The Fayette County Record
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Record Crowned Top Texas Gulf Coast Newspaper

By News Staff
Record owners Nonnie Barton, left, and Regina Keilers, right, hold aloft the Sweepstakes trophy after The Fayette County Record was crowned the top large circulation newspaper by The Texas Gulf Coast Press Association at their annual convention in Port Lavaca Saturday.
Record reporter Andy Behlen shows off the Texas Gulf Coast Press Association Reporter of the Year award he won Saturdday for a collection of stories he wrote in 2025, and his South Texas Press Association Photographer of the Year Award he won for a collection of photos he took in 2025.
Nonnie Barton, of The Fayette County Record, center, was inducted into the Texas Gulf Coast press Association’s Hall of Honor Friday, by Sue Brown, left, of The Texas Press Association, and Mary Judson, right, of The Port Aransas South Jetty newspaper.

Andy Behlen Named Reporter of the Year by TGCPA & Photographer of the Year in South Texas

The Fayette County Record hauled home a bunch of awards from newspaper contests held at the 100th annual South Texas Press Association (STPA) and the 88th annual Texas Gulf Coast Press Association (TGCPA) conventions last week in Port Lavaca.

The Record won the sweepstakes award from The Gulf Coast Press Association in the large circulation category, placing higher in more categories than any other newspaper.

Andy Behlen of The Record was also named TGCPA’s Journalist of the Year, and The Photographer of the Year by the South Texas Press Association.

Also at the convention, Nonnie Barton, part of the Barton family which has owned the Record for 50 years, was inducted into the TGCPA’s Hall of Honor for her longtime service to the organization. She has served as the TGCPA treasurer for the last several years. Though now living in Richmond, she still works as a bookkeeper for the Record.

Here’s a look at the other awards The Record won in the TGCPA contest, which was for work done in 2025 and judged by members of the North and East Texas Press Associations: First Place Special Section: For last year’s Wedding Guide

First Place Humorous Columns: For work by Jeff Wick

First Place News Writing: For work byAndy Behlen First Place Advertising Design: For work by John Castaneda First Place Feature Photos: For a collection of work by Jeff Wick

First Place Sports Coverage: For work done by Jeff

Wick

Second Place Email newsletter: For our Record Breaking morning newsletter

Second Place Headline Writing: For work done by Jeff Wick

Third Place General Excellence: For entire issues judged as a whole

Third Place Serious Column Writing: For work by Jeff Wick

Third place Sports Photos: For work byAndy Behlen and Jeff Wick

Honorable Mention Feature

Writing: For work done by Jeff Wick andAndy Behlen Here’s a look at the awards won by The Record at the STPA Better Newspaper Contest. In the STPA Sweepstakes race, The Record was second in the large circulation category, behind Fredericksburg. Again, this work was done in 2025.

The contest was judged by the Texas Center for Community Journalism at Tarleton State University.

First Place Feature Photos: For work done by Jeff Wick

First Place Feature Writing: For work done by Andy Behlen and Jeff Wick

First Place Headline Writing: For work by Jeff Wick First Place Sports Coverage: For work by Jeff Wick Second Place Special Section: For last year’s Wedding Guide Second Place Lifestyle Pages: For a collection of work by John Castaneda Second Place Humorous Column Writing: For work by Jeff Wick Second Place Email Newsletter: For our Record Breaking morning newsletter Third Place Sports Photos: For work byAndy Behlen and Jeff Wick

Third Place News Writing: For work byAndy Behlen Third Place Serious Columns: For work by Jeff Wick Fourth Place Advertising

Design: For work by John Castaneda

Fourth Place Editorial Writing: for work by Jeff Wick

Fourth Place News Photos: For work byAndy Behlen Fourth Place Page Design: For a collection of section fronts

Special Section