.jpg)
DFW AIRPORT — The Colorado County Citizen won recognition this past weekend for journal ism excellence and high standards of reporting in the 2025 Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
Presentation of the awards took place on the last day of the Texas Newspaper Association’s annual Convention & Trade Show, held June 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport.
According to TPA officials, 103 member newspapers submitted 1,020 entries encompassing stories or other content published in 2025. The impartial Washington Newspapers Publishers Association handled the judging across 10 divisions grouped by frequency and circulation.
The Citizen is owned by Granite Media Partners Inc., a 50-year-old Texas news and marketing company that operates or manages publications stretching from East Texas to the Big Bend area. “The Citizen’s performance in the statewide contest continues to show our commitment to rigorous reporting, adherence to the facts and telling our audience what happened, not what to think,” said Thomas Edwards, executive editor of Granite. “Our ultimate goal is to keep our communities informed without fear or favor dictating our efforts.”
Alesia Woolridge, Interim Area Editor for The Colorado County Citizen and Sealy News, echoed Edwards’ sentiment.
“Our First Amendment guarantees us five foundational freedoms as Americans. We have an obligation to our communities to hold our local governments accountable, to report information in a timely and accurate manner, and to tell the stories that are important to the communities we serve. I’m proud of this news team,” Woolridge said.
The Citizen’s awards included:
- 1st Place Page Design
- 3rd Place Advertising
- 3rd Place General Excellence
- 4th Place Editorial
- 4th Place Sports Coverage
- 4th Place Sweepstakes
The editorial staff for the Citizen and the Sealy News includes Woolridge, area reporter Allison Drinnon and sports editor Evan Hale. Richard Davis and Roneshia Thomas are the Citizen’s page designers.
“After joining the staff halfway through the year, I have fallen in love with local community news reporting and have learned so much,” Drinnon said. “I cannot wait to see how we improve and expand our coverage and connections throughout 2026.”
“I am proud and honored to take home fourth place in sports coverage at the TPA award ceremony,” Hale said. “I will strive to be better next year and will continue to deliver strong sports coverage for the Colorado County area.”
Other staff members include area publisher Tressa Alley, sales support associate Lydia Tello, office manager Chrystal Ross and sales support manager Mary Lou Loehr. The papers delivery team includes Calvin Harris and Donovan Alley.
“This newspaper has been here for a long time, and I’m privileged to contribute to its legacy and to the community,” Alley said. “Local support fuels this paper, so thank you to those who have subscribed and advertised.”
According to TPA officials, Granite publications overall claimed more than 40 statewide awards, including five first-place commendations. Some of the awards lauded the company’s continuing expansion into digital platforms.
TPA, founded in 1880, is dedicated to advocating for the welfare of Texas newspapers, “encourages higher standards of journalism and plays an important role in protecting the public’s right to know as an advocate of First Amendment liberties,” according to its website.
The organization represents 328 paid circulation newspapers — 40 dailies and 288 non-dailies.
