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.
FILE – Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference Dec. 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said late Thursday he was withdrawing from his reelection race, after having admitted an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide, but he vowed to finish out his term in Congress.
He had faced calls from GOP leadership to end his reelection bid, and from others in Congress to resign.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election,” Gonzales said in a statement posted late Thursday to X.
The move is the latest in a quickly changing situation that stunned Capitol Hill and resulted in a House Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct. Gonzales’ decision to bow out of the race appears to clear the field. On Tuesday, he had been forced into a May runoff against Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer who narrowly lost to him in the 2024 primary.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and the GOP leadership earlier Thursday had called on Gonzales to withdraw from reelection after Gonzales, a day earlier, acknowledged a relationship that has upturned the political world in his home state and in Washington.
“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” said Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain in a statement.
“In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for reelection.”
Johnson, R-La., has been under enormous pressure from his own GOP lawmakers to take action, and several Republicans have already called for Gonzales to step aside. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has introduced two resolutions to punish Gonzales. The first seeks to remove him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, meanwhile, said he would support expelling Gonzales from the House, a rare step that requires a two-thirds vote from the chamber.
GOP leaders notably did not call for Gonzales to resign from office as they struggle to maintain their slim majority in the House, which they hold by only a handful of seats.
Their move came after Gonzales, appearing on the “Joe Pags Show,” was asked whether he had a relationship with the aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles.
Santos-Aviles, 35, died after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled her death a suicide.
“I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said.
The congressman, now in his third term, had said he would not step down in response to the allegations, telling reporters recently that there will be opportunities for all the details and facts to come out.
Gonzales, a father of six, first won his seat in 2020 after retiring from a 20-year career in the Navy that included time in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the interview broadcast Wednesday, Gonzales said he had not spoken to Santos-Aviles since June 2024. She died in September 2025.
“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales went on to say he had reconciled with his wife, Angel, and has asked God to forgive him. He also said he looked forward to the Ethics Committee investigation.
Johnson and GOP leadership urged that committee to “act expeditiously.”
Under House ethics rules, lawmakers may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House under their supervision.
The Texas Rangers and veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen agreed to a minor league contract on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The person confirmed the agreement to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized and a physical exam still needed to be completed. The 39-year-old McCutchen would make $1.5 million this season while playing in the major leagues if he’s added to the 40-man roster, the person said.
McCutchen has three weeks of spring training to show the Rangers he’s worth a spot. They’re well-positioned in the outfield with rising standouts Wyatt Langford in left field and Evan Carter in center field and veteran newcomer Brandon Nimmo in right field.
Still, Carter was limited by injuries to 63 games in 2025, so depth is a concern that McCutchen could help alleviate. His right-handed bat could also serve as a natural complement at the designated hitter spot, where left-handed hitter Joc Pederson is slated for the bulk of the playing time.
McCutchen played the last three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the club that drafted him in the first round in 2005 and promoted him in 2009 for his major league debut. McCutchen played his first nine years in MLB with the Pirates, making five straight All-Star teams and winning the 2013 National League MVP award while becoming one of the most popular players in that franchise’s history.
McCutchen bounced around with four other teams between 2018 and 2022, before reuniting with the Pirates. He played in 135 games last season, with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .700 OPS. When the Pirates reported to spring training last month, general manager Ben Cherington publicly kept the door open to bringing back McCutchen, but the signing of veteran Marcell Ozuna effectively eliminated a spot on their roster for him.
“No matter what, Andrew’s a Pirate and certainly our desire will be to continue to have a really strong relationship with him into the future, whatever that looks like,” Cherington said then.
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
U.S. Postal Service could run out of money within a year
All Aboard the 67, San Francisco’s Most Delayed Bus | KQED
We don’t know why Dallas elected Amber Givens for DA either
Firefight at NW Miami-Dade warehouse enters 2nd day: ‘It burned it all up’
Poor Clares’ monastery a case study in why Boston is short on housing – The Boston Globe
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?
Iran’s fight for survival / The widening war / Trump’s nebulous goals : Sources & Methods
Map: 4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Louisiana
Paxton vows he’s ‘staying in this race’ even if Trump backs Cornyn in Texas GOP clash
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon7 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling