Deprecated: Creation of dynamic property ET_Builder_Module_Comments::$et_pb_unique_comments_module_class is deprecated in /home/csmediatexas/murphymonitor/wp-content/themes/Divi/includes/builder/class-et-builder-element.php on line 1425
Collin Fall 2025

Opinion: Twenty-five years of grit and determination

by | Sep 13, 2018 | Opinion

For me, September 14, 1993 is a day to remember. Not only is it my birthday, it is the day that Chad Engbrock, my husband, took over ownership of The Wylie News.

A piece of history was purchased, signifying the end of a decades long reign of newspaper ownership by a community leader and the beginning of entrepreneurship for Chad. He was ready to make his mark as editor and publisher at a community newspaper that dated back to 1948.

Wide-Awake Wylie was a small town back then, just under 9,000 people. Many grew up here and often never left. If you weren’t from Wylie, you were labeled an outsider.

That didn’t matter. Chad had a business to run and playing politics wasn’t something that held his interest.

The original office on Oak Street is long gone, a distant memory of simpler times. With progress came more employees and the need for a bigger space. The office at 110 N. Ballard Avenue was purchased and the News continued to be a bustling hub of information.

Neither the downtown fires in 1998, nor the hailstorm in 2016 caused the paper to miss an edition. A stickler for deadlines, Chad would find a way to get it done.

Technology advanced at a fast pace. Printing techniques, photography and production are not the laborious task they once were. Chad kept pace and refused to be obsolete, making sure the employees had whatever they needed to get the job accomplished efficiently.

Owning a paper in a small town is not for the weak of heart, or those seeking popularity. As a publisher and editor, Chad is passionate about fair and balanced reporting as a responsibility to the News’ readers. One of his first moves as publisher involved eliminating anonymous letters to the editor. They caused controversy and divisiveness. There’s a reason why most papers won’t print them, except of course, The New York Times.

Controversy comes calling whether you want it or not and the News has not been immune.

As the population grew, rooftops and schools were added. When Wylie East High School opened, Chad demanded equal coverage, allocating extra funds to make sure it happened.

Births, deaths, sports and community events have been faithfully recorded for the last 25 years. Thanks to Chad’s partnership with the local library and an area university, past editions of it are archived and available through the Portal to Texas History, a project of the University of North Texas.

Headlines and bylines have changed, employees have come and gone and columnists have been replaced over the years.

There are no long lunch hours, extended vacations, or preferential perks associated with owning a community paper.

Chad’s hands-on approach with the day-to-day operations of The Wylie News have made it possible for the paper to continue its ongoing history book despite adversity and competing media platforms.

Large egos have no place in community newspapers and no job is too big, or too small for a publisher. Council and school board meetings, writing stories, taking photos, giving Boy Scout tours, cleaning toilets, selling ads, repairing computers and whatever else needed to be done, he did.

Nationally, media skepticism and “fake news” may have a place, but not in Wylie, Texas.

Thanks to Chad’s grit and determination, September 14 is a reason to celebrate The Wylie News as a staple in the YOUR community.

As his mantra goes, “Every community deserves the best newspaper it can afford.”

 

For more stories like this see the Sept. 13 issue or subscribe online.

 

By Sonia Duggan • [email protected]

NTMWD 2025

0 Comments

Public Notice - Subscribe

Related News

True Grits

True Grits

Columnist John Moore loves grits. Real grits, that is. Photo John Moore Folks who aren’t from the South invariably aren’t familiar with grits. When they come for a visit, they often twist their eyebrows into a John Belushi-type look after they spot them on their...

read more
Double time

Double time

Columnist John Moore is on a mission to save old timepieces. He needs your help. Photo: John Moore My friend runs a precious metals shop, selling mostly gold and silver. I was there to discuss those very things when a pocket watch caught my eye. An Elgin. My buddy...

read more
A lot on the line

A lot on the line

Columnist John Moore keeps an old rotary phone around. Just in case. Photo by John Moore There are many once-common aspects of the telephone that are now gone. Keep in mind that those born in the 1990s likely have never heard a dial tone, dialed a phone, or talked to...

read more
Clutching the past

Clutching the past

Columnist John Moore learned to drive on a stick shift. He still uses a clutch to operate his tractor. Courtesy John Moore One of the necessities of my youth is now one of your best bets to prevent vehicle theft: a stick shift. I watch a lot of YouTube, and...

read more
Polished

Polished

Columnist John Moore still shines his own shoes. As long as he can find the polish to buy. Courtesy John Moore In some cultures, people wash the feet of guests who arrive at their home. At my parents’ house, I didn’t wash the feet of guests, but I did offer to shine...

read more
The chain gang

The chain gang

Columnist John Moore misses the old chain stores, one of which, Gibson’s, still exists in Kerrville, Texas. Courtesy John Moore Online shopping has turned us into couch potatoes who buy more than we ever used to. Adding items to an imaginary cart and clicking, “Buy...

read more
A free gift inside

A free gift inside

Columnist John Moore eats a lot of jelly, but not for the reason you might think. Courtesy John Moore My sister and I would make a beeline for the cereal aisle at the Piggly Wiggly while my mom did the shopping.  Decisions, decisions. Did we want to roll the dice...

read more
Jumping to conclusions

Jumping to conclusions

Columnist John Moore finds himself a little lost with new technology. Sometimes lost a lot. Courtesy John Moore Folks aren’t counting on each other like we were 50 years ago. And technology is the wedge that’s come between us. Our parents didn’t worry about us much...

read more
Gardens and Grandma

Gardens and Grandma

Columnist John Moore didn’t like gardens as a kid. That’s changed thanks to his grandmothers. Courtesy John Moore As a kid, I hated the vegetable garden. If you stood on our back porch, it was to your left. It took up the entire corner of our large yard. To me,...

read more
Public Notice - Subscribe