Times-Gazette wins four AP awards

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The Times-Gazette took home four awards Sunday from the annual Ohio Associated Press Media Editors ceremony held in Columbus.

Publisher and Editor Gary Abernathy won first place for Best Columns. He also won second place awards for Best Headline Writer and Best Public Service. Sarah Allen, former reporter for The Times-Gazette who is now a contributor to the newspaper, won second place for Best Graphics Artist.

Judges said that Abernathy’s columns, which also won first place last year, “draw readers’ interest and offer a clever and lighthearted look at local topics.” They said his headlines “are both catchy and provoke reader reaction.” His public service award was for a story examining the foster care crisis in Highland County and the need for more foster homes locally.

Judges said that Allen’s graphics “do their job of helping the reader better understand the story.”

The Times-Gazette competes in Division 1, which includes the largest number of newspapers in the contest, with nearly 40 daily newspapers competing across Ohio. The division is for newspapers with a circulation up to 7,999.

The Times-Gazette is a Civitas Media publication, and overall, Civitas Media newspapers took home 29 awards across three divisions. Among the awards were 10 first place awards, eight second place awards, and 11 third place honors. In addition, The Lima News won third place for General Excellence in Division III, which includes newspapers with a circulation of 13,000 to 19,999.

“Civitas Media newspapers continue to lead the way in excellent journalism across Ohio,” said Nick Monico, vice-president and regional director for Civitas Ohio. “The awards won by our editors, reporters and photographers were for outstanding stories, editorials, columns and photography covering a variety of subjects and a wide range of topics. I’m proud of the work they and others in the Civitas family perform every day to bring our readers comprehensive coverage of the communities we serve.”

First place General Excellence awards for 2015 went to The Columbus Dispatch, The (Canton) Repository, Mansfield News Journal, The (Newark) Advocate and Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.

The Cincinnati Enquirer won the First Amendment Award for outstanding accomplishments in pursuing freedom of information. The Enquirer won for its entry “The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Efforts to Make Police Video Public.”

Seventy-two daily newspapers submitted 2,239 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2015.

Entries were judged by editors from The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Division V; The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, Division IV; the Loveland (Colorado) Reporter-Herald and the Traverse City (Michigan) Record-Eagle, Division III; the San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times and the Niagara-Gazette (Niagara Falls, New York), Division II; The La Porte (Indiana) County Herald-Argus and the Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Division I.

The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States. Members of AP include 85 daily newspapers in Ohio.

The complete list of Division I winners were as follows, with Civitas winners in bold:

General Excellence: 1, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette; 2, Chillicothe Gazette; 3, The (Fremont) News-Messenger.

Best Headline Writer: 1, Michelle Goodman, The Ironton Tribune; 2, Gary Abernathy, The (Hillsboro) Times-Gazette; 3, Chris Balusik, Chillicothe Gazette.

Best Business Writer: 1, Chris Balusik, Chillicothe Gazette; 2, Jeff Barron, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette; 3, Josh Ewers, The Bryan Times.

Best Columnist: 1, Gary Abernathy, The (Hillsboro) Times-Gazette; 2, Chris Balusik, Chillicothe Gazette; 3, Andrea Chaffin, The (London) Madison Press.

Best Editorial Writer: 1, Michael Throne, Chillicothe Gazette; 2, Jim Sabin, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette; 3, J.D. Creer, The Salem News.

Best Feature Writer: 1, Chris Balusik, Chillicothe Gazette; 2, Scott Halasz, Xenia Daily Gazette; 3, Mary Ann Greier, The Salem News.

Best Graphics Artist: 1, Erin O’Neill, The Marietta Times; 2, Sarah Allen, The (Hillsboro) Times-Gazette; 3, Kandi Thompson, The Ironton Tribune.

Best Sports Columnist: 1, David Fong, Troy Daily News; 2, Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette; 3, Rich McGowan, The (Fremont) News-Messenger.

Best Sports Feature Writer: 1, Tom Wilson , Lancaster Eagle-Gazette; 2, Cameron Teague-Robinson, Coshocton Tribune; 3, David Fong, Troy Daily News.

Best Sports Writer: 1, David Fong, Troy Daily News; 2, Josh Brown, Troy Daily News; 3, Scott Halasz, Xenia Daily Gazette.

Best Photographer: 1, Jason Molyet, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum; 2, Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger; 3, Jessica St. James, The Ironton Tribune.

Best News Writer: 1, Spencer Remoquillo, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette; 2, Chris Balusik, Chillicothe Gazette; 3, Matthew Kent, Chillicothe Gazette.

Best Sports Enterprise: 1, Rich McGowan , The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “A Tribute to Rob Lytle”; 2, Rich McGowan, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “On the Right Track”; 3, David Fong, Troy Daily News, “An Inexact Science: Football Recruiting Can be Hit or Miss.”

Best Special Sports Section: 1, Rich McGowan, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Rob Lytle Tribute”; 2, Rich McGowan, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Fall Football Preview 2015”; 3, Xenia Daily Gazette, “Greene County Pathways.”

Best Daily Sports Section: 1, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette; 2, Chillicothe Gazette; 3, The (Fremont) News-Messenger.

Best Illustration or Informational Graphic: 1, Erin O’Neill, The Marietta Times, “Inflatable Safety”; 2, Erin O’Neill, The Marietta Times, “High Hazard Dams”; 3, Matthew Berry, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Buckeye Lake Dam.”

Best News Photo: 1, Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Fire Engulfs House”; 2, Matthew Berry, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Garage Fire”; 3, Matthew Hatcher, The Marion Star, “High Water Closes Roads.”

Best Feature Photo: 1, Jess Grimm, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Mule Races”; 2, Jess Grimm, Chillicothe Gazette, “Junior Fair Night”; 3, Jessica St. James, The Ironton Tribune, “Ha-ha . I Got Grandma Kissing You.”

Best Sports Photo: 1, Matthew Hatcher, The Marion Star, “Flying High”; 2, Matthew Berry, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Fighting for the Pass”; 3, Elise Manahan, Chillicothe Gazette, “State Track.”

Best Photo Story: 1, Elise Manahan, Chillicothe Gazette, “Honor Flight Takes Locals on Flight to Remember”; 2, Matthew Hatcher, The Marion Star, “Alexes Beats Cancer”; 3, Jess Grimm, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “12-Year-Old Girl Competes in Local Mud Bog.”

Best Video: 1, Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Charles Holcomb, World War II Prisoner of War”; 2, Molly Corfman, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Soybean Harvest”; 3, Molly Corfman, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Civil War Reenactment.”

Best Public Service: 1, Spencer Remoquillo, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Pawn Shop Rip-off”; 2, Gary Abernathy, The (Hillsboro) Times-Gazette, “Foster Care: Budget Suffers, Families Needed”; 3, Chillicothe Gazette, “Mayoral Town Hall.”

Best Spot News Coverage: 1, Melanie Yingst, Troy Daily News, “Children Poisoned”; 2, Sara Nealeigh, Chillicothe Gazette, “Sheriff: Alcohol Involved in Shooting”; 3, Spencer Remoquillo and Jess Grimm, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Mudhouse Mansion Demolition.”

Best Explanatory Reporting: 1, Jon Stinchcomb, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Lake Erie Algae Bloom Ongoing Stories”; 2, Spencer Remoquillo and Matthew Berry, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Lithopolis Road Woes”; 3, Chris Balusik, Chillicothe Gazette, “Who’s Cleaning Ross County?.”

Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Nathan Kraatz, Wilmington News Journal, “Heroin From All Sides”; 2, Chris Balusik, Chillicothe Gazette, “Body Cameras Alter Police Landscape”; 3, Brian Bohnert, The (Fostoria) Review Times, “Human Trafficking in Ohio.”

Best Investigative Reporting: 1, Spencer Remoquillo, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Prosecutor’s Office Investigation”; 2, Spencer Remoquillo, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Hamm Investigation”; 3, Craig Shoup, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Sheriff Follows Porn Stars on Twitter.”

Best Full Page Design: 1, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Confession to Murder”; 2, Jim Mackey, The (East Liverpool) Review; 3, Richard Griffis, The Bryan Times, “Marvelous Trip.”

Best Digital Presence: 1, Chillicothe Gazette; 2, Jill Gosche, The (Tiffin) Advertiser-Tribune; 3, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.

Civitas winners in other divisions included the following.

Div. III (circ. 13,000 to 19,999)

The Lima News

Third place, General Excellence.

First place: Jessica Lammers, Best Graphics Artist.

First place: Jim Naveau, Best Sports Columnist.

First place: Jim Naveau, Best Sports Writer.

First place: Danae King, Best Public Service.

Second place: David Trinko, Best Editorial Writer.

Second place: Craig Orosz, Best Photo Story.

Third place: Danae King, Best Business Writer.

Third place: Jim Krumel, Best Columnist.

Third place: Tina Murdock, Best Illustration or Informational Graphic.

Third place: Craig Orosz, Best News Photo.

Third place: Megan Kennedy and Craig Kelly, Best Spot News Coverage.

Div. II (circ. 8,000 to 12,999)

The Sidney Daily News

Second place: Patricia Ann Speelman, Best Feature Writer.

Third place: Luke Gronneberg, Best News Photo.

The (Portsmouth) Daily Times

First place: Chris Slone, Best Sports Enterprise

Among the Civitas Media personnel who attended the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors awards on Sunday in Columbus were, from left: Josh Brown, Troy Daily News; Jim Krumel, The Lima News; Craig Kelly, The Lima News; Luke Gronneberg, Sidney Daily News; Chris Slone, (Portsmouth) Daily Times; Scott Halasz, Xenia Daily Gazette; Jessica Lammers, The Lima News; Patricia Ann Speelman, Sidney Daily News; Andrea Chaffin, The Madison Press; Nathan Kraatz, Wilmington News Journal; Melanie Yingst, Troy Daily News; Gary Abernathy, The (Hillsboro) Times Gazette; David Trinko, The Lima News; David Fong, Troy Daily News; Nick Monico, VP/regional director, Civitas Media.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2016/05/web1_Civitas-Ohio-AP-2016-2.jpgAmong the Civitas Media personnel who attended the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors awards on Sunday in Columbus were, from left: Josh Brown, Troy Daily News; Jim Krumel, The Lima News; Craig Kelly, The Lima News; Luke Gronneberg, Sidney Daily News; Chris Slone, (Portsmouth) Daily Times; Scott Halasz, Xenia Daily Gazette; Jessica Lammers, The Lima News; Patricia Ann Speelman, Sidney Daily News; Andrea Chaffin, The Madison Press; Nathan Kraatz, Wilmington News Journal; Melanie Yingst, Troy Daily News; Gary Abernathy, The (Hillsboro) Times Gazette; David Trinko, The Lima News; David Fong, Troy Daily News; Nick Monico, VP/regional director, Civitas Media. Lora Abernathy|Civitas Media
Civitas Media brings home 29 awards Sunday

The Times-Gazette

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