U.S. Rep. Keith Self pays tribute to Herald-Banner's Brad Kellar

Jul. 27—When United States Representative for Texas' 3rd District Keith Self spoke on the House floor Tuesday, he gave remarks in memory of longtime Herald-Banner reporter Brad Kellar.

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a pillar of the Hunt (and Rockwall) County community," Self began. "In a world full of media pundits and talking heads, Brad Kellar was a journalist in every sense of the word. There is a void, left by Brad's passing."

As Self continued with his tribute, he borrowed heavily from the Herald-Banner's previous tribute to Brad.

"In the hearts and minds of people across Hunt County, the Herald-Banner newspaper and Brad Kellar were one and the same, and the two names were used interchangeably for the 30 years that he served his community as a tireless reporter of news stories, both big and small," Self said.

"Even more important than his work ethic, though, were the relationships Brad built and the trust he earned through the care he put into his reporting but also through his kind, affable nature," he added. "Many Hunt County residents came to know him as a friend and his readers enjoyed the collective giggles and groans brought on by Brad's predictably corny puns and self deprecating jokes."

Self also included descriptions of Brad given by his wife, Vida.

"Brad's beloved wife Vida said that he was loved and that he touched a lot of people. He loved his job, he loved writing, he loved the art of making a story, and he loved the people of Greenville, and could find good in just about anyone."

The House session in which Self spoke about Brad was broadcast live on C-SPAN and on the U.S. House of Representative's website, www.live.house.gov. An archived video of the session can now be viewed online at https://live.house.gov/?date=2023-07-25. The timestamp for Rep. Self's tribute to Brad is 24:23-28:28.