2009 S.C. Press Association News Contest Winners

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Daily Division

JOHN O’CONNOR GOVERNMENT REPORTER THE STATE

John joined The State in 2003 as a reporter covering Lexington County government. Two years later he moved to the politics, budget and tax beat on The State’s Governance reporting team.

His work includes coverage of Gov. Mark Sanford’s disappearance and extramarital affair, the debate and court case over adding federal stimulus money to the South Carolina state budget, the 2008 presidential primaries, the on-going debate about raising the nation’s lowest cigarette tax and the 2006 push for property tax relief.

John is a native of Ellicott City, Maryland, and previously covered the Maryland General Assembly for The(Maryland) DailyRecord, a business and legal newspaper. He is a 1999 graduate of Allegheny College and earned a master’s in journalism from the University of Maryland-College Park in 2002.

He has previously won SCPA awards for team coverage of the 2005 Graniteville train crash and chemical spill and a 2004 medical helicopter crash.

Weekly Division

BILL WEST

SENIOR EDITOR

LEXINGTON COUNTY CHRONICLE & THE DISPATCH-NEWS

Bill West has been a well-known and face and voice in television and radio journalism in South Carolina, but his heart was always been in newspaper journalism. Despite severe health problems that would have forced most of us to retire, Bill has continued to serve South Carolina journalism through a long career as editor of the Dispatch-News in Lexington and now as columnist and senior editor at the LexingtonCountyChronicle

His varied background includes positions as Metro Editor for the Greenville Piedmont , News Director for WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, Rome Bureau Chief for WXIA-TV in Atlanta, and Western North Carolina Bureau Chief for WSOC-TV in Charlotte as well as news director for radio stations in the two Carolinas. West was Editor for TheDispatch-Newsin the in Lexington and for the past three years has served as Senior Editor for the award winning LexingtonCountyChronicle

His passion for the print industry led him to serve on the staff at the South Carolina Press Association as an advertising sales leader and editor of SCPA’s Bulletin.

At age 70, fighting some mobility problems as a result of two strokes, he continues to turn in front-page caliber and award-winning stories, and human interest reports that help explain why there is much to be grateful for during a period of economic downturn.

Passion, persistence and persuasion is evident in his writing and he does not mind tackling the issues that matter to his two favorite readers, John and Mary Doe. “I want them to feel like they know about the events in their world that matter the most to them.”

“I wasn’t called to the pulpit, but to the press. And the past 50 years has been a blessing I will never forget,” West says.

REID MONTGOMERY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AWARDS

Daily Winner

We had a surprising number of top-drawer entries this year and that made it difficult to pick a winner because several were strong enough to merit first place. But one stood out nonetheless. This year’s Reid Montogmery FOI Award winner probably didn’t go looking for access fights every day, but they were confronted by a myriad of opportunities, and they met the challenges. They used the FOI law to get documents related to Gov. Mark Sanford’s travel to see his mistress, they scrapped with a caustic new director of SLED over his spending, they examined conditions at nursing homes, they battled to get police dashboard video of a councilwoman’s DUI arrest, they challenged a school board’s denial of information and they butted heads with law enforcement over limited access to crime reports. Every item on their access “to-do” list was met forcefully with strong reporting, pointed editorials and perseverance. The Charleston Post and Courier, even in these hard economic times for newspapers, showed they’re not to be trifled with when it comes to government access. They, without question, set the standard this year.

Weekly Winner

This was a gutsy effort, especially in a small town, for a newspaper to challenge the police over redacting victim’s names. The Fort Mill Times combined good reporting, editorial page leverage, and face time with the police chief — all to good advantage. This is an issue confronting many South Carolina newspapers and The Fort Mill Times’ actions serve as a good game plan for others faced with similar problems.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR DAILY FOI AWARD

The Herald-Journal also deserves honorable mention credit for taking to task a local school board that cut a sweetheart deal with a private country club to pay $300,000-plus so students could play golf there, and they did this without giving proper notice that this was on their agenda. The attorney general sided with the newspaper and issued an opinion that should benefit all South Carolina newspapers.

The South Carolina Press Association and its members also thank Anderson Independent-Mail for printing this special publication. Production credit goes to Michael Ball, Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch-News. Alabam Press Association members judged the 2009 News Contest.

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Tony Barteleme, “Alzheimer’s and Violence”

Judge’s Comments: “The growing problem of violent Alzheimer’s patients was captured perfectly in this beautifully written story that focused on the death of journalist Dwayne Walls. Walls, the nomination letter said, ‘was known for his love of narrative writing.’ It’s obvious Barteleme also loves narrative writing and does it well.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Katy Stech, “State botched chance for aid”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Prentiss Findlay, “Daughter was ‘doing so good’ under center’s care”

DAILY DIVISION

75,000 & Over

News Headline Writing

FIRST: The State, Linda H. Lamb, “Give ‘em an inch –they’ll take a smile,” “Take this job and love it,” “Songs in the key of faith produce a chorus of thanks” Judge’s comments: “Witty, creative. Headlines rise above all other entries.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Tony Brown, “Red snapper might be off the hook,” “ Casting call,” “Spear fishing a sore point”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Elizabeth Anderson, “Rice makes hall of fame after 14 strikeouts,” “Obese fee revised to give fitness more weight,” “Dealers fear clunkers might backfire on them”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The State, Noelle Phillips, “Gun culture of South Carolina” Judge’s comment: “Well researched and written. Easy to read, informative.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Doug Pardue, “Pulling the plug on Pee Dee plant”

THIRD: The State, Otis R. Taylor Jr. and Adam Beam, “Michael Phelps party”

Feature Writing

FIRST: The State, Dawn Hinshaw, “A nice little life” Judge’s comment: “A wonderful glimpse into Brandon’s life.”

SECOND: The State, Carolyn Click, “Monks move on to mushrooms”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Glenn Smith “I’m going to walk”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Glenn Smith, “Anita’s last chance”

Judge’s comment: Beautiful story about a tragedy. Writer makes Anita not just a statistic, letting readers know she was a woman who had loved ones, dreams... someone who will be missed.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Bo Petersen, “One astonishing life”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Lillia Callum-Penso, “The Night of broken glass”

Short Story

FIRST: The State, Dawn Hinshaw, “He was all heart” Judge’s comment: “Fine reporting, tight writing. A touching story about life fully lived, despite obstacles.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Prentiss Findlay, “Woman mauled by dog”

THIRD: The State, Otis R. Taylor Jr., “Real Talent”

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Brian Hicks, “Town can profit off of identity,” “Sensational drama unfolding in courtroom,” “We wish you well Savannah” Judge’s comment: “These three columns made me chuckle –that’s the point, right? –while the barbs made their points. Brian also demonstrated an important skill in ‘Sensational drama unfolding in the courtroom’ – he let a funny story tell itself. Generally his writing is straightforward and spare, something more writers should emulate.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Frank Wooten, “Ignore global-warming at your monstrous peril,” “Even commoners have devine right to vanquish varmints,” “Insanity beats civility, Oh, yeah, who says?”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Jeanne Brooks, “Sometimes we feast on camel,” “Not cut out for virtual farming”

Public Service for Daily Newspapers

FIRST: The Greenville News, “Sanford Investigation” Judge’s comment: “A gangbuster story, well reported with consideration for governor’s family but pulling no punches. Compelling coverage of a situation which left not just a family but a whole state in shock and confusion.”

SECOND: The State, “DHEC Under fire” THIRD: The Post and Courier, “Failing our students”

Spot News Photo

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm, “Total Loss” Judge’s comment: “Exhaustion, frustration, being overwhelmed: and the emotions show because photographer waited for the picture and readers were rewarded with great visual report.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Alan Hawes “Family loses home”

THIRD: The State, Gerry Melendez “On wings and a Prayer”

HONORABLE MENTION:The State, C. Aluka Berry “Ultimate Betrayal”

General News Photo

FIRST The State, Tim Dominick, “Save the dream” Judge’s comment: The toughest category so far. Tim Dominick found a way to drive home the mortgage crisis numbers with a clean, tight photograph.

SECOND The State, Erik Campos, “Sanford e-mail”

THIRD: The State, Tim Dominick, “No small feat”

HONORABLE MENTION: The Post and Courier, Brad Nettles, “I’m sorry”

Feature Photo

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm, “Flying Dog” Judge’s comment: This picture made me ask more questions than it answered. A stopper that brought me into the paper.

SECOND: The State, Kim Kim Foster-Tobin, “Store on Wheels”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Alan Hawes, “A moving symphony”

HONORABLE MENTION: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Casting Shadows”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The State, Erik Campos, “A Thriller” Judge’s comment: Good sports photographers anticipate the action– Erik Campos’ picture does that and transfers that anticipation to the reader– Excellent picture.

SECOND: The State, Erik Campos, “Down and Out”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Bart Boatwright, “Diving Catch”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: The State, C. Aluka Berry, “Player’s Prayer” Judge’s comment: Nice subtle picture that could easily been missed – But C. Aluka Berry was paying attention.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Heap of Happiness”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Mississippi Monsoon”

Personality Photograph or Portrait

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Honors for a Veteran” Judge’s comment: “Wade Spees’ portrait is intense and under stated – played correctly in the paper.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Alan Hawes, “Lodge Veteran”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Heidi Heilbrunn, “Remembering D-Day”

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: The State, Gerry Melendez, “A Shared Dream” Judge’s comment: “Raw, rugged; this picture story gave an excellent look at a boxing gym — A stand out in a tough category.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Alan Hawes, “Training for War”

THIRD: The State, Gerry Melendez, “The Gun Culture of South Carolina”

HONORABLE MENTION: The State, Gerry Melendez, “The doctor is in”

Photo Illustration

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “New Flavors” Judge’s comment: “Simple, to the point, made me look! Straight to the idea of the story.”

SECOND: The State, Meredith Sheffer, “Geography Lessons”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Gill Guerry, “Alzheimer’s and violence”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: The State, Noelle Phillips, “Black Friday Frenzy” Judge’s comment: “Phillip’s description put the reader in line with the people waiting for a deal. She used such detail (including the number of pages in a book) that she truly showed us what was going on. Nice Work.”

SECOND: The State, Megan Sexton, “Grass-roots Gardener”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Brian Hicks, “ As one life begins”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: The State, John O’Connor, “Governor’s Office, S.C. Budget, S.C. Politics” Judge’s comment: “O’Connor’s digging after the Sanford scandal broke – particularly the “Sanford Calendars” – was outstanding. His coverage of the stimulus standoff and the state budget crisis gave S.C. voters more than enough ammo should they decide to hold their public officials accountable.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, David Slade, “Government”

THIRD: The State, Adam Beam, “Columbia City Hall”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: The Greenville News, Anna Simon, “PCBs in the lake” Judge’s comment: “Ms. Simon’s coverage of pollution in Lake Hartwell was not only a well-written and well-reported contest entry, it was a clear victory for those who would write off newspapers. It was strong, important, “comfort-the-afflicted” stuff, and made a real difference in the community.”

SECOND: The Greenville News, Ben Szobody, “Offenses by Department of Disabilities and Special Needs”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Bo Petersen, “Murder at Thar Thar”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Greenville News, Bob Castello, “Upstate fans bask in major title”

Judge’s comment: “Good reporting. Lots of hustle to track down so many voices.”

SECOND: The Greenville News, Bob Castello, “Clay enjoys real senior moment”

THIRD: The State, Seth Emerson, “Wham, Bam, Zam”

Sports Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The State, Akilah Imani Nelson, “Fortunate son” Judge’s comment: “Interesting to read about what people from Haynesworth’s hometown think about his pro football contract. This relationship between pros and their past is relevant more than ever, and the story helps readers understand that relationship.”

SECOND: The State, Bob Gillespie, “History runs deep”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Travis Sawchik, “Death Valley a ‘cathedral’ steeped in school history”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: The State, Akilah Imani Nelson, “Reluctant superstar”

Judge’s comment: “Excellent read. Best in a very strong category.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Gene Sapakoff, “Lord of the ring”

THIRD: The State, Neil White, “For love of the game”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The State, Ron Morris, “Flag remains a distraction for sports,” “Football’s ride fails to lift others,” “Byrnes brings unneeded college feel”

Judge’s comment: “Strong opinion. Good topics, if not always most popular stances.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Gene Sapakoff, “Please don’t feed the journalists,” “The grandest structure in sports,” “Why the Dolphins are my favorite team”

THIRD: The State, Bob Gillespie, “Tiger vs. Phil,” “Timely pairing boosts PGA’s visibility,” “Defense: the missing ingredient”

Page One Design

FIRST: The State, Tracy Burlison, “Sanford unplugged,” “Nobel Prize,” “Rebel yelp”

Judge’s comment: “Each page design looks very tailored to the content and very well executed. The designer kept the design clean and easy to navigate, while packing in a lot of information and entry points for the reader. And while each page looks different, the designer has well maintained the paper’s brand.”

SECOND: The State, Meredith Sheffer, “Potter,” “We begin again,” “Nine for 09”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Tim Thorsen, “Still burning,” “Where were you,” “Hugo 20 years later”

Page Design

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Tim Thorsen, “Grand Stand ablaze”

Judge’s comment: “Excellent breaking news package. Informative and eye-catching.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Marcus Amaker, “Preview: Bound and Determined”

THIRD: The State, Elizabeth M. Smith, “The art of fruitcake”

Feature Page Design

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Laura Joyce Gough, “On the fly,” “Women in religion,” “Urban oasis” Judge’s comment: “Clean and easy to read with attention to detail. The image selection and placement make these pages eye catching and easy to navigate. The use of white space is executed well and offers a nice balance to each page.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Chad Dunbar, “Give beets a chance,” “Perk up and chill out,” “Blue heaven” THIRD: The Post and Courier, Betsy Miller, “Day lillies,” “Finance,” “Indulge for less”

Sports Page Design

FIRST: The State, Meredith Sheffer, Judge’s comment: “Creative, informative, eye-catching design.”

SECOND: The State, Craig McHugh

THIRD: The State, Rodrigo Posada

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: The State; John O’Connor, Gina Smith, Clif LeBlanc, Wayne Washington, Roddie Burris, Leroy Chapman, and Erik Campos; “Sanford e-mails outline his affair” Judge’s comment: “Wall-to-wall coverage of a breaking news story with national implications.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier; Tony Barteleme, Warren

Wise, Schuler Kropf, Allyson Byrd, Jessica Johnson, Andy Paras and Bo Peterson; “Grand Strand ablaze”

THIRD: The Greenville News; Ben Szobody, Ron Barnett, Tim Smith and Randolph Bell; “Scandal rocks state”

Business Reporting

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Allyson Bird, “Maersk announcement – Damage Control” Judge’s comment: “The five stories that Bird included weren’t just about big business stories, but about the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to the deals being made – or in some cases, not being made. The stories are well-reported, well-crafted and interesting even to readers not usually interested in business.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Warren Wise, “Even exchange”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Jenny Munro, “New BMW jobs may kick start economy”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Ken Burger, “Raised by a hundred mothers” Judge’s comment: “Burger’s writing is crisp, clear and enticing. He evokes a time and place that older readers can identify with, while making the essence of that timeclear to readers not from that time or place.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Brian Hicks, “High price of higher ed”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Beth Padgett, “This one’s worse than the pigs”

Series of Articles

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Staff, “Surviving Recession”

Judge’s comment: “This series drilled down into the lives of people affected by the recession and told the touching stories of how they are coping.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Diette Courrege, “Failing our students”

THIRD: The State, Chuck Crumbo, “SC lifeline to Afghanistan”

Web site

FIRST, The State, www.thestate.com

Judge’s comment: “This is a well-organized and active newspaper Web site. Visually appealing with lots of content, but well organized so it’s not too overwhelming.”

SECOND, The Post and Courier, www.postandcourier.com

THIRD: The Greenville News, www.greenvilleonline.com

Integration of Print and Web Coverage

FIRST: The Post and Courier, “Hurricane Hugo: 20 Years Later”

Judge’s comment: “Excellent Job! The tools of the trade work together in a beautiful blend to communicate the past and present association of this catastrophic event, revealing the strength of the community that lived it!”

SECOND: The State, “Hugo”

THIRD, The Post and Courier, “Suspicious fires in downtown Charleston”

Photo Gallery on a Newspaper Web site

FIRST: The Greenville News, Heidi Heilbrunn, “Brush fire flares up”

Judge’s comment: “Very good composition.”

SECOND: The Greenville News, Heidi Heilbrunn “WWII vets return from Honor Flight”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “We Are One Inauguration Concert”

Online Video

FIRST: The State, Andrew Haworth, “Cowboy Action Shooting”

Judge’s comment: “The camera work, editing and comments from the participants really made this video stand out.”

SECOND: The Greenville News, Mandrallius Robinson, “Man-Up: Greer’s offensive line”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm and Sarah Bates, “Parasailing grandmother Pauline Sherman”

DAILY DIVISION

26,000 to 75,000

News Headline Writing

FIRST: The Sun News, Dan Golden, ‘The way the music died,” “Loan woes reach God’s house,” “Waste not, want not” Judge’s comment “Great headlines lure reader into wanting to know more, Great job!”

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Jeff Holsinger, “CDC,” “Council shoots down gun control,” “Incentives the hook to businesses”

THIRD: The Herald, Amber May, “March roars in,” “Teachers rope kids in,” “End of line (dancing)”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Craig Peters, “Who’s got their back?” Judge’s comment: “Well researched and written story about an important subject. Well done.”

SECOND: The Herald, Christy Mullins, “Teen’s drug of choice”

THIRD: The Sun News, David Wren, “Hospitals chase debt”

Feature Writing

FIRST: The Herald, Shawn Cetrone, “St. Anne honored as first...”

Judge’s comment: “Nice job taking the reader back to a different era through the stories of those connected to St. Anne’s.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Aliana Ramos, “Baby steps back to life”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Charmaine SmithMiles, “They have to help”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The Sun News, Lorena Anderson, “Goodbye gum gunk”

Judge’s comment: “Cleverly written story on a job that easily be overlooked. Great subject.”

SECOND: The Herald, Andrew Dys, “Bullets can’t stop Ida” THIRD: Herald-Journal, Janet S. Spencer, “Gaffney actor has taken his final bow”

Short Story

FIRST: Morning News, Dwight Dana, “Self-made man” Judge’s comment: “Dana does a great job of character development in short. Well-sketched story...sure does”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Craig Peters, “Rabid coyote attacks girl”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Lee G. Healy, “Manna from heaven?”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST, Herald-Journal; Lee G. Healy, Lynne Shackleford, Robert Dalton and Luke Connell; “Spartanburg School District Finances”

Judge’s Comments: “The paper broke the story of a school board’s plan to pay $325,000 to a private country club, then went on to explore open meeting issues, ties between trustees and the country club and other questionable spending. Great digging and creative pursuit of a hot story.”

SECOND, Herald-Journal; Janet S. Spencer, Lynne Shackleford, Craig Peters and Jason Spencer; “Cherokee County Serial Killer”

THIRD, The Herald, Christy Mullins and Andrew Dys, “2.5 million Ponzi scheme”

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Herald, James Werrell, “Flying the man’s best friendly skies,” “Hall of fame a little slow with this choice,” “Sometimes things turn out unexpectedly” Judge’s comment: “Laughed out loud reading all of the columns. Clever.”

SECOND: Morning News, Dwight Dana, “Sense of direction nil, but there’s art in boiling water,” “What you put into Swiss bank account stays in account,” “Smart phone can sure make you feel stupid”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Jane Tiller

Public Service for Daily Newspapers

FIRST: The Sun News, “The N. Myrtle Beach Wildfire” Judge’s comment: The Sun News takes its public service mission seriously. It backs up forceful editorials with aggressive thorough reporting. It’s work on a dangerous fire separated facts from rumors and uncovered deficiencies that put the public at risk. Important stuff.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, “Recession Survival Kit”

THIRD: The Herald, “Challenger Program”

Spot News Photo

FIRST: Anderson Independent Mail, Nathan Gray, “SUV” Judges comment: “Photographer worked situation to its maximum. Well composed but still carries urgency of the accident.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Fire Aftermath”

THIRD: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Neighbors”

General News Photo

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, ‘A soldier is called home” Judge’s comment: “Stunning – a stopper of a picture – did not need caption – great attention to detail.”

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “A day of homage”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Gerry Pate, “Sitting on the books”

Feature Photo

FIRST: Herald-Journal, John Byrum, “Around the Statues” Judge’s comment: “Large difficult category. John Byrum’s photo is visually fun and draws the reader in trying to see how many kids are real and how many are statues.”

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Four-legged friends”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray, “Watery Quandry”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Heater Battle” Judge’s comment: “Sometimes it is not the big action that makes the picture. Randall Hill does it with the subtlety of expression.”

SECOND: The Herald, Andy Burriss, “Down to the Wire”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Head for the Zone”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “High Five”

Judge’s comment: “This category had everything from the agony of defeat to the ecstasy of winning –But Ken Ruinard’s picture of Pure Joy brings it home.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Losing Battle”

THIRD: The Herald, Andy Burriss, “Champions”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Sun News, Alan Blondin, “Show Stopper” Judge’s comment: “Great lead! Captured the moment perfectly.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Jason Gilmer, “Woodruff mourning loss”

THIRD: The Sun News, Josh Hoke, “Seahawks win state”

Sports Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The Sun News, Josh Hoke, “Area salaries fall far behind”

Judge’s comment: “The persistence needed to compile the list of salaries is impressive. Not only is the information interesting, but it will likely guide decisions in the future.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Todd Shanesy, “Growing pains”

THIRD: The Sun News, Alan Blondin, “What would you change”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: The Herald, Charles D. Perry, “Benched” Judge’s comment: “Really good read. Lead was solid and it was an interesting topic.”

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Scott Adamson, “Fighting for a friendship”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Todd Shanesy, “We just love winning”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Scott Adamson Judge’s comment: “Adamson does a great job of mixing in great stats/numbers/etc. with descriptive writing, while also keeping it local.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Eric Boynton

THIRD: The Herald, Andrew Dys

Page One Design

FIRST: The Sun News, Chris Mowder Judge’s comment: “Standout page one design. Very nice job unifying multiple elements into one package.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Amanda Criswell

THIRD: The Herald, Amber May

Page Design

FIRST: The Sun News, Chris Mowder, “Horizon 2009” Judge’s comment: “Excellent use of graphics and typography, clear breakdown of package’s inside and online elements presented in a reader-friendly, eyecatching manner.”

SECOND: The Herald, Cheney Baltz, “Chill out with cake”

THIRD: The Sun News, Amanda Criswell, “Nation turns the page”

Feature Page Design

FIRST: Morning News, Michael Hunley Judges comment: “Nice Job of making type and photos compliment one another.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Todd Money

THIRD: The Sun News, Amanda Criswell

Sports Page Design

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Burke Noel Judge’s comment: “A masterpiece! Clean, colorful and easy to read. Great design!”

SECOND: The Herald, Will Franklin

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Mike McCombs

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: The Sun News, Staff, “The Inferno Runs Riot” Judge’s comment: “Nice multifaceted coverage of a tragic event that doesn’t fail to recognize the human element. Obviously a team effort in which reporters put ego aside in the interest of providing greater service to the Sun’s readership.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Gary Glancy, “Where’s the check?”

THIRD: The Herald, Jason Foster and Christy Mullins, “Rock Hill police officer involved in fatal shooting”

Business Reporting

FIRST: The Herald, Jason Foster, “Lawsuit preceded Lee’s Chicken Closing”

Judge’s comment: “Great blend of a variety of different economic stories. It shows a large range of both community journalism and strong writing.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Monique Newton, “Adult kids nestle back in nest”

THIRD, The Sun News, David Wren, “Strand Scoops into stimulus”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, “Historian’s discovery gives snapshot of a hard time”

Judge’s comment: “Well-written. It kept my attention from start to finish.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Monique Newton, “Culture of cool alters way of life in the South”

THIRD: Morning News, Traci Bridges, “Bra Art”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Herald, Andrew Dys, “Hospice patient teaches lesson in life”

Judge’s comment: “Very nice personal touch and a heart-warming story. Writer touched readers by letting them know how much he was touched.”

SECOND: The Herald, Jason Foster, “Furloughs could be Blessing”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Season Stepp, “Time to get Fresh”

Series of Articles

FIRST: Morning News, Nick Hilbourne, “Florence Downtown Revitalization”

Judge’s comment: “A well planned series that clearly explains the challenges and opportunities for Florence.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, ‘Inauguration ‘09”

THIRD: The Sun News, Aliana Ramos, “Port of Georgetown”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: The Herald, Matt Garfield, “City Government” Judge’s comment: “Garfield offers a fresh perspective on what could be run-of-the-mill stories. His eye for detail shows in the story angles he takes, the stories he selects, and the manner in which he draws readers in. Excellent writer who also digs to find angles.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, “Crime”

THIRD: The Herald, Christy Mullins, “Crime”

Web site

FIRST: The Sun News, www.thesunnews.com Judge’s comment: “Lots of news and places for interaction.”

SECOND: The Herald, www.heraldonline.com

THIRD: Herald-Journal, www.goupstate.com

Photo Gallery on a Newspaper Web site

FIRST: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Elvis artists” Judge’s comment: “Entertaining story told in a very informative, well organized slideshow. Great mix of detail and wide shots, color and perspectives.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Cole brothers”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Tom Priddy, “Pyramid scheme”

DAILY DIVISION

Under 26,000 News Headline Writing

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Lee Hendren and Gene Crider, “Tall tale was true,” “Palin Bailin,” “Holey Ground” Judge’s comment: “Witty headlines tell much about the story in just a few words. Clever!”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Steve Austin, “Was Robin good or just another Sherwood hood?,” “Record shark devours old mark,” “Unbridled love”

THIRD: Beaufort Gazette, Ellis Harman, “Where is Sanford? No one seems quite sure,” “Alligators give area a bit of bite,” “Looking for a job? Don’t give up”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Beaufort Gazette, Patrick Donohue, “Police: We don’t write tickets to raise revenue” Judge’s comment: “Donohue’s story is well-written, thoroughly researched, and most importantly interesting and attention grabbing.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Brian Troutman, “Lake’s dirty little secret”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Phil Sarata, “A road for one”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: Beaufort Gazette, David Lauderdale, “Down the river” Judge’s comment: “Your words truly painted a picture of going “down the river.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Phil Sarata, “Navigating good taste”

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Rachel Johnson, “Adoption makes family whole”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The Item, Jason Wermers, “Once blind, now she sees” Judge’s comment: “Well-written story driven by great quotes.”

SECOND: Aiken Standard, Rachel Johnson, “A survivor’s tale”

THIRD: The Item, Belton White, “17-year-old already a veteran farmer”

Short Story

FIRST: The Island Packet, Josh Lanier, “Lightning hits the ‘luckiest unlucky guy’”

Judge’s comment: “I’m truly glad the victim lived... between his quotes and Lanier’s storytelling, I got six or eight great laughs.”

SECOND: Aiken Standard, Rachel Johnson, “Large chicken gets second chance at life”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Staff, “Police let “break-in” suspect go free”

Spot News Photo

FIRST: The Index-Journal, Jennifer Colton, “Fire claims motel”

Judge’s comment: “Dramatic fire picture. Photographer waited for drama to peak with fireman working under flames!”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Sarah Welliver, “Morning Flood”

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Rachel Johnson, “Tornado batters area”

General News Photo

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Larry Hardy, “True to America”

Judge’s comment: Good job of showing readers the caring support of comrads.

SECOND: Beaufort Gazette, Bob Sofaly, “Leave no man behind”

THIRD: The Journal, Jessica Nelms, “Her hearts just not into it”

Feature Photo

FIRST: The Island Packet, Jay Karr, “I’m takin’ a dive” Judge’s comment: “This picture is well composed and peak action.”

SECOND: Beaufort Gazette, Bob Sofaly, “Reading over her shoulder”

THIRD: The Index-Journal, T.M. James, “Fantastic Return”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder, “Bulldogs bite Tigers”

Judge’s comment: “Brian Linder stayed with the action and got a good picture.”

SECOND: The Index-Journal, T.M. James, “The Joy of Six”

THIRD: The Journal, Kenny Fey, “Without Mercy”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: Aiken Standard, Mac Banks, “Thoroughbreds reign in class AAA”

Judge’s comment: “The thrill of victory in one explosive moment.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Sarah Welliver, “Powder Puff”

THIRD: The Index-Journal, T.M. James, “Back to back”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Index-Journal, Matt Anderson, “Investment pays off” Judge’s comment: “Great nugget in the lead about the program’s first donation. It set the tone for the story.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder, “4 Straight”

THIRD: The Island Packet, Sam McDowell, “One for the record books”

Sports Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Beaufort Gazette, Brandon Parker, “It’s a numbers game” Judge’s comment: “Good take on a topic high school athletes and parents should know.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder, “Harrison’s layoff”

THIRD: The Index-Journal, Matt Anderson, “Flashes fall”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: Bluffton Today, Tim Wood, “I’m considered a new face” Judge’s comment: “Great insight into a sensitive topic.”

SECOND: Beaufort Gazette, Brandon Parker, “Twin’s spirit lives on in Tavaras Pinckney”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder, “Defying the odds”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder, “SCSU fans get ready for a ‘Shaq Attack,’” “Injury should not be the end of McFadden’s SCSU career,” “Can the Bulldogs do the unthinkable?”

Judge’s comment: “Great local columns! Well written and thought provoking. Nice leads and closing to columns.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Justin Jarrett, “Head injuries more than just bumps, bruises,” “George still has a spot on Bluffton’s soccer team,” “Life on tour can be lesson in patience”

THIRD: The Journal, Steven Bradley, “A little patience a big virtue for Clemson fans,” “The latest on Tigers’ search for new coach,” “Road to redemption in need of major funding”

Page One Design

FIRST: The Island Packet, Pamela Uhles, “Hope over fear,” “Obama’s first day,” “Sanford confesses” Judge’s comment: “What makes a winning design? When the design becomes invisible and the content is digested quickly, effectively and with impact and emotion. This paper did a great job on the three days I saw! They considered the half-page-rack dimensions and the entire page. This is a winner for me and for the community they serve!”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Ellis Harman, “Finding tax-free deals,” “Meeting a local treasure,” “We need to turn them over to God”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker, “Seeking an alternative,” “Toddler Shot,” “Centerpiece of $700M”

Page Design

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker, “Farming”

Judge’s comment: “Striking main art. Effective use of secondary elements that are both informative and eye-catching.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Hannah Carroll and Tom Robinette, “Striking Gold”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker, “We will not forget”

Feature Page Design

FIRST: Beaufort Gazette, Pamela Uhles, Judge’s comment: “Effective use of color in headlines, bold graphics and eye-catching secondary elements that don’t distract from main art.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker

THIRD: The Island Packet, Cate Westberg

Sports Page Design

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker and Jennifer Spears

Judge’s comment: “Visually appealing. Great use of photo and typography. Reader-friendly.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Barry Haapala

THIRD: Beaufort Gazette/The Island Packet, Mike Bragg

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: Aiken Standard, Ben Baugh, “Aiken-trained Summer Squall euthanized”

Judge’s comment: “The story was very heart-warming in that we see the horse had a wonderful life. The story is very well-written and organized.”

SECOND: Aiken Standard, Rachel Johnson, “Tornado batters area”

THIRD: The Item, Annabelle Robertson and Belton White, “11-year-old dies”

Business Reporting

FIRST: The Island Packet, Josh McCann, “Keeping contractors busy” Judge’s comment: “Great job of showing the economic diversity of area that many most likely believe is onedimensional. Provides a good depth of recession times while also showing positive signs in the community.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Gene Zaleski, “Poised for Growth”

THIRD: Beaufort Gazette, Marti Covington, “Damaged Goods”

Feature Writing

FIRST: The Journal, Andrew Moore, “Officer Lazarus”

Judge’s comment: “Well written. It captures both the best and worst of the story.”

SECOND: Beaufort Gazette, Amy Coyne Bredeson, “My Big Redneck Wedding”

THIRD: Bluffton Today, Tim Wood, “Oh, What a Night”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Island Packet, David Lauderdale, “Governor’s Dirty Secret”

Judge’s comment: “Excellent editorial points made by clean, clean, concise writing. Hot topic, of course, but we liked the journey through the column and how we were brought to a logical conclusion.”

SECOND: Bluffton Today, Tim Wood, “These new wounds can lead to justice for Josh”

THIRD: The Item, Annabelle Robertson, “Girls gone wild and crazy”

Series of Articles

FIRST: The Island Packet, Renee Dudley, Daniel Brownstein and Liz Mitchell, “EMS Response” Judge’s comment: Good coverage of what appears to be a very important issue in the S.C. lowcountry. Writing is strong and thorough. Reporters don’t give up in finding out information that the public needs to know. Hats off to you.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Staff, “Hugo 20 years later”

THIRD: The Journal; Brett McLaughlin, Carlos Galarza and Andrew Moore; “Crossroads Economic Development”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: The Island Packet, Renee Dudley, “EMS Investigation”

Judge’s comment: “Good job of investigating an incident and pushing through to discover the real issue.”

SECOND: Beaufort Gazette, Kate Cerve, “Whale Branch High School”

THIRD: The Item, Annabelle Robertson, “Fatal wreck/ Alleged Highway Patrol misconduct”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Richard Walker, “More than cops”

Judge’s comment: “Nice mix of stories. This entry shows strong evidence of the reporter’s ability to find compelling enterprise stories on a beat too often packed only with breaking news!”

SECOND: The Item, Annabelle Robertson, “Military” THIRD: Beaufort Gazette, Julian Vachon, “Municipal government”

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Island Packet, Jeff Vrabel, “How to survive backstreets of rural Tennessee,” “It’s the end of the crocs as we know it (and it feels fine),” “If you need to get anywhere by monorail today, I can help”

Judge’s comment: “Who knew monorails were funny?!

This entry smells like two days worth of hilarious writing. Vrable needs to keep writing. He has a real gift.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Liz Farrell, “You have a bit of bad grammar stuck in your teeth,” “8 simple rules for dating my married governor,” “Confessions of a paranoid and Catholic mind.”

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Michael Gibbons, “Lasers, razors hurt more than bee stings, childbirth,” “Dinosaurs in the dishwater,” “There’s a cure for nighttime kung fu.”

Public Service for Daily Newspapers

FIRST: The Island Packet, Fitz McAden, “EMS response and public access to EMS data”

Feature Photo, Third: The Index-Journal, T.M. James, “Back to back”

Feature Photo, Honorable Mention: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Casting Shadows”

Judge’s comment: “Thorough coverage of an important public issue that underscores the importance of freedom of information in holding public agencies accountable. Good reporting, solid writing.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Lee Harter, “Putting out the fire”

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Michael Gibbons, “20 on 20” Web site

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, www.TheTandD.com

Judge’s comment: “A newsy and easy to navigate site.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, www.islandpacket.com

THIRD: The Item, www.theitem.com

Photo Gallery on a Newspaper Web site

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Christoper Huff, “Taste of Orangeburg”

Judge’s comment: “Superior story telling. Great selection of event photos. Nice organization. I bet folks in Orangeburg love visiting your Web site after events to see these galleries. Photos make me wish I could have been there!”

SECOND: The Item, Joe Perry, “Shiloh area drug busts”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Christoper Huff, “Farm scenes”

DAILY

DIVISION

All Dailies

News Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The State, “We Begin Again” Judge’s comment: “Excellent keepsake section that covers all angles. Nice job, well planned.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, “Recession Survival Kit”

THIRD: The Sun News, “Horizon 2009”

Sports Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The State, “College Football Preview” Judge’s comment: “Good theme on runningbacks. Page toppers were cool. Lots of good information.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, “Verizon Heritage/ Taking Aim”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, “Past Meets Present”

Illustrations

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Gary Kyle, “Fast Foods” Judge’s comment: “Clever and fun. The style and subject of the artwork really seem to match the content. Great use of space allows copy to flow freely around the art, giving it a good sense of balance.”

SECOND: The State, Susan Ardis, “Art of Writing”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Marcus Amaker, “Preview: ‘Rock On’”

Critical Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Bill Thompson, “Mickey Rourke grapples,” “Live A Life,” “Basher’ a landmark.” Judge’s comment: “Thompson provides nuanced insight and broad perspective in his film reviews, but what really carries the reader along is his engaging writing style. His craft does not call attention to itself, but the phrasing and word choice complement his reviews to a tee.”

SECOND: The State, Janet Kahler, “Old-World Sophistication,” “Wake up and smell the bacon,” “Living on the Edge”

THIRD: The State, Otis R. Taylor Jr., “James Brown,” “Hootie,” “Michael Jackson”

Photo Page Design

FIRST: The State, Meredith Sheffer, “We Begin Again” Judge’s comment: “Capturing a moment in history can all be said with this layout of photos. Clean and easily read design makes this a winner.”

SECOND: The State, Susan Ardis, “The Doctor Is In”

THIRD: The Sun News, Chris Mowder, “20 Questions”

Feature Headline Writing

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Wendy Jeffcoat Crider, “Goodies fit for Goblin,” “Golden girl,” “Horse power” Judge’s comment: “Funny headlines, well-written, still accurate.”

SECOND: The State, Bobby Bryant, “Deerly beloved,” “Festival finds Poe-try,” “Where that whistle still blows”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Tony Brown, “Grasping for lifeline in a sea of debt,” “Saddled with soaring costs,” “Happy birthday, birthday, birthday”

Sports Headline Writing

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Mike McCombs, “Waring out pitchers,” “The need for Snead,” ‘Bama leaves a Mark” Judge’s comment: “Great headlines that tell a lot about the story, while also making clever puns and play on words.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder and Jennifer Spears, “Alexandra the Great,” “Doggone it,” “4 no more”

THIRD: The Island Packet, Mike Bragg, “Blind as a hatter,” “Call it the U.S. Oupen,” “@Twitter”

Pictoral

FIRST: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Carolina Life” Judge’s comment: “Wow — Beautiful! What more could you say?”

SECOND: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Life is a blur”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray, “JROTC Drill”

Humorous Photo

FIRST: The State, Tim Dominick, “No small feat” Judge’s comment: “Sometimes we go overboard trying to impress. Sometimes there is a photographer there and this time Tim Dominick got a great picture.”

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Greased poll trouble”

THIRD: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Snakes Alive”

Entertainment Section

FIRST: The State, Betsy Guzior Judge’s comment: “Wide range of topics throughout section will draw different demographics. Graphics were strategically placed for readers to enjoy; quick easy guides in center spread were very useful. Fantastic job.”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Jeff Vrabel

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Jake Grove and Kylie Yerka

Lifestyle/ Feature

Special Edition or Section

FIRST: Herald-Journal, “Pulse” Judge’s comment: “Locally written stories about local people won you the top prize. Graphics were fantastic.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, “Think Pink”

THIRD: The Sun News, “Living Here”

E.A. Ramsaur Award for Editorial Writing

FIRST: The Island Packet, Janet Smith, Judge’s comment: “Thoughtful, yet bold. Clean cut presentation of issues. Writer takes reader by hand and walks through justification for newspaper’s position on each issue. Excellent job of taking a tough stand for readers on tough issues.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Robert Morris

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Bonnie Williams

Health Reporting

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Tony Barteleme Judge’s comment: “Tony Bartleme took often hard to understand concepts and made them very accessible. His writing is lively and engaging. But good writing starts with good reporting and it is obvious Bartelme dug deep for his information.”

SECOND: The Herald, Mary Jo Balasco

THIRD: The Greenville News, Liv Osby

Education Reporting

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Diette Courrege Judge’s comment: “Very Strong collection of stories. Excellent reporting and well written. Top notch effort.”

SECOND: The State, Wayne Washington

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Liz Carey

WEEKLY DIVISION

2 or 3 times weekly

Lifestyle/Feature Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Colleton Magazine, Fall 2009 Judge’s comment: “Strong local content captures the life of Colleton. Photos/graphics helped tell the story while bringing it all to life.”

SECOND: The Summerville Journal Scene, “Flowertown Festival”

THIRD: The Newberry Observer, “A Sense of Place”

News Headline Writing

FIRST: The Summerville Journal Scene, Jenny Peterson, “Water crying,” “Bang for buck,” “Snuffs burning ban”

Judge’s comment: “Nice alliteration, play on words. Made me smile.”

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Stand and be counted,” “Arrr learning”

THIRD: The Newberry Observer, Holly Astwood, “Trials at the courthouse,” “College prank was no joke,” “Home invader gets 10 years inside”

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: The Summerville Journal Scene, David Berman, “Blunder: DSS files found in dumpster” Judge’s comment: “Engaging story. Well Reported.”

SECOND: Gaffney Ledger, Tim Gulla, “Terrorized”

THIRD: Georgetown Times, Kelly Fuller, “Alligator Attacks in Wedgefield”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The News & Reporter, Stephen Guilfoyle, “‘08 Brazil trip filled with work”

Judge’s comment: “Interesting probe into a local official’s involvement (or lack there of) in the state’s Sanford scandal.”

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Stephen Guilfoyle, “$500 million incinerator”

THIRD: The Press & Standard, George Salsberry, “You may be surprised”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: The Gaffney Ledger, Joe L. Hughes II, “Sadie Mae rises from the ashes” Judge’s comment: “Nice read.”

SECOND: Georgetown Times, Clayton Stairs, “Daughter gets mom’s kidney”

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Nancy F. Parsons, “Eli touches bases and hearts”

Feature Writing

FIRST: The Gaffney Ledger, Tim Gulla, “In the presence of a serial killer”

Judge’s comment: “Compelling story-totally different from all others in the division.”

SECOND: The Summerville Journal Scene, Jenny Peterson, “Now I lay me down”

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Matthew Burdick, “Homecoming: a wish fulfilled”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The News & Reporter, Stephen Guilfoyle, “Reserved seating”

Judge’s comment: “Powerful, well-written story that leaves an impact with readers.”

SECOND: The Lancaster News, Christopher Sardelli, “Opera-singing delivery guy”

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Julie Holcombe, “Retirement is for the birds”

Short Story

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Linda Salsberry, “A writer’s dip into a river”

Judge’s comment: “Clever, honest, amazing firstperson story with a nice twist at the kicker. One of several strong entries.”

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Linda Salsberry, ‘Henry gets the perfect gift: a vacuum cleaner”

THIRD: The Summerville Journal Scene, David Berman, “Skunk’s funk a first for taxidermist”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Gaffney Ledger, Cody Sossamon, “I have never before seen anything like this,” “The ‘who’ is known, but the ‘why’ remains,” “If you can’t say something nice”

Judge’s comment: “Three very well done columns. Obviously writer has a way of capturing the emotion of the moment.”

SECOND: The Lancaster News, Barbara Rutledge, “Meet our ambassadors of Goodwill,” “S.C. – Not a na-

tion, not insane asylum?,” “Honor flight a good way to say thanks”

THIRD: The Gaffney Ledger, Joe L. Hughes II, “Try walking a mile in her shoes,” “A life well-lived,” “The lifestyle changes once you say I do”

Spot News Photo

FIRST: Gaffney Ledger, Tim Gulla, “Burning Truck” Judge’s comment: “Spot news has a lot to do with right time and right place – Tim Gulla had both.”

SECOND: The Newberry Observer, Cindy Pitts, “Time Out”

THIRD: Georgetown Times, Scott Harper, “SUV, body fished from water”

General News Photo

FIRST: Georgetown Times, Ray White, “Inspection Day” Judge’s comment: “The difference between good and great can be subtle. Ray White paid attention and went from good to great!!! Excellent Picture.”

SECOND: Georgetown Times, Ray White, “We missed”

THIRD: The Lancaster News, Aaron Morrison, “Standing up to crime”

Feature Photo

FIRST: Gaffney Ledger, Tim Gulla, “Semper Fi” Judge’s comment: “Tim Gulla made a fine graphic picture from this quiet moment.”

SECOND: The Dillon Herald, Betsy Finklea, “Whittaker head start students”

THIRD: The Messenger, Lisa Chalian-Rock, “Playing in the cornfield”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The Summerville Journal Scene, Roger Lee, Save, “The pick of the pack.”

Judge’s comment: “Great save. Great action and expression.”

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Drew Tripp, “Clashing with Cavaliers”

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Safe”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “The Thrill of Victory”

Judge’s comment: “The emotions of sports are not in the action but the reactions — Excellent Photo.”

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “Feeling the moment”

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Second Place Tears”

Personality Photograph or Portrait

FIRST: The Summerville Journal Scene, Paul Zoeller, “Miracle”

Judge’s comment: “A good portrait shows more than what is obvious – Paul Zoeller’s picture shows me a zest for Life! Excellent.”

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Mandy Ferguson, “Mac Arnold”

THIRD: The Messenger, Ardie Arvidson, “Four Weekends, Five Friends”

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: The Gaffney Ledger, Staff, “Cherokee Co. says goodbye”

Judge’s comment: “Made the biggest impact in the division but could have been even better with fewer photos and a couple of the others blown up, especially the crowd scene in town.”

SECOND: The Summerville Journal Scene, Roger Lee, “Panthers double up”

THIRD: The Newberry Observer, Cindy Pitts, “Saluting with honoros”

Series of Articles

FIRST: Chronicle - Independent; Martin L.

Bruce and Michael Mischner; “Death of a Deputy” Judge’s comment: “What an excellent story. The quotes were amazing, the details extraordinary. I’m not ashamed to say I teared up more than once. What a fantastic way to look back at an event that touched so many lives.”

SECOND: The Newberry Observer, Cindy Pitts, “Navigating a new economy”

THIRD: The Newberry Observer, Leslie Moses, “Why they relay”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: Gaffney Ledger, Tim Gulla, “Serial Killer” Judge’s comment: “Amazing series that really went behind the initial story about a serial killer and into the life he lived. Great interviews and an innovative way of presenting info.”

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, Nancy Parsons and Stephen Guilfoyle, “School Consolidation”

THIRD: Chronicle - Independent, Ashley M. Lewis, “School District Budget Cuts”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “Softball coach at CPA”

Judge’s comment: “Informative story written under obviously difficult circumstances, including information about the incident with the parent was the right decision, even if no one admitted that it was the reason for the decision.”

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Downey raises the roof”

THIRD: The Gaffney Ledger, Scott Powell, “Martin’s milestone”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “Sapp has a vision of hope”

Judge’s comment: “Touching story was well-written with great quotes and detail.”

SECOND: The Lancaster News, Gregory Summers, “Job of a lifetime”

THIRD: The Summerville Journal Scene, Roger Lee, “Summerville boxer earns national title”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Totally Priceless,” “The falls are alive with the sound of music,” “Bulldogs players didn’t spook cows”

Judge’s comment: “Nice tribute column to a lady who volunteered to send in race results. Feature column on singing fans made me smile, and writer offered a good opinion piece on the Bulldogs.”

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Joel Fitzpatrick, “Putting the pieces together,” “Learning from the children”

THIRD: The Lancaster News, Robert Howey, “Daddy helped me keep my eye on the ball,” Tomlin scores a win for courage,” “Bruins win respect with win over Eagles”

Page One Design

FIRST: The News & Reporter, Stephen Guilfoyle

Judge’s comment: “Nice use of graphics, photos and other elements. Designer has a gift for packaging lead story.”

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Tay Smith

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Darah Patterson

Page Design

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Christopher M. Lucas, “Ghouls and Goblins”

Judge’s comments: “Page is a lot of fun and the listings are broken up in a way that is easy to read. I like how the illustration interacts with the text box. My eye goes straight to the center of the page. Color scheme fits the Halloween theme.”

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Tay Smith, “Airport, new center could help land jobs”

THIRD: The Gaffney Ledger, Laura Parker, “Point of Grace”

Feature Page Design

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Gregory Summers,

Sports Action Photo, Second: The Index-Journal, T.M. James, “The Joy of Six”

Judge’s comment: “The reader knows immediately what you are saying and/or what the story is about. Nice clean straight forward approach. Keep up the good work. You will engage readers.”

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Darah Patterson

THIRD: The Gaffney Ledger, Laura Parker

Sports Page Design

FIRST: The Greer Citizen, Darah Patterson, “15 Byrnes High athletes sign letters”

Judge’s comment: “I like how the designer used one dominant photo in a striking horizontal, and broke down the signee’s briefs into small nuggets with mugs. Very informative and clean.”

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “Hurting Sounds”

THIRD: The Gaffney Ledger, Joe L. Hughes II, “Living the dream”

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Charles Rowland, “All you can do: laugh in the face of the dreadful” Judge’s comment: “Parts made me laugh out loud. Reader was drawn to be connected with Rowland. He made us relive calamities we’ve all endured.”

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Leland Burch, “The loss of an old friend”

THIRD: The Summerville Journal Scene, Judy Watts, “Oh, say can you hear”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: The Summerville Journal Scene, Jenny Peterson, “Town of Summerville” Judge’s comment: Peterson is knowledgeable of all issues affecting the Town of Summerville. She effectively communicates this to her readers. In what could be a boring beat, she does a particularly good

job making issues interesting and relevant to her audience. Great local coverage!

SECOND: The Summerville Journal Scene, David Berman, “Public Safety”

THIRD: The Dillon Herald, Betsy Finklea, “Dillon County Council”

WEEKLY DIVISION

Over 6,000 News Headline Writing

FIRST: Greenville Journal, Melissa Blanton, “Nobody’s home,” “Fear and loading,” “The life and turbulent times of Mark Sanford”

Judge’s comment: “Play on words works nicely. Headlines work well with art.”

SECOND: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry, “Rally goes hog mild,” “Sunset for freestyle?,” “From free to fee”

THIRD: Fort Mill Times, Michael Harrison, “NASCAR makes pit stop in town,” “Rescue squad needs new home – Stat,” “Grinch returns stolen creche figures”

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Rising from the ashes”

Judge’s comment: “Nice lead and thorough courage. Story holds reader’s attention.”

SECOND: Greenville Journal; Melissa Blanton, Charles Sowell, Cindy Landrum and April Silvaggio; “Ludwig Charged”

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Staff, “Tragedy stuns Carolina Forest”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Charleston City Paper, Greg Hambrick, “Sanford’s Albatross”

Judge’s comment: “Planning and thorough research, coupled with readable presentation make this story a clean winner in enterprise reporting.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “MB Comps Beach Ball Classic”

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry, “Gillard owes $325K in ethics fines’

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: Charleston City Paper, T. Ballard Lesemann, “Band Together”

Judge’s comment: “Well written and good use of description.”

SECOND: Daniel Island News, Elizabeth Bush, “What are you doing right now?”

THIRD: Charleston City Paper, Erica Jackson,

“After the runway”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The Horry Independent, Robert Anderson, “The Real Santa”

Judge’s comment: “Nice profile. Good quotes. Perfect time of year.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Ettie Newlands, ‘Brain surgery a huge relief”

THIRD: Tribune-Times, Nathaniel Cary, “Vietnam vets to receive long delayed honor”

Short Story

FIRST: Lake Wylie Pilot, John Marks, “Good tidings wash up in Wylie”

Judge’s comment: “Newsy community journalism story... strong interview skills.”

SECOND: Tribune-Times, Nathaniel Cary, “Rock an exciting find”

THIRD: The Gazette, Frank Johnson, “New helipad will save precious seconds”

Column Writing

FIRST: Free Times, Kevin Fisher, “City Watch” Judge’s comment: “Fisher’s columns are not only well written, engaging, and carefully written-they’re incredibly informative.”

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Susan Clary Simmons, “Take my Word”

THIRD: Free Times, Craig Brandhorst, “Fables of the Reconstruction”

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: Charleston City Paper, Chris Haire, “Haire of the Dog” Judge’s comment: “Haire’s columns are humorous and well-written, zany and intelligent. His writing is top notch, ideas well thought out and his prose is engaging.”

SECOND: The Columbia Star, Mike Cox, “It’s not criticism, it’s an observation”

THIRD: The Link, Wylie Bell, “Wrasslin’ and Racin,” “Birthday Gifts from a jackass,” “The lies grow bigger with the garden”

Spot News Photo

FIRST: The Greer Citizen, Preston Burch Judge’s comment: “Team Effort, Good spot news coverage is gaining access — Preston Burch built off of that for a dramatic rescue picture.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Horry County Wildfire”

THIRD: The Link, Jane Pigg, “Two injured in 18 wheeler crash”

General News Photo

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry, “Faith amid ashes”

Judge’s comment: “Charles Perry went right to the heart of this story– Digging in the ashes.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Governor admits Argentina affair”

THIRD: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Bowing Heads”

Feature Photo

FIRST: The Gazette, Rob Gantt, “Summertime” Judge’s comment: “Rob Gantt found a picture of friends just being friends – Nice found moment.”

SECOND: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Wedding Day”

THIRD: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Colorful Story”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The Fort Jackson Leader, Susanne Kappler, “BCT Soldiers Clinch” Judge’s comment: “Sports Action — This picture goes beyond sports to the seriousness of training.”

SECOND: Lake Wylie Pilot, John Marks, “Testing Triathlectics”

THIRD: Pickens County Courier, Kenny Fey, “Lions Rival Seneca”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “State Champs” Judge’s comment: “This picture conveys the euphoria of going beyond yourself for your team.”

SECOND: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Our Ball”

THIRD: The People-Sentinel, Michael Young, “So Close”

Personality Photograph or Portrait

FIRST: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Cat Woman” Judge’s comment: “Gwinn Davis was paying attention – Pets and owners do take on each others personalities.”

SECOND: The Horry Independent, Robert Anderson, “Smokin”

THIRD: The Columbia Star, Pamela Edward, “Steel Magnolia”

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Distemper Outbreak”

Judge’s comment: “Emotions beat out a massive wildfire.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith and Charles D. Perry, “Wildfire, You might be a redneck if...”

THIRD: Middle Tyger Times, Jay King

Feature Writing

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry, “A lifelong trip”

Judge’s comment: “Very interesting and well-written story. I like the writer’s accounts from both those who found the bottle and the family member of Mary Stewart. I can tell much reporting went into both segments of the story, as the detail is great and the quotes provide the story with much personality.”

SECOND: The Horry Independent, Kathy Ropp, “Just getting by is tough for war widow”

THIRD: The Horry Independent, Kathy Ropp, “Pieces of Puzzle come together 40 years later”

Series of Articles

FIRST: Lake Wylie Pilot, Armando Barragan, “Unemployed Survivor”

Judge’s comment: “Great Series – I really liked how it personalized the tough economy. Some of the stories were heartbreaking, some uplifting.”

SECOND: Fort Mill Times, Toya Graham, “Faces of NFHS: 1st Graduating Class”

THIRD: Lake Wylie Pilot, John Marks, “A Burning Question”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: Boiling Springs Sentry, Jed Blackwell, “Sexton’s clutch hit delivers softball crown”

Judge’s comment: “Perfect first three paragraphs. Writer tells readers what happened in a way that makes us want to read the rest of the story. Getting quote from opposing coach shows commitment to reporting. That’s a trough question to ask.”

SECOND: Greenville Journal, John Boyanoski, “Dabo takes the lead”

THIRD: Middle Tyger Times, Jed Blackwell, “Rebels repeat”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: Laurens County Advertiser, Nick Herman, “Have hoops, will travel”

Judge’s comment: “Solid feature topic. Well-written.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Amanda Kelley, “Returning to his roots”

THIRD: Tribune-Times, Nathaniel Cary, “Roller derby brings brusin’ to golden strip”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The Horry Independent, Robert Anderson, “We’re really going to miss Lou,” “Football fans too serious,” “When the wheel comes off”

Judge’s comment: “Well-written columns with a local touch.”

SECOND: Free Times, Ron Aiken, “What’s going on with Ellis Johnson?,” “What Spurrier promised, Horn is delivering,” “Irony, nepotism bind Holtz: Spurrier’s struggles”

THIRD: Daniel Island News, Suzanne Detar, “Unrestrained joy,” “Moments in time,” “Expectations”

Page One Design

FIRST, Greenville Journal, Tammy Smith, “Don’t cut here”

Judge’s comment: “The image selection was clever and striking and the display type told the story. The submissions show a variety – from colorful to creative white space to use of a striking black and white photo. Type was placed well and easy to read.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Rising from the ashes”

THIRD: Greenville Journal, Sally Boman, “Then there was hope”

Page Design

FIRST: Greenville Journal, Sally Boman

Judge’s comment: “The art makes this inside cover work. And the typography – while simple – complements the art. Very sophisticated for a weekly paper.”

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Darah Patterson

THIRD: Daniel Island News, Jan Marvin

Sports Page Design

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith

Judge’s comment: “Great visual elements, clean layout. All-around great section.”

SECOND: Pickens County Courier, Zack Mauldin

THIRD: Middle Tyger Times, Jed Blackwell

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: Free Times, Ron Aiken, “Who in the world is Kale Roscoe?”

Judge’s comment: “Intriguing how a university could get so mixed up with someone like Roscoe. Good job portraying facts and keeping readers interested. Very good job keeping after sources from multiple states even!”

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Anna B. Mitchell, “Then there was hope”

THIRD: Daniel Island News, Elizabeth Bush, “SPA’s Thomas Island parcels not for sale”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: The Horry Independent, Kathy Ropp, “Beat: Horry County Courts”

Judge’s comment: “Solid reporting, well written, interesting stories, know readers look forward to court stories. Good Job.”

SECOND: Fort Mill Times, Toya Graham, “Tega Cay City Government”

THIRD: The Horry Independent, Kathy Ropp, “City of Conway”

WEEKLY DIVISION

Under 6,000

News Headline Writing

FIRST: The Star, Phyllis Britt, “Traveling the back alleys,” “Time flies over North Augusta,” “A steak in CMONA” Judge’s comment: “Clever headlines; nice play on words and humor.”

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Bill West, “Psst! Hey, buddy, wanna buy a church?,” “Knotts prods Sanford’s hogs at public trough,” “Broadacres Baptist’s Berry bags blood”

THIRD: Enquirer-Herald, Jonathan Allen, “Roseboro’s repeat performance cut short,” “Pipes and Plaid return to Clover,” “Three rings of fun coming this spring”

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: The Berkeley Independent, Jim Tatum, “Man Robbed at Front Door” Judge’s comment: “Interview with Victim made the difference. Good detail.”

SECOND: Pageland Progressive-Journal, John Davis, “Court Reveals “Fake Penis” Drug Scam’

THIRD: Lake City News & Post, Bradrick McClam, “City Might Get Charter School Soon”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Spartanburg County News, Leon G. Russ, “Witness To Democracy” Judge’s comment: “Nice first-person account of history in the making story places readers in D.C., at the inauguration of the country’s first black president.”

SECOND: The Clinton Chronicle, Larry Franklin, “Agnew finds white house work fun”

THIRD: The Star, Phyllis Britt, “Are you Facebooked?”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: Hardeeville Today, Erinn McGuire, “Be the master of your garden”

Judge’s comment: “Clean, crisp writing. You unraveled a complex subject and presented it in terms all could understand.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Sarah L. Smith, “Boot Camp”

THIRD: News and Press, Cathy Elliott, “Eye of the champion”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “A life on the inlet”

Judge’s comment: “The lead draws you in. You want to keep reading. I feel like I’ve known Alzata Lee for years after finishing the story – like I eat at Lee’s Inlet kitchen twice a day.”

SECOND: News and Press, Samantha Lyles, “Finding his own way”

THIRD: News and Press, Cathy Elliott, “Childers fights juvenile arthritis with humor, optimism”

Short Story

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “Honor thy mother” Judge’s comment: “Interesting, easy-to-read story about two youngsters who work to do their part. Nice community journalism story.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “History and Hope”

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Mark Bellune, “Iraq war POW, U.S. helicopter pilot: ‘We flew into a wall of lead’”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Clinton Chronicle, Larry Franklin, “A logical alternative to bailout,” “He was unlike anyone,” “Change is coming”

Judge’s comment: “Nice perspectives; communicated well.”

SECOND: Lake City News & Post, Charles Tomlinson, “People rely on traditional media,” “‘Illegal alien’ costume shameful,” “Parents’ parents deserve honor”

THIRD: Woodruff News, William Buchheit, “Is our lottery system stacking the deck,” “Octomom case cries out for fertility regulation,” “Even before affair, Sanford let SC down”

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Jim McGowan

Judge’s comments: “Very engaging and witty. Enjoyable reading.”

SECOND: The Berkeley Independent, Dan Brown

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Michael Aun

Spot News Photo

FIRST: Woodruff News, Ernie Lambert, “Filming the fl ames”

Judge’s comment: “Spot news is not always human drama-This time it was about the photographer finding the absurd and knowing to shoot it.”

SECOND: News-Chronicle, Richard Kelly, Mud Run

THIRD: The News, Michaele Duke, “Grounded”

General News Photo

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “DeBordieu goes home”

Judge’s comment: “It comes down to visual story telling — Tanya gave me an excellent entry into this one.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Saying Goodbye”

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Mark Bellune, “Saying Goodbye”

Feature Photo

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Joy S.C.H.O.O.L”

Judge’s comment: “This photo is such a ‘true’ moment between the subjects – and the photographer got a picture that touches the heart.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Decisions”

THIRD: News-Chronicle, Elaine Ellison-Rider, “Belton Christmas Parade Dancers”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: Enquirer-Herald, Mike Laughlin, “Go High” Judge’s comments: “Finding new ways of seeing a sport gave Mike Laughlin an excellent picture.”

SECOND: Woodruff News, Phil Buchheit, “Boys Track”

THIRD: Enquirer-Herald, Chris Bommar, “Cougars hope to swat jackets in homecoming”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: News-Chronicle, Debbie Rogers, “Jackson Locke Reacts”

Judge’s comment: “Debbie Rogers did a good job of finding the reaction.”

SECOND: The Berkeley Independent, Dan Brown, “Worth the weight”

THIRD: Powdersville Post, Nathan DiBagno, “Team Hero”

Personality Photograph or Portrait

FIRST: News-Chronicle, Paul Brown, “Historic Inauguration”

Judge’s comment: “A Chance to go beyond the public. Persona=Honest.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Jimmie Who”

THIRD: Woodruff News, William Buchheit, “Little Girl”

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Muddy but fun”

Judge’s comment: “Good variety of photos (well-designed) and gave me a sense of the event.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Grandparent’s Day”

THIRD: Enquirer-Herald, Jonathan Allen, “More than Games’

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Vicki Shealy and Mark Bellune, “Gaston mess to continue for years”

Judge’s comment: “In what appears to be a very complicated situation, the writers did a wonderful job of explaining how leaders were working to get the town back on track. Filled with a variety of voices and facts. Good Job!”

SECOND: Chesnee Tribune, Chris Shipman, “Weight of the world on the pearl of Piedmont”

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Jerry Bellune, “LMC Heart center in negotiations”

Series of Articles

FIRST: The Clinton Chronicle, Larry Franklin, “Healthcare reform”

Judge’s comment: “Good, solid information. This series takes a national concern and brings it to the local level.”

SECOND: Woodruff News, William Buchheit, “The Price of Prejudice”

THIRD: News and Press, Cathy Elliott and Samantha Lyles, “Teacher of the Year”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: Jasper County Sun, Anthony Garzilli, “Anatomy of an upset”

Judge’s comment: “Thorough and readable explanation of how Hardeeville’s shift in offensive philosophies produced a win over Bluffton. Nice detail in paragraph describing the game’s first series.”

SECOND: The Citizen News, Mike Rosier, “Lady Pats are twice as nice”

THIRD: Enquirer-Herald, Gene Graham, “Athletic directors hit with schedule dilemmas”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Christine Sokoloski, “Jimmy who?”

Judge’s comment: “Nice read about a local character. Easily the best in this category.”

SECOND: Jasper County Sun, Anthony Garzilli, “History keepers”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Christine Sokoloski, “Paying for play”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Travis Boland, “Managing his way into the game,” “Derrick was the ultimate athlete,” “Cat crazies give Lexington advantage”

Judge’s comment: “Good diverse local topics set this entry apart.”

SECOND: News and Press, Cathy Elliott, “Hail to the chief sport,” “History in the making,” “A piece of rock n’ roll”

THIRD: Hampton County Guardian, Michael DeWitt, “Beware! Baseball fever is in the air,” “Young smiles are a

coach’s trophy,” “Seven steps to a stress-free Super Bowl”

Page One Design

FIRST: The Star, Melissa Simmons, “Meet the next N.A. Chief,” “Peach Jam,” “Just an Ordinary Hero” Jugde’s comment: “The teasers stood out and were striking. The pages appear to offer a lot and the headlines and photos have a hierarchy that is easy to navigate. The only thing I found odd was the space under the bar code.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Christine Sokoloski, “One tragedy,” “What’s up downtown,” “G men”

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, “Smoking ban,” “Veterans Day Parade,” “Alice in Wonderland”

Page Design

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Charles Swenson, Judge’s comment: “A nicely designed cover for a special section that’s clean and simple. The cover photo creates a great backdrop for the page. Nothing is overdone. Just a nice page.”

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Brandon Bell

THIRD, Hardeeville Today, Barry Kaufman

Sports Page Design

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Travis Boland Judge’s comment: “Large graphics draw eyes to the page immediately, but are not overwhelming. Nice tie-ins with stories.”

SECOND: Enquirer-Herald, Catherine Muccigrosso

THIRD: The Citizen News, Mike Rosier

Feature Writing

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Sarah L. Smith, “Art of the catch” Judge’s comment: “Smith’s article is the best example of feature writing because of its simplicity in topic and form. Smith obviously spent a lot of time researching and developing the story about a subject that is most likely an important part of the coastal South Carolina community’s daily life.”

SECOND: Jasper County Sun, Anthony Garzilli, “The story of the Wrong Road”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “The line of duty”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Bill West, “Court” Judge’s comment: “Excellent pieces tell complete story of a hot topic; Pieces are well-written, fair and

balanced, and in depth. Good job!”

SECOND: Woodruff News, Jay King, “Legislature”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “Environment”

WEEKLY DIVISION

All weeklies

News Special Edition or Section

FIRST: Fort Mill Times, “Focus”

Judge’s comment: “The concept is great! Categories written together is packaged well. Easily read. Graphics contain great information.”

SECOND: The Newberry Observer, “1883-2008: The Newberry Observer”

THIRD: The Clinton Chronicle, “Horizons 2009”

Sports Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The Summerville Journal Scene, “Road to Columbia: Football 2009”

Judge’s comments: “This section is impressive in its scale and comprehensiveness, but what really sets it apart is the depth of knowledge and insight of the stories. Lots of key statistics and breakdowns.”

SECOND: Pickens County Courier, “Football Frenzy”

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, “Football Preview 2009”

Illustrations

FIRST: Charleston City Paper, Scott Suchy, “Zombie Economy”

Judge’s comment: “Clever concept that really illustrates the subject of the story well. The execution of the artwork is tight and clean, while the mixture of a flat graphic style over a painterly background adds even more appeal. Color scheme reflects the mood of the story while the illustration and text strike a nice balance.”

SECOND: Free Times, Jason Crosby, “Senior Scam”

THIRD: Charleston City Paper, Scott Suchy, “Robert Ford Reignites”

Critical Writing

FIRST: Free Times, Mary Bentz Gilkerson, “Art of the Mills,” “Migrations Letters Explore Immigration,” “Powers Gets Much Deserved Recognition” Judge’s comment: “A difficult subject, visual arts, handled with a great balance of history and con-

text. The writer obviously knows her stuff, but she imparts her opinion without condescending – a trap that ensnares many fine arts writers.”

SECOND: Free Times, Rodney Welch, “Good Catholic Boys,” “Pynchon Lite,” “All or Something”

THIRD: Middle Tyger Times, William Buchheit, “Lange’s Autobiography,” “Hurt Locker,” “Springsteen”

Photo Page Design

FIRST: The Fort Jackson Leader, Susanne Kappler, “Paying Tribute to the Military” Judge’s comment: “Clean and Simple. Looks best in this contest.”

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Charles Swenson, “Portraits of a Generation”

THIRD: The Fort Jackson Leader, Crystal Brown, “Getting Down and Dirty”

Feature Headline Writing

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry, “Beam me up, Opry,” “No whistlin’ Dixie,” “A lifelong trip” Judge’s comment: “Clever headlines that aren’t so clever – they get in the way of understanding them. They made me smile, which is a good thing.”

SECOND: Enquirer-Herald, Jonathan Allen, “Charity fundraiser is a real drag,” “Author’s sophomore effort sends her back to high school,” “Southbend helps CAAC with heavy lifting”

THIRD: The Newberry Observer, Holly Astwood, “End of the line?,” “Info sessions dial in the dangers of teens, cell phones,” “A sign of respect”

Sports Headline Writing

FIRST: The Columbia Star, Mike Maddock, “Zebras in the mist,” “What can Brown do for you?,” “Tequila shots waste Falcons”

Judge’s comment: “Great headlines! Clever play on words and popular phrases.”

SECOND: Fort Mill Times, Michael Harrison, “Worth the Weight,” “The young and the wrestlers,” “Air hair riding waves of success”

THIRD: Lake Wylie Pilot, Catherine Muccigrosso, “Hair pops to top in sport,” “Brase-ing for one more title shot,” “Go, speed racer”

Pictoral

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Footprints to the sky”

Judge’s comment: “Sunset is Gorgeous. Outstanding work.”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith,

“Park reopens with a bang”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Blue trail”

Humorous Photo

FIRST: The Greer Citizen, Preston Burch, “Eye popping” Judge’s comment: “Eye Popping, Silly, Fun, Unexpected.”

SECOND: Georgetown Times, Ray White, “This won’t hurt”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Swan Lake”

Health Reporting

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Linda Salsberry Judge’s comment: “Salsberry’s health coverage is well informed and she writes with authority and clarity. Her stories are helpful, focusing on things people can do to stay healthy or deal with health issues. It is health reporting with impact.”

SECOND: Daniel Island News, Elizabeth Bush

THIRD: Chronicle - Independent, Martin L. Cahn

Education Reporting

FIRST: Free Times, Ron Aiken, “The State of South Carolina vs. Education”

Judge’s comment: “Well crafted and informative. Adds perspective.”

SECOND: Myrtle Beach Herald, Heather Gale

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Sarah L. Smith

Harris Award for Editorial Writing

FIRST: The News & Reporter, Stephen Guilfoyle Judge’s comment: “This newspaper does exactly what it should – take stands on local issues in thoughtful, well-written editorials that make good cases for newspaper’s positions.”

SECOND: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Jerry Bellune

Sports Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The Greer Citizen; Krista Gibson, Matt Burdick and Joel FitzPatrick; “Helmets take a hit” Judge’s comment: “Great use of superb photos and thorough writing. Good sources for a story about a problem on the rise. Nice way to localize story.”

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Where to play the weekend of Champions”

Business Reporting

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Bill West, “Recession Proof Section” Judge’s comment: “Nice diverse sampling – Very informative.”

SECOND: The Clarendon Sun, Robert Baker

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach

Photo Illustration

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Treat for all seasons” Judge’s comment: “Clean, simple and to the point. Well-executed.”

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Sally Boman, “The Unseen”

THIRD: Free Times, Graeme Fouste, “What Lies Below”

Web site

FIRST: Fort Mill Times, www.fortmilltimes.com Judge’s comment: “Great community news Web site. I am sure it is the go-to place for breaking news and everything else from Indian Land sports to what Joy is cooking this week. Clean and easy to navigate. Good use of menus and site map.”

SECOND: Charleston City Paper, www.charlestoncitypaper.com

THIRD: Carolina Forest Chronicle, www.thecarolinaforestchronicle.com

Integration of Print and Web Coverage

FIRST: The Dillon Herald, “Charles Curry Termination” Judge’s comment: “Kudos! Journalism as it is now meant to be... The complete package of media and news delivery. The readers are the winners!”

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Journalwatchdog.com

THIRD: The Summerville Journal Scene, Pole Position

Photo Gallery on a Newspaper Web site

FIRST, The Berkeley Independent, “Pickin’ in the swamp”

Judge’s comment: “Great photos give the viewer the feeling of being there; arranged in an order that flows well. Informative captions tell the story. I enjoyed this gallery!”

SECOND: The Gazette, “Ready to rumble”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “WWII: Portraits of a generation”

Online Video

FIRST: Charleston City Paper, Joshua Curry and Ryan Brown, “Polar Plunge”

Judge’s comment: “Clear, smooth video. The great scenes of this community event made me want to go jump in the water with them! Keep those heartfelt videos coming!”

SECOND: The Columbia Star, Jean Montgomery, “Boo at the Zoo”

THIRD: Charleston City Paper, Joshua Curry, “PBR Bull Riding”

Public Service for Weekly Newspapers

FIRST: Greenville Journal, April Silvaggio, “Homeless in Greenville”

Judge’s comment: “Great series that takes up for those unable to speak up for themselves. Fearless reporting, but not reckless in its research or thoroughness. Outstanding work!”

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Too much tax”

THIRD: Enquirer-Herald, Toya Graham, “Care for coats”

COMBINED

ALL DAILY & ALL WEEKLY Informational Graphics Portfolio

FIRST: The Island Packet, Drew Martin, Judge’s comment: “Informative, visually appealing graphics.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker

THIRD: The Greenville News, Suzie Riddle

WEEKLY OVER 6,000 & WEEKLY UNDER 6,000 Lifestyle/ Feature Special Edition or Section

FIRST: Coastal Observer, “Beaches”

Judge’s comment: “Section makes me want to visit! Photos, graphics centered around local people/ stories makes this an award winner.”

SECOND: Charleston City Paper, “Spoleto ‘09”

THIRD: Lake Wylie Pilot, “Gateway”

DAILY 26,000-75,000 & UNDER 26,000 Personality Photograph or Portrait

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Victim’s Fear”

Cartoon or Humorous Illustration, First: News-Chronicle, Mike Beckom, “We can make it”

Judge’s comment: “Sometimes all a great portrait needs is the emotion of one tear filled eye — nice picture.”

SECOND: The Herald, Jim Stratakos, “Land Preservation”

THIRD: The Herald, Jim Stratakos, “Remembering POWs”

Photo Series or Photo Story,

FIRST: The Sun News, Staff, “April Wildfire Coverage” Judge’s comment: “Tough category to narrow down –But First Place was an immediate pick. Great coverage, great depth, great design. I can’t imagine what was missed. The pictures carried me through the story.”

SECOND: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Atlantic Beach”

THIRD: The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan, “Auction Addicts”

Photo Illustration

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “On the watch for West Nile” Judge’s comment: “Eye Catching – Immediately identified as an illustration — makes the reader go to the story.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker, “Back in the Outback”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Michelle Kerscher, “Field of Dreams”

Feature Page Design

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Christine Sokoloski Judge’s comment: “Nice use of typography and art.”

SECOND: Lake Wylie Pilot, Catherine Muccigrosso

THIRD: Pickens County Courier, Zack Mauldin

Online News Project

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Sarah Bates and David Quick, “Cooper River Bridge Run video series” Judge’s comment: “An informative, fun and useful series of videos on a event that is important to the community!”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, “Byrnes-St. Thomas Aquinas Game”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, “The Orangeburg debate”

Integration of Print and Web Coverage

FIRST: Herald-Journal, “Sigh of relief,” “Thomas Rice’s long road home”

Judge’s comment: “Good convergence of the print and Web products. Multimedia elements did not overpower story. Kudos to everyone involved in this project. It’s neat to see how different the Web elements are from those in the paper, but they complement each other well.”

SECOND: Morning News, “A cut above the rest”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, “Exploring the Saluda”

Online Video

FIRST, Anderson Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray, “Kayaking Saluda”

Judge’s comment: “Important economic news video presented as only video can capture it! Fantastic angle shots and sound so sharp you can feel it. I had to get a cup of coffee and enjoy the trip several times!”

SECOND, The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Six months after the fire”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Belton”

HONORABLE MENTION: The Herald, Shannon Greene and Jason Foster, “Carolina Cobra”

Feature

Writing

The Gaffney Ledger, Tim Gulla, “In the presence of a serial killer”

Judge’s comment: “Compelling story-totally different from all others in the division.”

General News Photo

Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “A soldier is called home”

Judge’s comment: “Stunning – a stopper of a picture – did not need caption – great attention to detail.”

Feature photo

Gaffney Ledger, Tim Gulla, “Semper Fi” Judge’s comment: “Tim Gulla made a fine graphic picture from this quiet moment.”

Sports Feature Photo

The State, C. Aluka Berry, “Player’s Prayer” Judge’s comment: “Nice subtle picture that could easily been missed — But C. Aluka Berry was paying attention.”

Sports Feature Story

Bluffton Today, Tim Wood, “I’m considered a new face” Judge’s comment: “Great insight into a sensitive topic.”

Page One Design

The Island Packet, Pamela Uhles, “Hope over fear,” “Obama’s first day,” “Sanford confesses” Judge’s comment: “What makes a winning design? When the design becomes invisible and the content is digested quickly, effectively and with impact and emotion. This paper did a great job on the three days I saw! They considered the half-page-rack dimensions and the entire page. This is a winner for me and I can for the community they serve!”

Spot News Reporting

The Sun News, Staff, “The Inferno Runs Riot” Judge’s comment: “Nice multifaceted coverage of a tragic even that doesn’t fail to recognize the human element. Obviously a team effort in which reporters put ego aside in the interest of providing greater service to the Sun’s readership.”

Column Writing

The Island Packet, David Lauderdale, “Governor’s Dirty Secret” Judge’s comment: “Excellent editorial points made by clean, clean, concise writing. Hot topic, of course, but we liked the journey through the column and how we were brought to a logical conclusion.”

Series of Articles

The Post and Courier, Staff, “Surviving Recession” Judge’s comment: “This series drilled down into the lives of people affected by the recession and told the touching stories of how they are coping.”

Beat Reporting

The Horry Independent, Kathy Ropp, “Horry County Courts” Judge’s comment: “Solid reporting, well written, interesting stories, know readers look forward to court stories. Good Job.”

OPEN

Judson Chapman Award

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Tony Barteleme, “Alzheimer’s and Violence” Judge’s comment: “The growing problem of violent Alzheimer’s patients was captured perfectly in this beautifully written story that focused on the death of journalist Dwayne Walls. Walls, the nomination letter said, “was known for his love of narrative writing.” It’s obvious Barteleme also loves narrative writing and does it well.”

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Katy Stech, “State botched chance for aid”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Prentiss Findlay, “Daughter was ‘doing so good’ under center’s care”

Cartoon or Humorous Illustration

FIRST: News-Chronicle, Mike Beckom, “Tea Party,” “Kaboom,” “We can make it”

Judge’s comments: “Hilarious cartoons by a talented artist. Especially enjoyed Tea Party cartoon!”

SECOND: Charleston City Paper, Steve Stegelin, “Don’t cry for me SC,” “Penthouse forum,” “Obama Healthcare”

THIRD: The Index-Journal, Mike Beckom, “You may feel slight discomfort,” “Kegger@WH,” “I’m sorry tour”

Mixed Media Illustration

FIRST: The Sun News, Chris Mowder, “How coaches salaries stack up”

Judge’s comment: “Great package with plenty of breakout information. The use of the gray monochromatic palette mix and sharp greens help to direct the reader through the important bits of information. Great use of text hierarchy also helps with navigation.”

SECOND: The State, Kim Kim Foster-Tobin, “Wonderful”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Gary Kyle, “Recession Survival Kit”

Sports Series of Articles

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Gene Sapakoff, “Painkillers” Judge’s comment: “Articles well researched and written, provided good information on a touchy subject.”

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Todd Shanesy, Jason Gilman, Eric Boynton, “Gridiron Glory”

THIRD: Daniel Island News, Steve Ferber, Elizabeth Bush and Suzanne Deter, “It’s time for tennis”

Online Column Writing

FIRST, Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, “U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis: Glenn Beck”

Judge’s comment: “Spencer obviously knows his stuff when it comes to local, state and national politics. He is far from ‘crazy’ with strong writing and interviewing and effective use of links and Twitter updates. Can’t wait to read more!”

SECOND: The Island Packet, Liz Farrell, “Times are tight — Especially if you are Jessica Simpson’s jeans”

THIRD: The Herald, Jason Foster, “Biz Buzz Blog”

Online Single Photo

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Alan Hawes, “Mall Mantis”

Judge’s comments: “One of the most unique shots I’ve ever judged. Incredibly creative. Fun. Well composed. Wonderful expression.”

SECOND: The Greenville News, Bart Boatwright, “St. Francis Mud Run”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Alex C. Hicks Jr. “Father’s Pain”

Innovative Concept

FIRST: Aiken Standard, “Game On – Best High School Coverage Ever”

Judges’ comment: “Interesting concept for a topic that you know the community loves... Certainly a soup to nuts source for local football fans! Coverage is all-inclusive. Especially liked the stats and fan community features. Easy to navigate site with great pullout print section. Can’t wait to see what Aiken adds for the 2010 prep football season.”

SECOND: Daniel Island News, Steve Ferber, “The Survey Project — It’s All About You”

THIRD: The State, The Post and Courier, The Greenville News, The Sun News, The Herald, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette; “Carolina Content Collective”

ASSOCIATE

Newspaper Publication

FIRST: S.C. Lawyers Weekly

Judge’s comment: “Excellent design and strong writing. . . very professionally done. Good use of photographs. Inside pages are very well designed.”

SECOND: S.C. Department of Transportation, “The Connector”

THIRD: The Catholic Miscellany

Magazine/Special Publication

FIRST: University of South Carolina Department of Publications, “The Carolinian: Spring 2009” Judge’s comment: “Compelling cover reflects USC’s global stretch, as does cover story. Interesting newsy tidbits. Smart writing, good headlines, innovative graphics. Congratulations to this staff of professionals.”

SECOND: S.C. Chamber of Commerce, “South Carolina Business: November 2009”

THIRD: TALK Greenville, “December 2009”

Web site

FIRST: Municipal Association of South Carolina, www.masc.sc

Judge’s comment: “Well organized and easy to navigate for such a large amount of info. Menus and libraries function well. News stories are useful and relevant.”

SECOND: S.C. Chamber of Commerce, www.scchamber.net

THIRD: TALK Greenville, www.TALKGreenville.com

HONORABLE MENTION: Ask and Receive, Inc., www.tamagrams.com

Published Photo

FIRST: University of South Carolina Department of Publications, Kim Truett, “The Carolinian: Singin’ in the Rain,”

Judge’s comment: “Low angle, excellent lighting make this photo stand out. Depth of field is just right to emphasize bird yet put it in context.”

SECOND: S.C. Lawyers Weekly, Fred Horlbeck, “Shovels Stand”

THIRD: The Catholic Miscellany, Keith Jacobs, “Father Riplog”

Event Marketing

FIRST: Municipal Association of South Carolina, 2009 Annual Meeting

Judge’s comment: “Good consistency among campaign elements. Web site was good complement to printed pieces.”

SECOND: TALK Greenville, “25 Most Beautiful Women”

THIRD: S.C. Lawyers Weekly, “Leadership in Law Awards”

HONORABLE MENTION: Mary Jean Baxley, “Legacy of Gospel Music, Christian Voice magazine”

Electronic Newsletter/ Publication

FIRST: S.C. Chamber of Commerce, “Chamber Biz”

Judge’s comment: “The clear winner in this contest! Effective use of linking; easy to navigate. Very userfriendly content – short stories with contact e-mail/ phone information. Writing and design are clean and well organized. Especially like the teasers at top, video and calendar events.”

SECOND: Ask and Receive, Inc., “March Mat-ness”

THIRD: Ask and Receive, Inc., “Nuri-eye”

PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Daily Over 75,000 — The State

Daily 26,000-75,000 — Herald-Journal

Daily Under 26,000 — The Island Packet

Weekly 2-3x — The Press & Standard Weekly Over 6,000 — Carolina Forest Chronicle Weekly Under 6,000 — Coastal Observer

GENERAL EXCELLENCE

Daily Over 75,000

FIRST: The State

Judge’s comment: “Excellent design, inviting presentation – even obits! Good writing, also. Thought provoking – like “How will recession change South Carolina?” The kind of package that keeps readers coming back for more.”

Weekly 2/3 Times

FIRST: The Press & Standard

Judge’s comment: “The local news stories were clearly written and had depth. Sports, lifestyle and opinion sections all had plenty of quality content. There were some good photos and generally attractive design. The Press and Standard offers much for its readers.”

SECOND: The Summerville Journal Scene

THIRD: The Greer Citizen

Daily 26,000-75,000

FIRST: Herald-Journal

Judge’s comment: “Covers community well. Stories are concise and well edited, design is excellent and paper is easy to navigate. Nice use of reader aids. Enjoyable experience.”

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail

THIRD: The Sun News

Weekly Over 6,000

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle

Judge’s comment: “It’s an excellent read. It has excellent coverage. It looks excellent… Must be excellent.”

SECOND: Fort Mill Times

THIRD: Greenville Journal

Daily Under

26,000

FIRST: The Island Packet

Judge’s comment: “Choices in local coverage, quality of writing, design and strong local editorials stand out. This newspaper feels very at home in its community coverage. Very good photography. An excellent local newspaper overall.”

SECOND: The Times and Democrat

THIRD: Beaufort Gazette

Weekly Under 6,000

FIRST: Enquirer-Herald

Judge’s comment: “Excellent newspaper! Beautiful design and gorgeous photos. Writing is clean and understandable. Good use of graphics.”

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch

THIRD: News and Press