News-Times reporter gets nod for work
Veteran News-Times reporter Tia Lyons received an award from Preserve Arkansas for “Outstanding Preservation Reporting in the Media” at the Preserve Arkansas Awards Dinner.
The event, which was held at the governor’s mansion in Little Rock on Friday, recognized a variety of individuals, businesses and organizations in Arkansas for their preservation efforts. Little Rock attorney and historian John Gill receive the Parker Westbrook Award for Lifetime Achievement at the event.
News-Times managing editor Caleb Slinkard accepted the award Friday evening on Lyons’ behalf.
“Tia has served the El Dorado and Union County communities for decades now with her accurate and effective reporting,” he said. “She’s a valuable and experienced member of our team. We’re lucky to have her.”
Historic District Commission Executive Director Elizabeth Eggleston has worked with Lyons for more than 20 years as a member of Main Street El Dorado and in her current role.
“Tia has faithfully attended all of our meetings and special called meetings over the years and gives an accurate, unbiased report documenting the commission’s proceedings for posterity and historical documentation,” she said. “Tia brings life to our Historic District Commission meetings through her reporting to the citizens of our community. Since our ‘Certificate of Appropriateness’ is heard during a
public hearing, it is a matter of public record that anyone can access. The discussions and vote are made public through the newspaper articles. Not many citizens make their way to the ‘public meetings’ so this is an informative way to stay current about the exterior projects of the buildings in the commercial historic district.”
Past Historic District Commission chairman and commissioner Dr. Kenneth Bridges, who is also a columnist for the News-Times, wrote in a letter of support that Lyons covers the city beat with “professionalism and integrity.”
“It is because of her efforts in reporting the activities of the Historic District Commission that so much of the community has gotten behind its efforts,” he wrote. “Her coverage has explained how changes in state and federal laws over the years benefit owners of historic properties and highlight the efforts of individuals who have transformed dilapidated building and rehabilitated them to their proper historic glory. She has also covered the histories of neighborhoods and buildings, helping the public understand what is at stake with preservation.
“Ms. Lyons has explained to the public in her reporting the importance of the Historic District Commission’s efforts to create a historic preservation plan from a recent grant and helped alert the public to an effort to demolish an old terminal at El Dorado Municipal Airport. Because of the public outcry stemming from her article, a noted landmark was saved from demolition and upward of $1 million in public funds were saved in the process.”
Other winners included
Tontitown Oral History Project (Excellence in Heritage Preservation); Hotel Hale,
Hot Springs (Excellence in Preservation through Rehabilitation); Taylor House at
Hollywood Plantation, Tillar (Excellence in Preservation through Restoration); City of Little Rock (Outstanding Achievement in Preservation Education); William Hawkins and Dr. John Wheeler, Camden (Outstanding Achievement in Preservation Advocacy); Images of America: Cane Hill (Ned Shank Award for Outstanding Preservation Publication); Michael Gillihan (Excellence in Personal Projects); The Paint Factory, Little Rock (Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive Reuse – Large Scale Development); Bark Bar, Little Rock (Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive Reuse – Small Scale Development); Kerry McCoy, Little Rock (Special Recognition of Outstanding Stewardship); and Robinson Center Renovation and Expansion (Outstanding New Construction in a Historic Setting).