Ashley's Cubicle

AmericanPress.com is the Web site of the American Press, Lake Charles, La. The American Press is the flagship newspaper of the Shearman Corporation, which also owns newspapers in Hobbs, N.M., and Trinidad, Colo. The American Press was Southwest Louisiana's first daily newspaper, founded in 1895 under another name. The American Press has had its greatest successes during the Shearmans' half-century of ownership. Its achievements began with the newspaper's crusade in the 1950s against illegal gambling and have since included national and regional awards in all facets of news gathering, Pulitzer Prize nominations for writing and photography and top honors for excellence in advertising. In annual Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press and Louisiana Press Association competitions, the American Press consistently is judged among the best in its class in news, writing, coverage, sports, art and design.