H.R. No. 1921 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, The Monitor, McAllen's daily newspaper, received a number of impressive awards from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors at its 2013 convention, held in San Antonio on April 5-7; and WHEREAS, Each year, the association joins with the Headliners Foundation of Texas to acknowledge outstanding journalism, and the awards are the highest conferred on newspapers at the state level; in its category, the Monitor competed against 16 other newspapers with circulations ranging from 30,000 to 124,999; and WHEREAS, Monitor reporters Jared Taylor and Naxiely Lopez earned top honors for Star Breaking News Report of the Year; the judges cited the excellence of their reporting on a tragic automobile accident that claimed the lives of nine people; and WHEREAS, Monitor news team member Dave Hendricks received two second-place awards, in freedom of information reporting and in specialty reporting; Gabriel Hernandez won second-place recognition in the general news photography and Star Photojournalist of the Year categories, and he also received third place in spot news photography; moreover, David Hinojosa was accorded second place for sports column writing, and Joel Martinez earned honorable mention for sports photography; and WHEREAS, The entire Monitor staff was awarded honorable mention in community service reporting for the paper's "12 Days of Christmas" series, a partnership with the United Way that featured 12 families in need during the month of December; and WHEREAS, Newspapers serve as a vital resource for a well-informed citizenry, and the dedicated journalists of the Monitor are making invaluable contributions to the life of the community; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate the Monitor on its fine showing at the 2013 Texas Associated Press Managing Editors conference and extend to the paper and its award-winning staff sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the paper as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Guerra ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1921 was adopted by the House on May 15, 2013, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House