The Clarendon Enterprise received ten awards and a former local publisher was honored during the 107th annual Panhandle Press Association Convention in Amarillo last Saturday, April 22.
During the annual PPA Better Newspaper Contest, the Enterprise received two first place plaques in the categories of Best Front Page Layout and Best Special Section for its fall/winter Welcome Guide.
The paper got second place honors for Sports Photos by Morgan Wheatly, Kari Lindsey, and Roger Estlack; Headline Writing; Society/Lifestyles; and Best Online Newspaper.
The Enterprise received third place for Serious Columns, Editorial Writing, News Writing, and Spot News Photos by Roger and Elaina Estlack. Ben Estlack’s “Cub Reporter” column also received praise from the judges in the Serious Columns contest.
Former Clarendon Press publisher Don R. Richards of Lubbock was inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame during a banquet Friday night. A fourth-generation journalist, Richards was born in Stonewall County and is a native of Jayton, where his father owned the weekly newspaper. He received his undergraduate degree in journalism from Texas Tech University where he served as editor of the student newspaper, The University Daily. He was editor of several West Texas community newspapers, including The Clarendon Press for a time in 1974, and was publisher of The Azle News. He currently serves as publisher of The Banner of Love, one of Texas’ oldest continuing religious newspapers, and is publisher/co-owner of the Hale Center American weekly newspaper. Richards also practices law in the areas of Public Utility Law, Media Law, and Administrative Law.
Also inducted in the Hall of Fame was Shamrock native Toby Brooks, who established The Irish Star-News in March 1993. He later purchased the Wheeler Area-News and combined both publications to become the County Star-News, which now covers all of Wheeler County, and in January of 2003, Brooks became a general partner in Community Printers, a web offset printing press in Shamrock which would go on to publish a great number of newspapers in the Panhandle, western Oklahoma and surrounding areas. Brooks sold his newspaper in 2012 and now lives in Belton.
The PPA was led this year by Muleshoe publisher Larry Thornton, who will continue on the PPA board as Immediate Past President. He is succeeded by Booker’s Joni Yara as president. Other board members include Vice President Robin Patterson of Dumas and Secretary/Treasurer Roger Estlack of Clarendon along with directors, Tara Huff of Fritch, Rob Langrell of Clovis, Ginger Wilson of Childress, Jeff Blackmon of Shamrock, and Mary Dudley of Perryton.
The PPA represents 31 member newspapers in the Panhandle region. Next year’s convention will be in Childress on March 22-24, 2018.
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