent floods help make the city the wonderful place it is - at least according to a pair of Houston entrepreneurs who have decided the city's warts ought to be promoted rather than swept under a rug of "lame" public relations attempts.
Houston-based Texas-at-large writer Michael Graczyk wrote about the efforts of David Thompson and Randy Twaddle, principals in a nearly decade-old marketing firm, and their list of 20 irritating things about Houston that led to a book they've called: "Houston. It's Worth It." The book includes some 300 pages of photographs interspersed with comments from residents and gives readers a look and feel for a Houston that doesn't show up in tourism and convention brochures.
TEXAS YEAR-END PACKAGE IN THE WORKS
As 2007 draws to a close, Associated Press staffers throughout the state are working on stories for your year-end editions that look at some of this year’s big stories and ahead to what could be in store for the next year.
The series of stories, photos and glances are set to move on Dec. 20 for use in your year-end packages of Dec. 26 and thereafter.
Here’s a look at what we have in store:
YE--TEXAS POLITICS
AUSTIN - Texas could have been a contender in the presidential sweepstakes, but legislators didn't move up the March 2008 primary date when they had the chance. That didn't stop Republican Gov. Rick Perry and other elected leaders from positioning themselves behind their favorite national candidates. Perry picked Rudy Giuliani. So did Comptroller Susan Combs. Attorney General Greg Abbott and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson backed Republican Fred Thompson. Their endorsements, though, may be moot by the time Texans vote because there are so many earlier state primaries. Texas' main role in the race is likely to continue to be that of money machine. By Kelley Shannon.
AP Photo.
YE--TEXAS EXECUTIONS
HUNTSVILLE - Executed Texas inmate Michael Richard became more famous in death than he ever was in the two decades following his conviction for the rape-slaying of a Harris County nurse and mother of seven. Richard's execution Sept. 25 in the nation's busiest capital punishment state should have raised little interest. It was the third of that month, the seventh in two months. It was carried out, however, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in a Kentucky case to look at whether the three-drug lethal cocktail used by state corrections officials around the nation - including Texas - contributes to unconstitutional pain and suffering for the inmate. By Michael Graczyk.
AP Photo NY339 of Dec. 12.
YE--FLOODING RECOVERY
HALTOM CITY - After one of the wettest years in state history, cities across Texas are still cleaning up debris, repairing washed out bridges and developing flood control plans. The storms brought massive flooding and tornadoes and killed at least 27 people. By Angela K. Brown.
AP Photo.
YE--BORDER FENCE
EL PASO - If all goes as planned, sections of border fencing will start to crop up in South Texas as early as spring, despite staunch opposition from local leaders and land owners. Homeland Security officials plan to build about 70 miles of two- or three-layer steel fencing, at least 15 feet high and able to withstand a hit from a 10,000-pound vehicle going 40 mph, by the end of 2008. It's another sign of a changing lifestyle on the border. By Alicia A. Caldwell.
AP Photo.
YE-AGRICULTURE
LUBBOCK - Favorable weather across Texas in 2007 brought the agriculture industry a record $100 billion in economic impact. A year after the state sustained its biggest crop and livestock losses, 2007 saw the end of a drought that lasted at least a decade. "It's been a very good year," said David Baltensperger, head of the soil and crop sciences department at Texas A&M University. "We can envision better but we're extremely pleased." Cotton growers in Texas, the nation's production leader, are forecast to harvest the second largest crop in history, and the record rains have given cattle producers plenty of hay. By AP Agriculture Writer Betsy Blaney.
AP Photo.
YE--ENERGY
HOUSTON - Perhaps the most notable feature of Texas' energy environment these days is its increasing diversity. The state saw advancements in wind and other alternative sources in 2007, while oil prices climbed to record highs. Some analysts say to expect more of the same in 2008. By AP Business Writer John Porretto.
AP Photo.
YE--TEXAS DEATHS
DALLAS - Lady Bird Johnson was a woman of quiet dignity who worked for the political career of her husband and championed conservation efforts. Hank Thompson was a seemingly tireless country singer who kept playing music until he was physically unable to take the stage. Each left a legacy unique to the Lone Star State in 2007: Lady Bird's touch will always be found in the wildflowers that spruce up Texas roadways. Thompson's brand of honky tonk and Western swing, reminiscent of Bob Wills, will live on as well. By Matt Curry.
AP Photos.
SHERMAN NAMED AP’S VALLEY CORRESPONDENT
Christopher Sherman, a reporter for the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, has been named Rio Grande Valley correspondent for The Associated Press.
Sherman joins the AP on Jan. 7.
He has covered city politics and government in three Orlando suburbs and has been at the newspaper since 2003. He previously worked for a daily newspaper in Baltimore.
Sherman holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and has degrees in Spanish, international politics and economics from Middlebury College in Vermont and Madrid, Spain.
He succeeds Lynn Brezosky, who joined the San Antonio Express-News earlier this year.
SHARING YOUR INNOVATIVE IDEAS
The challenges are familiar: Circulation decline, revenue decline, migration to online, shrinking staff and rising demands.
That’s the headline, but dig a little farther and some innovative ideas emerge. At the Texas APME Convention in Galveston March 28-30, you’ll have the chance to hear some of those ideas and meet some of the innovators.
We’d like to hear your success stories, your creative solutions, your innovations. How are the state’s editors coping? What’s working? Who’s innovating?
Please contact Larry Lutz, managing editor development & copy desk at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, with your contributions. He’s especially interested in best practices, innovations and solutions. If you’ve got one you can share, please let him know at llutz@star-telegram or 817-390-7121.
TEXAS APME CONTEST REMINDER
The deadline for getting your entries in for the annual Texas APME Headliners Excellence in Journalism Awards is a month away.
Contest rules have been mailed to your newsrooms and are moving daily on the Texas AP wire. The key date to remember is that your entries must be in the hands of the contest coordinators by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, 2008.
If you have questions about the rules, please contact the contest coordinators.
Shane Fitzgerald, managing editor of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, is the coordinator for Class AA and AAAA. Class AA covers papers with a circulation of 10,000 to 29,999. Class AAAA covers papers with a circulation of 125,000 or more.
Sharon Roberts, assistant managing editor of the Austin American-Statesman, is the coordinator for Class A and AAA. Class A covers newspapers with a circulation of up to 9,999. Class AAA covers papers with a circulation of 30,000 to 124,999.
Spanish-language entries should be sent to Dino Chiecchi, director of Hispanic publications for the San Antonio Express-News.
MEMBERS OFFER STORIES ON-CYCLE
When three major news stories broke in Brazoria County on the same day, The Facts had more than enough to do. But the newspaper took the time to make sure that its stories were sent to The Associated Press on-cycle.
Stories on a river dredging project and a gasification plant were used as separates and a portion of the third was folded in an existing AP story about a partnership between Dow Chemical and a Kuwaiti company.
The Galveston County Daily News called the AP to point out developments in the case of Baby Grace, including exclusive news that the district attorney would seek capital murder charges and family reaction to that possibility.
The San Angelo Standard-Times shared its story on four teens accused of beating two deer to death.
The Abilene Reporter-News pointed out its story about a school having to do away with its Cougar logo because of a copyright infringement issue.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times shared its story on a company’s plans to apply for a license to build a nuclear power plant in Victoria County.
These are just a few of the many examples of on-cycle contributions from Texas members in recent weeks.
If you’ve got a story you think we will be interested in, please send them to dalcarbon@ap.org or APTexas@ap.org.
SPECIAL EDITIONS
The final Special Edition package of 2007 has moved. Here’s a look at the lineup for 2008.
January – Taxes
February – Home/Garden
March – Pets
April – Mothers’/Father’s Day
May – Outdoors
June – Weddings
July – Back to School
August – Home/Garden
September – Cars
October – Crafts/Hobbies
November – Holidays
December – Weddings
Editors can access Special Features content in AP Exchange by typing “SPE” into the search field.
ON THE MOVE
RAYMOND LINEX II has been named publisher of the Corsicana Daily Sun. Linex, 38, began his career in 1992 as a football correspondent for the Sun. He joined the staff in 1994 and was eventually named co-sports editor. After working for a time at the Arlington Morning News, he returned to the Sun as sports editor in 1998. He was named editor in 2000.
BOB BELCHER has been named editor of the Corsicana Daily Sun. Belcher, 52, joined the newspaper as a staff writer in February 2006 and was named assistant editor later in 2006. Before joining the paper, Belcher was program director at KAND Radio. He also has worked at radio stations in California and Missouri.
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
• September 3, 2007
• September 24, 2007
• October 8, 2007
• October 22, 2007
• November 5, 2007
• November 19, 2007
• December 3, 2007
