Texas
The Dallas Morning News named newsroom of the year in Texas journalism awards
The Dallas Morning News received nine first-place awards in the 2023 Texas Managing Editors journalism awards, including being named newsroom of the year.
In total, 18 awards and two honorable mentions went to The News.
The results, recognizing the work of news outlets across the state, were announced over the weekend at the Texas Managing Editors’ annual conference in Temple.
The News competes in the 3A class, which includes the state’s largest newsrooms.
“Every single reporter, photojournalist, designer, digital, multi-platform and front-line editor, researcher and columnist in our newsroom works incredibly hard and believes wholeheartedly that the journalism we pour ourselves into is vital to our community and its future,” The News’ executive editor Katrice Hardy said. “From our coverage of education and health care, from our coverage of the arts and transportation, from our coverage of our public safety institutions to our state and local governments, we aspire daily to publish journalism that informs our readers about people, programs and policies that impact their lives.
“This honor is truly amazing because it underscores that our work has an impact on our community and across North Texas.”
First-place awards
The News’ staff won Newspaper of the Year in the 3A class, the contest’s highest honor. The last time The News won this award was in 2020.
Rangers beat writer Evan Grant won first place in the Celeste Williams Star sports reporter of the year category. His body of work included covering the Texas Rangers’ becoming World Series champions for the first time; the Rangers acquiring Max Scherzer from the New York Mets; a profile on MLB player brothers Nathaniel and Josh Lowe and their mother’s brain cancer diagnosis; how ex-Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was faring a year after firing; and Bally Sports’ financial woes.
Smiley Pool won first place for Star photojournalist of the year with photography covering an array of subjects including the Cowboys, Rangers, an in-demand Nick and Sam’s server, the aftermath of the mass shooting at the Allen outlets, bluebonnets and more. Pool finished in a tie for first place with Austin American-Statesman photographer Ricardo B. Brazziell.
Watchdog columnist Dave Lieber won first place for general column writing, recognizing his work covering a senior caught in the middle as TxDOT faced criticism for lack of empathy; a mayor’s actions that led to a council member’s arrest in Godley; and a Watchdog report on syndicates spending millions of dollars on Texas’ lottery to beat out everyone else.
Architecture critic Mark Lamster won first place for comment and criticism, which included stories about Fountain Place, the rocket-shaped tower that stands out in Dallas’ skyline and a Carrollton church that he deemed “the best new building in Texas.”
Cowboys beat writer Michael Gehlken won first place sports feature for his profile on “the untold legend” of Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith’s hands.
Photographer Tom Fox won the first place in photojournalism for his work on The News’ Deadly Fake project uncovering fentanyl’s many effects on North Texas.
Photographer Shafkat Anowar won first place in feature photography for the photo of a Texas Rangers fan’s response to the team’s World Series win at a watch party of Globe Life Field.
Multiplatform editor Sandra Guerra-Cline won first place in headline writing. Her best headlines included: The stars at night are not so bright — Results of study on artificial lighting’s effect stun scientists; History’s resting place — Oakland Cemetery, home to Rusty the dog, lives on despite the odds; Home, home on the stage — Academy of Country Music settles in, might stay awhile; With only words as weapons — At hearing, victims’ loved ones confront Walmart gunman who killed 23 and A cheap car is a nonstarter — There’s only one left under $30,000 for shoppers in the U.S.
Second-place awards
The News staff won a second-place award for Star breaking news report of the year, recognizing its quick and extensive coverage of the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets. The team produced more than 17 stories in the first 24 hours after the tragedy, accounting for stories from its bureaus in Austin and Washington, D.C. and articles translated into Spanish.
The News’ editorial board won second place for editorial writing for a series of political pieces, including one after Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted in his impeachment trial and another named the eight Paxton whistleblowers as The Dallas Morning News’ Texans of the Year.
Breaking news reporter Jamie Landers won second place for Star reporter of the year. Her body of work included a narrative on how the Dallas Zoo mystery unraveled, a eulogy for a vulture at the zoo, the reopening of a restaurant at the Allen outlets following a mass shooting and contributions to the newsroom’s Deadly Fake project about how Narcan vending machines could help combat the drug crisis and police investigating fentanyl-related deaths as homicides.
Sports columnist Kevin Sherrington won second place for sports column writing, which recognized his work covering Texas Rangers’ Adolis García seizing the moment for the team in the World Series, a story of bitter beginnings and the birth of the Rangers-Astros rivalry, Colorado’s Deion Sanders’ reaction to his team’s win over TCU.
Assistant news editor Alma Lozoya also won second place for designer of the year for a series of front-page designs.
Third-place awards
The News’ staff won third place for Star online package of the year with its Deadly Fake project that published at least one story on each day in September.
Lauren Caruba, Smiley Pool and Ari Sen, won a third-place award in Star investigative report of the year for the series Bleeding Out. The project, which The News completed in partnership with the San Antonio Express-News, was an investigation into why tens of thousands of injured Americans die from preventable bleeding each year.
Pool was also awarded third place for sports photography. Multiplatform editor Erik Schutz won third place for headline writing.
Honorable mention
The News received a staff-wide honorable mention for team effort for its coverage of the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets.
Education Lab reporter Talia Richman was recognized for honorable mention in specialty reporting. Her stories included the story of a Texas student scared of school shootings being punished, a look at Texas’ explosion of uncertified new teachers filling shortages and how Texas plans to make access to advanced math more equitable.
NORTH TEXAS – This week’s snow event will end with a “few flurries” during Friday’s morning commute, according to CBS News Texas meteorologist Jeff Ray.
“But roads will have frozen over,” Ray said.
Expect hazardous road conditions in the morning, as it will be “the worst” the roads have been since the event started on Thursday morning, Ray said.
Late in the morning, temperatures will rise above freezing, which will “help drivers get around the Metroplex,” Ray said.
A cold front is expected Friday, he said.
“We are going to have wind chills in the 20s all day,” Ray said. “By nightfall on Friday, temperatures will drop quickly and water will re-freeze on the roads across the evening. This ice will remain until mid-morning on Saturday before the sun and warmer temperatures in the mid-40s clear the roadways.”
CBS News Texas will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
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South Carolina women’s basketball hosts its SEC home opener against Texas A&M on Thursday evening. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.
1. Missing Ashlyn
South Carolina announced on Tuesday that junior forward Ashlyn Watkins will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Staley let Watkins tell the team about her injury, and then the coaches have tried to push forward.
“We just keep it moving, try not to harp on it too much because it’s felt,” Staley said. “The more you move on, the more they move on – and our players have to move on. It’s a part of it.”
I broke down how South Carolina will try to replace Watkins here.
Staley said, “Only time will tell” the impact of Watkins’ absence, but it is definitely an opportunity for Maryam Dauda, Adhel Tac, and Sakima Walker to step into a new role.
“Sometimes, when you remove someone as big as Ashlyn from your equation, other people have an opportunity,” Staley said. “And what they do with that opportunity, usually, they do something pretty good with it. We’ll work with them, and we’ll be patient with them.”
2. Spurtability
South Carolina’s strengths this season have been its bench and its transition game. In the first two SEC games, South Carolina pulled away with the second unit on the court getting stops and getting out in transition.
Watkins, with her ability to rim run with or without the ball, was a huge part of that. Her absence isn’t going to stop the Gamecocks from running, especially at home. Even without Watkins, the Gamecocks had 15 fast break points on Sunday.
That quick-strike ability has Texas A&M coach Jni Taylor worried.
“We have a saying around here that says, ‘before you know it,’” Taylor said. “If you keep doing the right thing, keep putting your head down, keep grinding, you look up and before you know it, you’ll be where you’re supposed to be. Likewise, if you don’t come out ready, if you are pouting, if you are feeling sorry for yourself, before you know it, you won’t be where you’re supposed to be. That’s one of those things at South Carolina. They’re a really good team. They play really well at home. We will be, flashback of last year here, we’ll be down 15 to zero before we can bat an eye if we don’t come out ready to go.”
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3. (Dress rehearsal)
Nobody is going to say it out loud, but Thursday’s game is an important tune-up for the Sunday showdown against no. 5 Texas.
Is Tac ready to battle Kyla Oldacre? Can Dauda’s shooting pull Oldacre away from the paint? Is there enough rim protection to keep Rori Harmon from getting easy layups, or do they need to get creative? Who should guard Madison Booker?
It’s a familiar refrain in these parts. Get the game in hand early so you have the fourth quarter to look at some different lineups.
“We let our players play through some stuff, and then you’ve got to look at the scoreboard,” Staley said. “If we’re holding serve on the scoreboard, and we’re up, more lenient to leave them out there to give them some minutes. But, if the scoreboard moves in an unfavorable way, then you got to get combinations out there that’s going to move it the opposite way.”
Texas hosts no. 18 Alabama on Thursday night, so the Longhorns can’t afford to look ahead. But we can.
[USC-Texas WBB: Win tickets, parking]
4. Availability report
Maddy McDaniel and Sakima Walker were both listed as OUT on the Wednesday evening Availability Report.
McDaniel has not played since the holiday break after suffering a concussion. Walker has not played since the Iowa State game and hasn’t been available since the TCU game with an ankle injury. Both have started participating in practice this week but obviously are not yet full-speed.
Vanessa Saidu is listed as OUT for Texas A&M. She has yet to play this season. Amirah Abdur-Rahim is listed as questionable.
Side note: Because Watkins has been declared out for the season, she is not included on the availability report.
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5. Scouting the Aggies
The Aggies are one of the three SEC teams that haven’t reached 10 wins yet. There are a lot of good players on the roster – anyone in the country would take Lauren Ware, Sahara Jones, and Janae Kent – plus a great scorer in Aicha Coulibaly, but the sum of the parts hasn’t been quite where it needs to be.
However, Texas A&M is coming off an upset of then-25th-ranked Ole Miss on Sunday. The win was a 60-58 rock fight in which Ole Miss shot 0-12 in the fourth quarter, but that fits Joni Taylor’s defensive mindset.
‘I think that we’ve been able to show really good spurts defensively of how we can impact the game,” Taylor said. “To hold Ole Miss or any team, for that matter, without a field goal in the fourth quarter is really impressive, and I think it just shows, again, what we are capable of.”
Coulibaly has been a thorn in the Gamecocks’ side before. She scored 32 points and grabbed six rebounds against the Gamecocks in the SEC tournament quarterfinals last season. Coulibaly had no problem getting to the basket and drawing fouls, going 13-15 from the line. And that was with Watkins and Kamilla Cardoso guarding the rim.
“Coulibaly is the one that we haven’t solved playing against her,” Staley said. “I do think they’re better. They’re playing more cohesive. They’ve got some bigs that do what bigs do. They have guards that are a year older, some transfers that have played in our league, so … formidable. And then, they’re coming off a big win against Ole Miss.”
Texas A&M freshman Taliyah Parker was a high school teammate of Tac’s at South Grand Prairie. Parker has appeared in all 14 games this season and averages 5.3 points and 2.4 rebounds.
The Ws
Who: #1 South Carolina (14-1, 2-0) vs Texas A&M (8-6, 1-1)
When: 5:00 EST, Thursday, January 9
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC
Watch: ESPN2
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