NWA newspaper wins 11 first-place awards

EUREKA SPRINGS — The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette won first place in general excellence for large daily newspapers Saturday at the annual Better Newspaper contest conducted by the Arkansas Press Association.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette placed second in the category, which is decided on a point system for each first-, second- and third-place honors in 29 other categories.

Members of the Louisiana Press Association judged this year’s APA competition, which drew 1,508 entries from 41 newspapers.

In all, the Northwest Arkansas paper won 11 firstplace, eight second-place, 10 third-place and three honorable-mention awards.

First-place winners for the Northwest Arkansas DemocratGazette and the categories are: Laurinda Joenks, feature story; Rick Fires, sports column; Lisa Kelley, general interest column; Greg Harton, humorous column; Jason Ivester, sports action photograph; Andy Shupe, sports feature photograph; Chris Swindle, graphic design portfolio; online staff, best website; Dave Perozek, Brenda Bernet, coverage of education; Stacy Ryburn, Melissa Gute, coverage of tourism; and Dan Holtmeyer, Doug Thompson, coverage of health.

Second-place winners for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the categories are: Stacy Ryburn, David Gottschalk, Dan Holtmeyer, in- depth series reporting; Chip Souza, sports feature story; Rick Fires, sports column; Greg Harton, editorial; Greg Harton, news/political column; Gary Smith, humorous column; Flip Putthoff, photo essay; and Dan Holtmeyer, Melissa Gute, coverage of business.

Third-place winners for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the categories are: Doug Thompson, news story; Doug Thompson, Christie Swanson, investigative reporting; Ron Wood, beat reporting; Alex Nicoll, freelance writing; Doug Thompson, headline writing; Jason Ivester, feature photograph; Spencer Tirey, sports feature photograph; David Gottschalk, photo essay; Josh Cook, Chris Swindle, best sports page; Chris Swindle, Megan Lewis-Reed, best front page.

Honorable mention went to: Dan Holtmeyer, Tracy Neal, Doug Thompson, in-depth series; Chip Souza, sports news story; and Chip Souza, sports feature story.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette won nine firstplace awards. They are: Scott Carroll, Aziza Musa, Eric Besson, Hunter Field, news story; Lisa Hammersly, Frank Fellone in-depth series reporting; Hunter Field, Amanda Claire Curcio, Jillian Kremer, investigative reporting; Bob Holt, sports news story; Bob Holt, sports feature category; Jerry Butler, freelance; Sandra Tyler, headline writing; Benjamin Krain, photo essay; and John Deering, editorial cartoonist.

Other first-place winners in Northwest Arkansas are: feature story, medium weeklies, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville, Kelby Newcomb; feature story, larger weeklies, Lovely County Citizen, Eureka Springs, Samantha Jones; sports news story, larger weeklies, HeraldSiloam Springs, Graham Thomas; sports feature story, medium weeklies, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville, Ty Loftis.

Also: sports column, medium weeklies, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville, Scott Loftis; news/political column, smaller weeklies, Washington County Enterprise Leader, Lincoln, Maylon Rice; news/political column, larger weeklies, Madison County Record, Huntsville, Preston Tolliver; humorous column, larger weeklies, HeraldSiloam Springs, Devin Houston; freelance writing, small and medium weeklies, Press Argus-Courier, Van Buren, Brittany Ransom; headline writing, smaller weeklies, Washington County Enterprise Leader, Lincoln, Lynn Kutter.

Also: headline writing, larger weeklies, Herald-Leader, Siloam Springs, Eric Burney; news photograph, medium weeklies, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville, Tavi Ellis; news photograph, larger weeklies, Herald-Leader, Siloam Springs, Michael Burchfiel; feature photograph, smaller weeklies, Press Argus- Courier, Van Buren, Kenneth Fry; feature photograph, medium weeklies, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville, David Bell; feature photograph, larger weeklies: Lovely County Citizen, Eureka Springs, Tavi Ellis; sports action photograph, larger weeklies, Herald-Leader, Siloam Springs, Graham Thomas; photo essay, larger weeklies, Madison County Record, Huntsville, Preston Tolliver.

Also: best front page, smaller weeklies, Washington County Enterprise Leader, Lincoln, Monica Hooper; best front page, medium weeklies, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville, Melody Rust and Scott Loftis; best sports page, larger weeklies, HeraldSiloam Springs, Graham Thomas and Eric Burney; best website, all weeklies, Press Argus-Courier, Van Buren, George Clay Mitchell and Jenny McClure; coverage of business smaller weeklies, Washington County Enterprise Leader, Lincoln, Lynn Kutter; coverage of education, larger weeklies, HeraldSiloam Springs, Janelle Jessen; coverage of tourism, smaller weeklies, Press Argus-Courier, Van Buren, Kenneth Fry and Taniah Tudor; coverage of health, smaller weeklies, Washington County Enterprise Leader, Lincoln, Lynn Kutter; coverage of health, larger weeklies, Madison County Record, Huntsville, Madison County Record Staff.

The Carroll County News in Berryville won first in General Excellence for medium weeklies.