The Rockdale Reporter will continue four generations of family operation under the Cooke family, as Ken Esten Cooke and Christine Granados will now be the co-publishers of the newspaper.
“I am thrilled at the opportunity to keep the newspaper in the family as it has been family owned and operated for 107 years,” Cooke said.
Cooke publishes the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post in Fredericksburg, Texas, and Granados is editor of Rock & Vine magazine, published in Fredericksburg, and continues to teach writing courses at the University of Texas-San Antonio.
Cooke previously published The Reporter from 2008 to 2010. His sister Kathy Cooke published the paper from 2010 until her death last year. “Although Christine and I can’t move back to the Rockdale area, readers will be seeing a lot more of us around town. We are actively looking for a general manager to help run the newspaper,” Cooke said.
“The staff at The Reporter have done an outstanding job,” Cooke said of editor Mike Brown, office manager Kelley Zapata, production specialist Shannon Whorton, advertising salesperson Michelle Morgan and Cliff Dungan. “Our family has been lucky to have such a professional and dedicated staff on board.”
“And, of course, we continue to use the guidance of my parents, Publishers Emeritus Bill and Peggy Cooke, who have dedicated almost 60 years to Rock-dale and its newspaper,” Cooke said.
The Reporter will utilize freelance writers for sports coverage, until a general manager can be found.
One immediate change will be seen in the new and improved Gridiron and Fall Preview section. It will be published before the first football game of the season. The tabloid will include a football preview, all fall sports, marching band, cheerleading, and the dance teams from Rock-dale, Thorndale and Milano high schools.
Cooke said he also is looking at additional special publications and updates to current offerings.
“Rockdale has a bright future ahead of it and we are so proud to be able to keep the publication in the family,” he said.
“Our goal is to give Milam County residents the best local news and event coverage in the county,” Granados said. “Just like the operation in Fredericksburg, we are going to try to get as many local names and faces in our newspaper as possible.”
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