About Us & Our Policies

Covering Katy News provides accurate and truthful information relevant to the lives of people in the Katy and Fulshear areas. As Katy's pioneering all-digital news source, we were the first to recognize and embrace how technology was changing the way people consume local news. While others remained tied to print, we launched in 2011 as an exclusively online publication, understanding that our readers wanted immediate access to news on their computers and mobile devices.

We boldly defend our readers' right to know information that affects their lives and provide stories that enrich our community.

We present information fairly and accurately, offer a voice for the people, promote community events, recognize achievements and provide publicity for nonprofit organizations devoted to making life better for those in need.

We strive to be a trusted source of local information and advertising content that is useful and valuable to the readers we serve.

About our Founder

Founded by award-winning journalist Dennis Spellman, Covering Katy News leverages digital publishing to deliver news as quickly as broadcast media.

Spellman's fascination with broadcasting began early, leading to his first broadcasting job as a high school student, working as a producer and audio engineer for AM 1270 WTSN in his hometown of Dover, New Hampshire. His broadcast career continued to flourish in Houston, where he worked at KTRH News Radio, KIAH Channel 39 and News 92 FM.

Before moving to Texas, he served as anchor of the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news for WMTW Channel 8 and as morning anchor and news director for Heritage AM news-talk radio station 560 WGAN in Portland, Maine. Both stations were recognized as the leading broadcast news organizations in Maine's largest city.

In October 2022, Spellman accepted the position of media relations and external engagement manager for Fort Bend County Precinct 3. He has held similar roles with the Houston Housing Authority and the Houston Independent School District.

Spellman and his family live in Katy's Cinco Ranch neighborhood, surrounded by neighbors from all over the world who were drawn to suburban Houston, the energy capital of the world. He strives to provide stories relevant to those living in one of the nation's most diverse communities.

Known for distilling complex information into easily understood stories, Spellman has earned multiple first-place Associated Press awards for his journalism and led WGAN Radio's news division to Station of the Year honors under Saga Communications' ownership. His reporting has aired nationally on CBS and ABC radio networks, CNN and Tribune TV.

As a breaking news reporter, he has covered every major weather event to hit the Texas Gulf Coast since 2000, including Tropical Storm Allison and hurricanes Rita, Ike, Dolly and Harvey. Before moving to Texas, he reported on hurricanes, blizzards and ice storms in the Northeast, providing critical information to millions during times of crisis.

His courtroom experience includes coverage of numerous criminal trials, from high-profile criminal cases to major corporate corruption prosecutions.

We invite you to visit our website daily for frequent news updates.

Privacy Policy

Covering Katy News | CoveringKaty.com

Effective Date: April 5, 2026

Covering Katy News ("we," "us," or "our") operates CoveringKaty.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices regarding your information. By using our Site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

a. Information You Provide Voluntarily

If you contact us via email, submit a news tip, or interact with us through a contact form, we may collect your name, email address, and any other information you choose to provide.

b. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, certain information is collected automatically, including:

  • Your IP address and approximate geographic location
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on each page
  • Referring website (how you arrived at our Site)

2. Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC ("Google"), to help us understand how visitors use our Site. Google Analytics uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to collect standard internet log information and visitor behavior data. This information is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States.

Google Analytics collects data such as:

  • How many people visit our Site and which pages they view
  • How long visitors spend on the Site
  • What website referred visitors to our Site
  • General geographic location (country/city level)

We use this data solely to improve our editorial content and understand our readership. We do not use Google Analytics to collect personally identifiable information. Google's use of your data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy, available at policies.google.com/privacy.

You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

3. Cookies

Our Site uses cookies to improve your experience and help us analyze site traffic. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. We use the following types of cookies:

  • Analytics cookies: Set by Google Analytics to track usage patterns as described above.
  • Advertising cookies: Set by advertising partners to help deliver relevant ads (see Section 4).

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some features on our Site.

4. Advertising

Covering Katy News is funded entirely by local advertising. We display ads from local businesses on our Site. Some advertisements may be served by third-party advertising partners who may use cookies or similar technologies to serve ads based on your browsing activity across websites. We do not control the data collection practices of third-party advertisers. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party advertisers whose ads appear on our Site.

Covering Katy News does not sell advertising space based on your personal data, and advertisers do not have access to personally identifiable information collected through our Site.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected to:

  • Analyze and improve the content we produce for our readers
  • Understand reader interests and geographic distribution
  • Respond to news tips, questions, and correspondence
  • Ensure our Site functions properly across devices and browsers

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

6. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to external websites, including government agencies, local businesses, social media platforms, and other news organizations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external site you visit.

7. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is a general-audience news publication and is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through our Site, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable precautions to protect information submitted to us. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of any information you provide.

9. Your Choices

You have the following choices regarding your data:

  • Opt out of Google Analytics: Use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
  • Manage cookies: Adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies
  • Contact us: Request deletion of any personally identifiable information you have submitted to us

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our Site following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Covering Katy News

CoveringKaty.com

Email: dennis@coveringkaty.com

Katy, Texas

Covering Katy News is independently owned and operated. We are funded solely by local advertising with no outside investors or government funding.