TITLE: Honoring Laurie Ezzell Brown for her accomplishments as editor and publisher of the Canadian Record.

SUMMARY: Honoring Laurie Ezzell Brown for her accomplishments as editor and publisher of the Canadian Record.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown, editor and publisher of the Canadian Record,has announced that this venerable newspaper is suspending operations in March 2023, and this development provides a fitting opportunity to honor Ms. Brown's exceptional work in guiding the publication; and WHEREAS, Established in 1893, the Canadian Record was purchased by Ms. Brown's parents, Ben and Nancy Ezzell, in the 1940s; the paper gained renown through bold investigative reporting and strong editorial stances, as well as the chronicling of local events in Hemphill County; Ms. Brown became editor upon the death of her father in 1993 and sole publisher when her mother retired in 2010; building on a legacy of excellence, she has overseen the Record 's watchful coverage of the daily workings of government, and like her father, a member of the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame, she has not shied from addressing controversial topics of public interest; and WHEREAS, The Canadian Record has received myriad accolades, including the 2007 Tom and Pat Gish Award from the University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which acknowledged the paper's courage, tenacity, and integrity in journalism; Ms. Brown has earned personal recognition from such organizations as the Panhandle Press Association in numerous categories, from spot news photography to column writing, and in 2009, she was inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame; in 2022, she garnered the Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership from the Texas Press Association; and WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. Brown has given generously of her time and expertise to support good journalism across the state; she has served as president of both the TPA and PPA, and she has been active in the West Texas Press Association; moreover, she has worked to raise national awareness of the challenges facing rural newspapers; that mission has been elevated through the release of the documentary For the Record,which premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Montana in February 2023; it follows Ms. Brown's battle to secure the future of the newspaper after her retirement; while her efforts to find a new owner for the Record are ongoing, she has announced that the paper is closing its doors until a buyer can be found; and WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown has devoted her career to the vital task of informing and enlightening her fellow citizens, and as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, she may indeed reflect with pride on her wide-ranging contributions; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby honor Laurie Ezzell Brown for her accomplishments as editor and publisher of the Canadian Record and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Brown as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. King of Hemphill Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 528 was adopted by the House on March 16, 2023, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House