The Madison Press a finalist for two Associated Press awards
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Finalists were announced Wednesday in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors’ 2012 newspaper competition.
The awards in actual order of finish — first, second and third places — will be announced at the Ohio APME annual convention May 19 in Columbus. The General Excellence and First Amendment winners also will be announced at the meeting.
Sixty-seven daily newspapers submitted 2,742 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2012.
Entries were judged by editors from The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C., Division V; the Naples (Fla.) Daily News, Division IV; The Paducah (Ky.) Sun and the Newspaper Daily Press Media Group in Newport News, Va., Division III; The Courier, Houma, La., and the Cumberland (Md.) Times-News, Division II; The Herald-Argus, La Porte, Ind., and the Palladium-Item, Richmond, Ind., Division I.
The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,500 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States. Members of AP include 85 daily newspapers in Ohio.
DIVISION I, Newspapers with daily circulation up to 7,900
Best Headline Writer: Jessica Graue, Xenia Daily Gazette; Jim Walker, The Ironton Tribune; Margaret Jones, Wilmington News Journal.
Best Business Writer: Kristina Smith, Port Clinton News-Herald; Michelle Goodman, The Ironton Tribune; Ryan Horns, Marysville Journal-Tribune.
Best Columnist: Gary Abernathy, Hillsboro Times-Gazette; Ryan Horns, Marysville Journal-Tribune; Tom Graser, The Marion Star.
Best Editorial Writer: David Fong, Troy Daily News; Gretchen Gregory, Logan Daily News; Tom Graser, The Marion Star.
Best Feature Writer: Benita Heath, The Ironton Tribune; David Fong, Troy Daily News; Joel Sensenig, The (Fostoria) Review Times.
Best Graphics Artist: Jayla Wallingford, Washington Court House Record Herald; Jessica St. James, The Ironton Tribune; Kandi Thompson, The Ironton Tribune.
Best Sports Columnist: B.J. Lisko, The Salem News; Jim Walker, The Ironton Tribune; Thomas Bradley, Wapakoneta Daily News.
Best Sports Feature Writer: David Fong, Troy Daily News; Jim Walker, The Ironton Tribune; Paul Edgar, The (East Liverpool) Review.
Best Sports Writer: Dan Messerschmidt, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum; Joey Chandler, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum; Paul Edgar, The (East Liverpool) Review.
Best Photographer: Bill Sinden, The Marion Star; Mike Ullery, Piqua Daily Call; Trevor Jones, Coshocton Tribune.
Best News Writer: Benita Heath, The Ironton Tribune; Leslie Gray, Logan Daily News; Trish Bennett, Circleville Herald.
Best Sports Event Coverage: The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Bellevue Football in State Championship Game”; Mark Huber, Wilmington News Journal, “State Champs”; Rob Kiser, Piqua Daily Call, “State Track Meet.”
Best Sports Enterprise: Gregg Rettig, The (London) Madison Press, “Should London, Madison-Plains Stay or Go?”; Vince Guerrieri, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Changing Divisions in High School Sports.”
Best Special Sports Section: Van Wert Times-Bulletin, “The Locker Room – Football”; The (East Liverpool) Review, “High School Football 2012″; Jim Walker, The Ironton Tribune, “Pigskin Preview.”
Best Daily Sports Section: The (East Liverpool) Review; Troy Daily News; Mark Huber, Wilmington News Journal.
Best Informational Graphic: Kandi Thompson, The Ironton Tribune, “Hunger Strike”; Kandi Thompson, The Ironton Tribune, “Report Card Time”; Lori Tuttle, Hillsboro Times-Gazette, “County Has Variety of Fire, EMS Systems.”
Best Illustration: Elizabeth Nihiser, Logan Daily News, “Bremen: From Village to Boomtown”; Jason Smith, The (Fostoria) Review Times, “Holiday Gift Guide”; Jessica St. James, The Ironton Tribune, “Synthetic.”
Best Spot News Photo: Jessica St. James, The Ironton Tribune, “Young and Reckless”; Mike Ullery, Piqua Daily Call, “Bridge Fire”; Trevor Jones, Coshocton Tribune, “Safe and Sound After Rollover.”
Best General News Photo: James Proffitt, Port Clinton News-Herald, “First Day of School”; Jonathon Bird, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Red, White and Blue”; Mike Ullery, Piqua Daily Call, “After the Blaze.”
Best Feature Photo: Elizabeth Nihiser, Logan Daily News, “Stroll With Your Sweetheart”; Elizabeth Nihiser, Logan Daily News, “Knock Knock. Whooo’s There?”; Mike Ullery, Piqua Daily Call, “Body English.”
Best Sports Photo: Bill Sinden, The Marion Star, “North Union Invitational Golf Tournament”; Jim Rinaldi, The (London) Madison Press, “Using Their Heads”; Mike Ullery, Piqua Daily Call, “Leaping Grab.”
Best Photo Essay: Chris Crook, Coshocton Tribune, “Balloon Festival Friday”; James Miller, The Marion Star, “Fighting for Marion’s Safety”; Sara Tobias, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum, “Truck Runs Amok.”
Best Use of Multimedia: Troy Daily News, “The Blitz: Online Edition”; Gary Abernathy, Hillsboro Times-Gazette, “Pierson Murder Case Moves Through Court”; Kristi Murphy, Circleville Herald, “Early Morning Raid Targets 25 Drug Suspects.”
Best Community Service: Kristina Smith, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Hispanics in Sandusky County”; Linda Moody, The (Greenville) Daily Advocate, “Out of the Darkness Series”; Ryan Horns, Marysville Journal-Tribune, “The New Economy.”
Best Special Section: Washington Court House Record Herald, “Unsung Heroes of Fayette County”; Wapakoneta Daily News, “Wink at the Moon”; The Ironton Tribune, “Profile 2012.”
Best Breaking News: The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “MagReTech Fire”; Logan Daily News, “Triple Homicide on SR 664 North”; Kathie Dickerson, Coshocton Tribune, “U.S. 36 Crash Kills One, Injures Another.”
Best Explanatory Reporting: Chike Erokwu, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Sandusky County Court Consolidation”; John Jarvis and James Steven, The Marion Star, “You Decide: City Income Tax Increase”; Mark Tower, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Internet Cafe Series.”
Best Enterprise Reporting: Daniel Carson, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Fremont Reservoir Series”; Kristina Smith, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Overhaul Has Yet to Fix All of Ohio’s School Funding”; Kristina Smith, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Lake Erie Algae Crisis.”
Best Investigative Reporting: Chad Williamson, Marysville Journal-Tribune, “Staff Cuts Shock School District”; James Proffitt, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Rocky Ridge Woes”; John Jarvis, The Marion Star, “Inmate’s Suicide Refreshes Doubts about 1995 Killing.”
Best Full Page Layout: The (East Liverpool) Review; Ashley Fritz, The (Greenville) Daily Advocate, “Issues: Where President Obama Stands”; Konrad Stump, Logan Daily News, “Guilty on All Counts.”
Best Page One Layout: Hillsboro Times-Gazette; The (East Liverpool) Review; Sarah Herbert, Circleville Herald.
Best Online Portfolio: The (East Liverpool) Review; Jan Snyder, Washington Court House Record Herald; Lora Abernathy, Wilmington News Journal.
