2010 S.C. Press Association News Contest Winners

2010 NEWS CONTEST AWARD WINNERS

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Daily Division DAVID WREN

The Sun News

David graduated from Radford University in Virginia with a degree in mass communications/journalism.

His first reporting job was at The JournalMessenger in Manassas, Va., covering Prince William County. He went from there to the Daily Herald in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and then to the Martinsville Bulletin in Martinsville, Va., where he was assistant sports editor.

He first came to The Sun News as a sports copy editor in 1991, but quickly moved into reporting, where he quickly set the stage for what would become his trademark: dogged persistence and the patience to delve into the documents that hold the real story. In 1999, he left The Sun News to work for The Rocky Mountain News in Denver, but returned to Myrtle Beach in 2001 as metro editor. Eventually his heart would lead him back to reporting where he has excelled at classic watchdog reporting, uncovering untold examples of tax spending abuses by public agencies and charities.

Judge’s Comments: Wren’s work fulfills journalism’s core mission: speak truth to power. His reporting reveals the intensity of his curiosity and the depth of his inquisitiveness. A remarkable body of work that rips away the veil on public and private corruption. Taxpayers and readers should thank him.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AWARD

Daily Winner

The Charleston Post and Courier deserves first place for its holistic approach to Freedom of Information and the kind of reporting it requires. This year’s Post and Courier FOI efforts, even dissected into parts, would be a collection of strong entries. The most compelling ingredient in the body of 2010 work was the tenacious reporting by Diane Knich on South Carolina State University’s slapdash accounting for governmental grant money. The school had stonewalled media inquiries for almost 20 years but Knich’s reporting forced disclosures and ultimately an audit by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Reporters David Slade and Glenn Smith also produced strong series on Charleston governmental spending practices and an investigation into a fire that killed nine firefighters, respectively. But that wasn’t all the Post and Courier did. There were other impressive examples of strong reporting that helped taxpayers understand what kind of

Weekly Division JERRY BELLUNE

Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

Jerry and his wife MacLeod publish the Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News and a variety of niche publications. Since his days carrying a before-dawn route for The Greenville News, Jerry has been involved in every aspect of the newspaper industry, from small weeklies to large Metropolitan dailies.

The Chronicle has won more than 300 national and state awards for excellence in advertising and journalism under his leadership. Since his first newspaper job with The Greenville News, he worked at newspapers in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania before returning to South Carolina to publish the weekly newspaper in Lexington.

He is also a published author with numerous books in print about motivation, leadership and being an entrepreneur.

Judge’s Comments: It’s been said that “old guys rule.” Jerry Bellune has been running his race long enough to (semi-) retire, and he’s still as good as and sometimes better than his competitors. His readers continue to benefit from his dedication to old-style journalistic integrity, and each one ought to thank him personally.

work was being done for their money. The entries show strong leadership of the newsroom management team, including Editor Bill Hawkins and City Editor Rick Nelson.

SECOND PLACE

Myrtle Beach Sun News reporter David Wren seems to never have a shortage of doors that need to be kicked open in and around the Grand Strand, and in 2010 he focused on William Bailey, the public safety director for North Myrtle Beach, who lied about whether he had locked his city-issued handgun in his pickup truck the night it was stolen. When the lie was exposed, Bailey was suspended, demoted and then ultimately forced to resign. That story became broader after Bailey’s suspension, when a former officer who questioned

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JUDSON CHAPMAN

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Gene Sapakoff, “The Guardians”

Judges Comments: Excellent job giving children a voice in society. A clear outcome here: double the number of advocates.

SECOND: Greenville Journal, April Silvaggio, “Nobody’s Choice”

THIRD: The Post and Courier; Katy Stech, David Slade and Yvonne Wenger, “Boeing’s whopping incentives”

toCongratulations the 2010 News Contest Winners!

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AWARD

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Bailey’s leadership produced secretly taped conversations that showed a police department in which political favors were common, officers were intimidated and senior officers made sexually offensive remarks about co-workers and crime victims. This was yet another clear example of Wren’s intrepid reporting, and Sun News Editor Trisha O’Connor’s commitment of newsroom resources to pursue its invaluable watchdog role.

Weekly Winner

The Middle Tyger Times earned top honors for in the weekly division for an entry that would make any daily or weekly proud. The Times was involved in a months-long effort starting in the summer of 2010 with reporter Jay King leading

the way with a series of hard-hitting stories into an illegal meeting of the Holly Springs Fire Commission, which voted in a secret, unannounced meeting to fire Chief Lee Jeffcoat. A judge ordered the chief reinstated and the board backed down on the firing. Later the board members faced criminal charges for the FOI violations, after a judge found probable cause that they violated the FOI law. This was a first in South Carolina for a public official to face criminal charges under the FOIA. That matter is still pending.

PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Daily Division

JANET BLACKMON MORGAN

The Sun News

Judges’ comments: Best overall portfolio in a very competitive division. Great eye. Your photos have great impact and tell a story. The body of work is varied and we were impressed with the overall quality and creativity of your work.

Weekly Division

MICHAEL SMITH

Carolina Forest Chronicle

Judges’ comments: Best all around. A good photographer is out in his or her community interacting and capturing the stories for readers. It is clear that Mr. Smith is everywhere that he can be. A top notch portfolio that is not only well rounded in topics portrayed, but is thoughtful and creative.

CREDITS

The South Carolina Press Association and its members would like to thank The Times and Democrat for printing this special publication. Production credit goes to Michael Ball of the Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News. Thanks to the members of the Arkansas Press Association who judged the 2010 News Contest.

DAILY DIVISION

Daily Over 60,000

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: The State, Noelle Phillips and Adam Beam, “City Manager Fires Columbia Police Chief” Judges’ comments: Comprehensive, thorough coverage of a breaking news event with multiple sources, solid background and details on how the event could help impact city and county residents.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Ron Barnett, “Afghan Blast Ends Soldier’s Lifelong Dream”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Prentiss Findlay, “‘Weakest Moment’ Results in Death”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The Post and Courier, David Slade and Diane Knich, “Why is College Tuition So High?” Judges’ comments: The reporters and their newspaper performed a public service by examining the data and proving that steep tuition increases resulted from college administrator’s bricks-and-motor arms race more than tight state budgets. Strong analysis and clear writing.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Katy Stech, David Slade and Yvonne Wenger, “Boeings Whopping Incentives”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Ron Barnett and Thomas Woodham, “College Athletics Spending Climbs”

Business Reporting

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Warren Wise Judges’ comments: Great job on both nonoriginal and original articles, particularly the grease thieves story.

SECOND: The State, Andrew Shain

THIRD: The State, Kristy Eppley Rupon

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: The Greenville News, Donna Isbell Walker, “Are You Heartier than a Fourth Grader?” Judges’ comments: Wonderful portrayal of a day with kids. Turned an outing into a beautifully portrayed story. Extremely tough competition in this category-well deserved #1.

SECOND: The State, Joey Holleman, “Chaos Theory”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Lillia Callum-Penso, “Living Apart”

News Feature Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Schuyler Kropf, “The Afghan War Widow” Judges’ comments: This story-with both human interest and news angle-rose to the top in a competitive field.

SECOND: The State, Noelle Phillips, “‘I Only Need One to Live’”

THIRD: The State, Adam Beam, “Columbia a Refuge from Catastrophe”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The Greenville News, Lillia Callum-Penso, “Touching Lives”

Judges’ comments: This story does a great job of capturing the personality of the youth Josh Schmidt. It is touchingly well-written.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Donna Isbell Walker, “Guitar Man”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Glenn Smith, “Losing Faith”

Short Story

FIRST: The State, Dawn Hinshaw, “Wanted: A Good Home For ‘Morticia’”

Judges’ comments: Nice, concise, and yet simultaneously informative and entertaining.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Bo Petersen, “Invasive Insects Make Big Stink”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Scott Keepfer, “Lightning Strikes for 92-Year-Old Golfer”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Brian Hicks

Judges’ comments: This guy stands up for the little guys. On in the case of one column, the best, the little kids.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, David Slade

THIRD: The State, Cindi Ross Scoppe

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Brian Hicks

Judges’ comments: This guy stands up for the little guys... or in the case of one column – the best – the little kids.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Ken Burger

THIRD: The State, Gregory Hardy

Series of Articles

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Adam Parker and Gene Sapakoff, “State of Abuse”

Judges’ comments: Well-written, comprehensive report in critical issue.

SECOND: The State, Staff, “12 Lives”

THIRD: The State, Jeff Wilkinson, “Battle of the Bulge”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Katy Stech and David Slade, “Boeing’s Ambitious Promise” Judges’ comments: Well-written, wellresearched, and interesting. Fantastic job of finding multiple angles for the reader and reaching beyond the obvious story line.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Tim Smith, “Problems at Agency for Jobless”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Warren Wise, “SCE&G Rate Hike”

Beat Reporting

BEST OF THE BEST: The Post and Courier, Glenn Smith, “Crime”

Judges’ comments: Smith proves-with great analytical power-the idea that journalism is the chronicling of the human condition.

SECOND: The State, John O’Connor, “General Assembly”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Bo Petersen, “Environment”

Public Service for a Daily

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Bill Hawkins, “College Tuition”

Judges’ comments: This series exemplifies journalism at its best-identifying a problem, searching out information the public would never otherwise see and, most importantly, presenting it clearly and effectively so as to pave the path to reform.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Chris Weston, “State Spending”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Bill Hawkins, “Grading Teachers”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Greenville News, Eric Connor, “Throng Cheers Lattimore’s Cap”

Judges’ comments: This one stood out from the hundreds of routine signing stories that everybody does. Loved the lead. Great job of storytelling and capturing the moment.

SECOND: The State, Seth Emerson, “Making the Point” THIRD: The Post and Courier, Gene Sapakoff, “When Basketball Takes a Backseat”

Sports Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The State, Ron Morris, “The Most Powerful Man in College Sports”

Judges’ comments: This was the best in a crowded field of superb efforts. By the time readers had consumed Morris’ to-the-bone story, they may have felt as if Mike Slive was seated on their sofa, across from their easy chair.

SECOND: The State, Joseph Person, “NCAA-USC”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Rudy Jones, “Coaches Prepared”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: The State, Ron Morris, “Family Matters” Judges’ comments: When reading this story, there were several times when I thought it couldn’t possibly get any better-and yet it always did. Expertly written and reported, Morris’ “Family Matters” is a rare gem.

SECOND: The State, Akilah Imani Nelson

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Tommy Braswell, “In Good Company”

Page One Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Tim Thorsen Judges’ comments: Well organized. Excellent, clean use of photos, graphics, sidebars and headlines.

SECOND: The State, Tracy Burlison

THIRD: The State, Meredith Sheffer

Inside Page Design

FIRST: The State, Meredith Sheffer Judges’ comments: Incorporates many layers and textures to pay tribute to a player-text doesn’t distract from photos. Everything meets together fabulously. Very, very well done.

SECOND: The State, Julie Wyatt

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Marcus Amaker

Feature Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: The State, Susan Ardis Judges’ comments: The pages embody contentdriven design, from the text forming a Christmas tree to the images being arranged in a galaxy.

SECOND: The State, Elizabeth M. Smith

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Betsy Miller

Spot News Photo

FIRST: The Greenville News, Ken Osburn, “Train derailment”

Judges’ comments: Shows enormity of the event. Like lines and color.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Disastercare Fire”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Bart Boatwright, “Augusta St. public hearing”

General News Photo

BEST OF THE BEST: The Post and Courier, Brad Nettles, “Citadel knobs”

Judges’ comments: Great plebe facial reactions makes this a first place standout.

SECOND: The State, Tracy Glantz, “Funeral procession for fallen soldier”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Alan Hawes, “Ionia White’s great loss”

Feature Photo

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm, “Charleston Bed Race”

Judges’ comments: Great action captured. Nice, clean photo.

SECOND: The State, C. Aluka Berry, “Dinner’s ready”

THIRD : The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm, Carolina Day”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm, “Family Circle Cup”

Judges’ comments: Nice concentration. Good selective focus. Way to work the tennis match

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Floor Fight”

THIRD: The State, C. Aluka Berry, “The Hustle”

HONORABLE MENTION: The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm, “The Igor Effect”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: The State, C. Aluka Berry, “Round & Round”

Judges’ comments: Simple, well composed photo.

SECOND: The State, C. Aluka Berry, “The Pain”

THIRD: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Gatorade Shower at Dorman”

HONORABLE MENTION: The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm, “Folly Beach Wahine Classic”

Personality Photo or Portrait

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Alan Hawes, “WWII veteran”

Judges’ comments: Nice portrait. Nice angle of an old WWII vet. Stunning light and detail.

SECOND: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Jarriel King”

THIRD: The State, Kim Kim Foster-Tobin, “The Restoration”

Photo Illustration

FIRST: The State, Kim Kim Foster-Tobin, “iPhone wrist” Judges’ comments: Nice, well thought out. Cutting edge, original illustration. Good color and attention to detail.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Bryce’s interview techniques”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Brad Nettles, “Spring Flings veggies”

Website

FIRST: The Post and Courier

Judges’ comments: Very well organized, easy to navigate, good eye-appeal and a lot of local news makes this the clear winner. Good job!

SECOND: The Greenville News

THIRD: The State

Integration of Print & Web Coverage

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Phil Bowman and Andrew Miller, “PrepZone”

Judges’ comments: Nice way to feature high school sports in a variety of ways. Great convergence of print and web media! Certainly is a hit with readers in your community!

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Glenn Smith, “Losing Faith”

THIRD: The Greenville News, Honor Flight

Photo Gallery on a Website

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “S.C. guardsmen to Afghanistan”

Judges’ comments: Great story created of a difficult assignment. This gets the story of the day with emotion. The photos show touching moments. The shots are diverse with close-ups and far away perspectives. Great lighting in tough conditions... Striking images. You got close enough to capture the emotion, but really respected people’s privacy. A clear winner.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Bishop England falls to Batesburg-Leesville in Boys Soccer”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Wade Spees, “Colonial Dorchester”

Online Video

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Warren Peper and Chris Hanclosky, “Honor Flight” Judges’ comments: Meaningful content with great video footage and editing.

SECOND: The State, Andrew Haworth and Dwayne McLemore, “2001 Entrance”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Bryce Donovan and Sarah Bates, “15 minutes with Bryce – Personal Fowler”

Daily Over 60,000 & 20,000 - 60,000 Combined

News Headline Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Beth Harrison

Judges’ comments: Writer shows she can create a clever headline in two words or more. The headlines caught my attention immediately.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Bob Kinney

THIRD: The State, Bobby Bryant

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The State, Ron Morris

Judges’ comments: What stands out here is the variety-you save memories of a longtime friend, gave South Carolina fans perspective on a national title and opined on a critical social issue. Good job of using your format and voice.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Bart Wright

Third: Herald-Journal, Eric Boynton

Sports Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: The State, Meredith Sheffer

Judges’ comments: Clean design overall. Good use of fonts and photos. Interesting out-of-the-box thinking with “crazy like a fox” horizontal layout.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Luke Reasoner

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Nick Foster

Daily 20,000 - 60,000

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Michael Ellis, Ken Ruinard, Charmaine Smith-Miles and Nikie Mayo, “Mother, Baby Die in Crash”

Judges’ comments: Good story with sport news from the U.S. Army National Guard-a hard source to get immediate information from. Great team effort!

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Gary Glancy, “Man, 73, Collars Intrude”

THIRD: The Herald, Kimberly Dick and Andrew Dys, “Girlfriend Charged in Slaying of York Ex-Mayor”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Morning News, Tucker Mitchell, “Officials Rally to Keep Delta”

Judges’ comments: When a story creates controversy-you’ve done your job.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, “Family Discovers Car”

THIRD: Morning News, Jamie Rogers, “A Lifesaving Sport”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan, “Expectant Mothers”

Judges’ comments: Powerful. Moving. Left me in awe. Great job covering a sensitive topic.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Kim Kimzey, “Marks with a Message”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Mike Ellis, “96-Year-Olds Say I Do”

News Feature Writing

BEST OF THE BEST: Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, “Much More than a Number”

Judges’ comments: Extremely well-written, creative, and very touching and yet very informative.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Kim Kimzey, “Couple’s Common Bonds”

THIRD: The Herald, Shawn Cetrone, “South Pointe Principal Takes SPIN Seriously”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Kim Kimzey, “Everything’s Coming Up Rosie”

Judges’ comments: Creative feature; very entertaining and well-written. Really grabbed my attention.

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nikie Mayo, “Celebration of Hope Speaker: ‘Having a Mental...’”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Lee G. Healy, “Lucky Seventy”

Short Story

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nikie Mayo, “Pendleton Bluegrass”

Judges’ comments: Nice short story, well-written and edited with all pertinent elements. All-inall, a good story well done.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Lee G. Healy, “Happy Ending”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Luke Connell, “Fire Claims Twin Brothers”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Sun News, Isaac Bailey

Judges’ comments: Good, harsh opinion. Wonderfully presented. K-Mart column is a textbook case of juxtaposition for dramatic effect. I wish I had written that column.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Lane Filler

THIRD: The Sun News, Johanna D. Wilson

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Herald, James Werrell

Judges’ comment: Writing humor is a challenging gig but Werrell pulls it of in spades. The columns bring a chuckle to making a point. It’s difficult doing both. Werrell does it consistently.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Lane Filler

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Pam Stone

Series of Articles

BEST OF THE BEST: The Sun News, Isaac Bailey, “Social Services Breakdown”

Judges’ comments: A bureaucratic nightmare brought to life. Can this really happen? Journalism committed.

SECOND: The Sun News, Adva Saldinger, “Extreme Makeover Home Edition”

THIRD: The Herald, Matt Garfield, “Museum of York County”

Reporting-in-depth

FIRST: The Sun News, David Wren, “Real estate meltdown and fraud”

Judges’ comments: Good, thorough investigation.

SECOND: The Sun News, David Wren, “North Myrtle Beach Public Safety”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, Bob Dalton, Lynne Shackleford, Trevor Anderson, Luke Connell and Craig Peters, “Spartanburg County Police Corruption”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Mike Ellis, “County Government”

Judges’ comments: It would be hard to find a reporter who tops Ellis in detailed knowledge of his beat.

SECOND: The Herald, Matt Garfield, “Spratt/ Mulvaney Congressional Race”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Anna B. Mitchell, “Hartwell Lake/Savannah”

Public Service for a Daily

FIRST: The Sun News, Trisha O’Connor, “Myrtle Beach Real Estate Meltdown”

Judges’ comments:The effort and knowledge required to pull out reporting as good as this is a rare and wonderful thing.

SECOND: The Herald, Paul Osmundson, “Army National Guard”

THIRD: The Sun News, Trisha O’Connor, “North Myrtle Beach Public Safety”

Spot Sports Story

BEST OF THE BEST: The Sun News, Alan Blondin, “Mickelson Mastery”

Judges’ comments: Blondin skillfully captured one of the most emotional moments in sports in 2010 while exhibiting first-class reporting of the final round of the Masters.

SECOND: The Sun News, Alan Blondin, “McIlroy Makes Statement”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Todd Shanesy, “Dogs Dancing”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Todd Shanesy, “Full Speed Ahead”

Judges’ comments: Probably a once-in-alifetime story and masterfully done. An excellent lede pulls the reader into the second paragraph, and the flow continued throughout. The photos added to the story’s impact.

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Brad Senkiw, “Building through relationships”

THIRD: The Sun News, Alan Blondin, “Eyeing perfection”

Page One Design Portfolio

BEST OF THE BEST: Herald-Journal, Shana Gray Judges’ comments: Nicely done.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Todd Money

THIRD: The Sun News, Amanda Criswell

Inside Page Design

FIRST: The Sun News, Amanda Criswell Judges’ comments: Clean design. Very eye-catching!

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Kylie Yerka

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Emily Sparr

Feature Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Todd Money Judges’ comments: All three pages were superb! The use of white space and size of artwork stood out.

SECOND: Morning News, Emily Killian

THIRD: The Sun News, Amanda Criswell

Spot News Photo

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray, “Woods fire near Hayes Road” Judges’ comments: Waited and got a good picture. Saw beyond the actual fire fighting.

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray, “Fatal shooting”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Tim Kimzey, “Firefighters work to free man entrapped in a one-vehicle accident”

General News Photo

FIRST: The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan, “Westboro gets the finger” Judges’ comment: Great capture of a splitsecond moment.

SECOND: The Sun News, Steve Jessmore, “Haley”

THIRD: Morning News, R.J. Ducker, “Mourning for a soldier”

HONORABLE MENTION: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray, “Coroner shaves head for Relay for Life”

Feature Photo

BEST OF THE BEST: Anderson Independent-Mail, Sefton Ipock, “Fun at the fair” Judges’ comments: Really good geometry. Creative way to show having a good time at the fair. Generally just a cool picture.

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Sefton Ipock, “Ellissa’s waterfall”

THIRD: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Kids sledding”

HONORABLE MENTION: Morning News, R.J. Ducker, “Band reflection”

Sports Feature Photo First: The State, C. Aluka Berry “Round & Round”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Alex C. Hicks Jr., “Wrestling hold” Judges’ comments: High school wrestling can move fast and you captured the right moment. Nice action shot!

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Jetski Flip”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Gerry Pate, “Motorbiking”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: The Sun News, Randall Hill, “Braves huddle” Judges’ comments: Way to capture the moment.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Tim Kimzey, “800 Meter”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Girls State Championship loss”

Personality Photo or Portrait

FIRST: The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan, “Alissandra Von Rose”

Judges’ comments: Creative angle. Good color and sharp image.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, John Byrum, “Senator”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard, “Jack Walls”

Photo Illustration

FIRST: Herald-Journal, John Byrum, “Football Zen” Judges’ comments: Nice creativity.

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray, “Vegetables”

THIRD: Morning News, R.J. Ducker, “Homelessness”

Website

BEST OF THE BEST: The Herald Judges’ comments: Good looking website full of local news and a variety of other offerings set this apart from others.

SECOND: Herald-Journal

THIRD: The Sun News

Online Video

FIRST: Morning News, Elizabeth Lamb, “Mud n’ Fun”

Judges’ comments: Great videography and editing. Very professional.

SECOND: Morning News, Elizabeth Lamb, ‘Lamar Family”

THIRD: Morning News, Steffani Nolte, “Fair Food”

Daily 20,000-60,000 & Under 20,000 Combined

Business Reporting

FIRST: The Herald, Don Worthington

Judges’ comments: By providing an extended explanation sheet, I was encouraged to read Don’s stories. Well done!

SECOND: The Island Packet, Josh McCann

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Gary Glancy

HONORABLE MENTION, The Times and Democrat, Gene Zaleski

Sports Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The Island Packet, Sam McDowell and Justin Jarrett, “Gray Area of Recruiting” Judges’ comments: A hot topic, thoroughly and objectively reported.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Sam McDowell, “Everything Lines Up Right for Bobcats”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Thomas Grant Jr., “Shelving the Legacy Bowl”

Integration of Print and Web Coverage

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail, “Orange and White”

Judges’ comments: The site’s reader engagement abilities and the print edition’s promotion of the site’s content give both sets of readers a complete sports experience.

SECOND: The Sun News, “Common Chords”

THIRD: The Herald, “York Comprehensive High”

Photo Gallery on a Website

FIRST: The Sun News, Randall Hill and Charles Slate, “9-11 Remembered”

Judges’ comments: Suprised by how good this was. There were a lot of photos but I never got bored. Good variety of shots. Nice lighting. Got width and scope, as well as the solemnity of the event. Could have been edited tighter, but I did not get tired of looking at these.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Sarah Welliver, “Bluffton Bobcats fight to the finish in loss against Berkeley”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Tom Priddy, “Dorman does it! State Champs”

Daily Under 20,000

News Headline Writing

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Gene Crider Judges’ Comments: Only headline entry that had me laughing out loud! Great play on words! I wish more editors could have this kind of fun with their publication...

SECOND: The Island Packet, Jedd Rosche

THIRD: The Island Packet, Steven Austin

Spot News Reporting

BEST OF THE BEST: The Times and Democrat, Staff, “Kids Pulled From River; Mother Held,” Judges’ comments: Excellent staff coverage of a horrific event. Reporting, writing, editing, layout and photography are top-notch.

SECOND: The Item, Joe Perry, “Logs Crush Driver”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Richard Walker, Phil Sarata and Dale Linder-Altman, “One Day: Two Leaders Lost”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Index-Journal, Chris Trainor, “Neighborhood in Crisis”

Judges’ comments: Showcases excellent writing and editing skills. Thorough, but doesn’t bog down readers. A stand-out in revealing issues affecting residents.

SECOND: The Beaufort Gazette, Kate Cerve, “Does School Start Too Early”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Dale LinderAltman, “School Board Travel”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: The Beaufort Gazette, Hannah Carroll, “Ready to Roll”

Judges’ comments: Interesting... Overall, just a great read. Good job!

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Richard Walker, “Nightmare on Main Street”

THIRD: The Journal, Seneca, Jessica Sibley, “Together in Life”

News Feature Writing

FIRST: The Island Packet, Josh McCann, Ice Cream Float

Judges’ comments: Excellent story-unique! After reading your story-I’m tempted to go to Hilton Head to see the floating ice cream oasis.

SECOND: Index-Journal, Chris Trainor, “His A-Mays-ing Life”

THIRD: The Beaufort Gazette, Juliann Vachon, “Beaufort Official Uncover”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Dale LinderAltman, “Worth a Thousand Words: From Depression to Digital”

Judges’ comments: Very creatively written and yet still informative and entertaining. Enjoyable to read and hard to put down.

SECOND: Bluffton Today, Gwyneth J. Saunders, “My Mother’s Hands”

THIRD: The Journal, Seneca, Jessica Sibley, “Myrna, Decade at Keyboard, a Lifetime of Stories”

Short Story

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Gene Crider, “Neighborhood Mourns, Awaits Information” Judges’ comments: way to work with little information from officials.

SECOND: The Beaufort Gazette, Patrick Donohue, “For Marines, Their Families”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Richard Walker, “Night Deposit Angler Comes Up Empty”

Column Writing

FIRST: Bluffton Today, Annelore Harrell Judges’ comments: This column is relatable and causes me to think back on similar life experiences. Very entertaining with a deeper lesson underneath humor.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Gene Crider

THIRD: Index-Journal, Richard Whiting

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Island Packet, Liz Farrell Judges’ comments: Oh my goodness... You are too funny. Want to read more!

SECOND: Aiken Standard, Michael Gibbons

THIRD: Index-Journal, Richard Whiting

Series of Articles

FIRST: The Journal, Seneca, Brett McLaughlin, Greg Oliver, Andrew Moore, Carlos Galarza and Jessica Sibley, “Bible Belt turns a page” Judges’ comments: Well-rounded, expansive look at what was and what is. You took a sensitive issue and provided extensive interviews from many perspectives and different denominations. This was not only informative, but you made it interesting. I especially liked that you delved into the generational and political issues in such a respectful, but still insightful way. Standout in a very competitive category.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Staff, “Breaking the Burglars”

THIRD: Index-Journal, Felicia Kitzmiller, Nicole E. Smith, Matt Anderson and Justin Schoenberger, “Erskine College and the ARP Church”

HONORABLE MENTION: The Journal, Seneca, Brett McLaughlin, “Looking in the mirror”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Lee Harter and Staff, “Five Days of Trauma” Judges’ comments: Appreciated the effort to cover many different angles of this story.

SECOND: The Beaufort Gazette, Patrick Donohue, “Trouble in the Treasurer’s Office”

THIRD: The Item, Jade Anderson, “Sumter School Consolidation”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: The Beaufort Gazette, Juliann Vachon, “City of Beaufort”

Judges’ comments: Vachon’s coverage is broad, deep and readable-a local reporting hat trick.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Richard Walker, “More than Cops”

THIRD: The Island Packet, Cassie Foss, “Crime Reporter”

Public Service for a Daily

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Lee Harter, “Breaking the Burglars”

Judges’ comments: Great job looking past the feel-good stats to discover that things are not as rosy as presented.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Josh McCann, “OKatie Crossings”

THIRD: The Beaufort Gazette, Patrick Donohue and Staff, “Trouble in the Treasurer’s Office”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Island Packet, Justin Jarrett, “Close Horse” Judges’ comments: Nice job of storytelling and capturing drama, on and off the course, at a memorable Masters.

SECOND: Index-Journal, Adam Regan, “He Changed Lives”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder, “Ricky Sapp is an Eagle”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: Index-Journal, Scott Chancey, “Her Field of Dreams” Judges’ comments: A Touching Story that Revolved Around a Poem-Well Told

SECOND: Index-Journal, Scott J. Bryan, “Masterful Martin”

THIRD: The Island Packet, Sam McDowell, “New Life Found”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Thomas Grant Jr. Judges’ comments: Outstanding job of developing your thoughts into though-provoking columns. Smooth-flowing style. Great piece on phrases that should be banned in sports.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Justin Jarrett

THIRD: Index-Journal, Scott J. Bryan

Page One Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Island Packet, Cate Westberg Judges’ comments: Excellent use of photo and text elements. Clean design that is informative and visually appealing.

SECOND: The Journal, Seneca, Amber Wilson

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Brandon Lockett

Inside Page Design

FIRST: The Island Packet, Cate Westberg Judges’ comments: A clever concept backed by solid execution helped this entry distinguish itself from a close second.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker

THIRD: The Island Packet, Ellis Harman

Feature Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Beaufort Gazette, Jennifer Alliet Judges’ comments: The best submissions-case in point, this one-in this highly creative field were not only visually stimulating, but led the reader’s eye on an ordered, logical journey through the content.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Ellis Harman

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker

Sports Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Michelle Kerscher Judges’ comment: Dynamic use of photos in a well organized layout. Great contrast and balance.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder and Michelle Kerscher

THIRD: The Island Packet, Mike Bragg

Spot News Photo

FIRST: The Journal, Seneca, Jessica Nelms, “Janet Reese loses her home to fire” Judges’ comments: Captured the right emotional moment. On top of the news.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Jay Karr, “Beach plane crash”

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Amy Banton, “Car on fire”

General News Photo

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Christopher Huff, “Hope Rivenburg”

Judges’ comments: Good capture of emotion.

SECOND: The Beaufort Gazette, Jonathan Dyer, “Confederate Memorial Day service”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Christopher Huff, “Sheriff Larry Williams burial”

Feature Photo

FIRST: The Island Packet, Jay Karr, “Water Day” Judges’ comments: Nice selective color.

SECOND: Bluffton Today, Sara Wright, “Honey Horn May”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Christopher Huff, “Cows keep cool”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The Island Packet, Jay Karr, “Alexis King” Judges’ comments: Good emotional reaction that makes this picture first place.

SECOND: The Journal, Seneca, Kenny Fey, “Head of the Class”

THIRD: The Beaufort Gazette, Jonathan Dyer, “Wrestling”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: The Beaufort Gazette, Jonathan Dyer, “Furyk wins” Judges’ comments: Nice moment of celebration with the family. Captured good facial expression.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Brian Linder, “A.J. Cann”

THIRD: Index-Journal, Sam O’Keefe, “Emma Byland”

Personality Photo or Portrait

FIRST: Index-Journal, Sam O’Keefe, “Glenda Kingsmore”

Judges’ comments: An interesting view.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Larry Hardy, “Charles Payne”

THIRD: The Island Packet, Sarah Welliver, “Joseph McGill Jr.”

Photo Illustration

FIRST: Index-Journal, Sam O’Keefe, “Cereal boxtops” Judges’ comments: Nice composition. Nice photo. Interesting take.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Kristin Leigh Coker, “Alshon Jeffery”

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Michelle Kerscher, “Shamier Jeffery”

Website

FIRST: The Times and Democrat

Judges’ comments: News on this site is wellorganized and well-written containing a variety of issues that likely have great local appeal. Good work!

SECOND: The Island Packet

THIRD: The Beaufort Gazette

Online Video

FIRST: The Island Packet, Sarah Welliver, “Out of the Darkness Walk raises money for suicide prevention”

Judges’ comments: Well edited. Really enhanced article content.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Sarah Welliver, “Sentences by Vinny Krishna”

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Tim O’Briant and Staff, “Mr. Central Game of the Week”

All Daily Division

News Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The State, Staff, “Our Patriots” Judges’ comments: Great special section theme. Layout is nice; articles tell a variety of stories outside the traditional Veteran’s Day genre.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Staff, “Breast Cancer Awareness”

THIRD: The Herald, Staff, “York County Magazine”

Sports Special Edition or Section

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Staff, “Monumental Expectations”

Judges’ comments: Amazing work even had it been for college ball in a huge market. Exceptional writing, graphics, layout and planning. Best high school preview I have ever seen anywhere.

SECOND: Index-Journal, Staff, “Kickoff 2010”

THIRD: The Island Packet, Staff, “Storming the Course”

Critical Writing

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Bill Thompson

Judges’ comments: Using the English language as a sharp stick, this review writer tells readers what they need to know. His reviews reflect a sense of institutional memory for the arts, and his content contains useful examples of support for his comments.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Paul Hyde

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Kathryn Smith

Health Reporting

FIRST: The State, Joey Holleman

Judges’ comments: An impressive piece on West Nile Virus pushed Holleman’s reporting ahead of a very strong runner-up.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Renee Dudley

THIRD: The Greenville News, Liv Osby

Education Reporting

FIRST: The Item, Jade Anderson

Judges’ comments: This reporter covers a range of stories important to many community members, uses a good number of diverse sources, and places quotes appropriately. Language use is excellent.

SECOND: The Beaufort Gazette, Kate Cerve

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Gary Glancy

Sports Beat Reporting

FIRST: The State, Joseph Person

Judges’ comments: Really dove inside South Carolina athletics from a variety of angles. Does not bog stories down with just stats.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Eric Boynton

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Todd Shanesy

Feature Headline Writing

FIRST: The Times and Democrat, Wendy Jeffcoat Crider

Judges’ comments: Tough to place in order from the top entries, but these edged out all the rest because all three samples were clever and conveyed the story without being too silly. Good graphics never hurt.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Sandy Schopfer

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Beth Harrison

Sports Headline Writing

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Mike McCombs

Judges’ comments: Your headlines were catchy but also descriptive. Told essence of story. They draw the reader in.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, Mark Egan

THIRD: The Times and Democrat, Michelle Kerscher

Photo Page Design

FIRST: The State, Kelly Cobb, “Grand Rebirth”

Judges’ comments: Good, clean design allows photos to shine.Package certainly catches the reader’s eye.

SECOND: The State, Kelly Cobb, “Chaos Theory”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Chad Dunbar, “Designs on Chefs”

Pictorial

FIRST: The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan, “Reflection at the fair”

Judges’ comments: Spotted a nice photo. Good use of lighting really makes photo pop. Won because you saw beyond the normal. Creative use of reflection to present standard subject matter.

SECOND: Herald-Journal, John Byrum, “Warhol Show”

THIRD: The Sun News, Steve Jessmore, “Foggy morning”

HONORABLE MENTION, The Sun News, Steve Jessmore, “Hot air balloon”

Humorous Photo

FIRST: The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan, “Jacob looks in his pants”

Judges’ comments: Funniest of all! Caught our attention right off the bat! Nice moment.

SECOND: The Greenville News, Heidi Heilbrunn, “National Cat Groomers Institute”

THIRD: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Lexington High fans”

General News Photo First: The Messenger, Jim Faile, “Firetruck”

Entertainment Section

FIRST: The Island Packet, Liz Farrell, “The Guide” Judges’ comments: I liked how the front page of the section stayed consistent. The use of large photos and white space were also visually appealing.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Marcus Amaker, “Charleston Scene”

THIRD: Anderson Independent-Mail, Jake Grove and Kylie Yerka, “Upstate Be”

Lifestyle/Feature Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The State, The Sun News, The Island Packet, The Herald and The Beaufort Gazette, “Celebrate South Carolina”

Judges’ comments: Well-written, informative articles about the area. Layout very strong for a broadsheet in a category with many strong tab designs. Overall, well done. Good collaborative effort.

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Staff, “My Charleston”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Staff, “North Charleston”

E.A. Ramsaur Memorial Award for Editorial Writing in a Daily Newspaper

FIRST: The Beaufort Gazette, Jeff Kidd

Judges’ comments: Editorials that are accessible, make sense, and take seriously the issues – but not themselves – refreshing, no?

SECOND: Anderson Independent-Mail, Bonnie Williams

THIRD: The Greenville News, Beth Padgett

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan, Abbie Dorn’s battle”

Judges’ comments: Really spent a good amount of time capturing this story. Shows a tremendous amount of effort was put forth. The time, sensitivity and dedication to this project shows. A heartfelt, full story is told through your photos. I feel for Abbie and her family. Could not have been told better than you did with this story.

SECOND: The State, C. Aluka Berry, “Migrant Workers”

THIRD: The State, Gerry Melendez, “West Niles” HONORABLE MENTION, The State, Gerry Melendez, “Grand Hotel”

PROUD TO REPRESENT 17 DAILY AND MORE THAN 100 WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA!

WEEKLY DIVISION

Two-To-Three Times Weekly

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: The Press & Standard, George Salsberry Judges’ comments: The brief explanation provided with this entry set it apart from the others. George’s time, attention and persistence were right on. Awesome!

SECOND: Chronicle - Independent, Martin L. Cahn, “Two Dead in Clearwater.

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, Denyse Middleton and Nancy Parsons, “Two Dead After Monday”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Christopher Sardelli, “Red Ventures Not Hiring Locals?” Judges’ comments: Good lead provoking curiosity to read the rest of the story; good initiative to notice-and research-the problem.

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “District 41 Candidate Defends Past Arrest”

THIRD: The Messenger, Jim Faile, “City Manager Search ‘Tainted’ By Illegal Meetings”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Christopher Sardelli, “The No. 1 Breakfast Around” Judges’ comments: Well-written and interesting. Good use of quotes makes me want to visit there.

SECOND: The Lancaster News, Gregory Summers, “Little Wings”

THIRD: Chronicle - Independent, Keri Todd Boyce, “Dancing Her Way to the Top”

News Feature Writing

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Gregory Summers, “In Search of Buried History” Judges’ comments: Very interesting and informative layout design in an excellent “attention getter.” Really enjoyed reading this one! Thank you!

SECOND: Georgetown Times, Clayton Stairs, “7th Grader Saves Toddler from Pond”

THIRD: Georgetown Times, Kelly Fuller, “Seed Grows Into Tree-Sized Plant”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “The Peddler” Judges’ comments: Good lead. Tight, yet creative writing. I could “hear” Mr. Melton talking.

SECOND: The Gaffney Ledger, Scott Powell, “l-85 Landmark Eatery”

THIRD: The Press & Standard, Linda Salsberry, “Art is Everyday Things”

Short Story

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Stefan Rogenmoser, “‘Dear John’ Premier Draws Large, Screaming Crowd.” Judges’ comments: First sentence drew me in and also summed up the whole article. I was interested the whole time and not distracted by the language.

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Linda Salsberry, “English Rotary Club Tours”

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Sloan’s Letter of Intent”

Column Writing

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Julie Smith Judges’ comments: Column subjects were relatable and entertaining.

SECOND: The Lancaster News, Barbara Rutledge THIRD: The Press & Standard, Charles Rowland

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Judy Watts Judges’ comments: Nothing is funnier than interactions between spouses-no matter the topic. Excellent!

SECOND: The Gaffney Ledger, Cody Sossamon THIRD: The Press & Standard, Charles Rowland

Series of Articles

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Gregory Summers, Jesef Williams, Jenny Arnold and Christopher Sardelli, “Cold Case Files” Judges’ comments: This was a compelling, well-written serious that was likely well-read and discussed in the community. This is a great example of what newspapers do best. A clear winner!

SECOND: The Herald-Independent, James Denton, “SACS Report”

THIRD: The Lancaster News, Jenny Arnold, Robert Howey, Barbara Rutledge, Christopher Sardelli, Jamey Shepherd, Greg Summers, Aaron Morrison and Jesef Williams, “Always on Call”

Reporting-in-depth

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Jenny Arnold, “Police Officer Fired”

Judges’ comments: Hats off to this reporter for staying with and seeing through this complex topic that obviously has a lot of local interest. Good use of available resources.

SECOND: The Journal Scene, Leslie Cantu, “Impact Fees”

THIRD: The Messenger, Jim Faile, “Hartsville Veterans Memorial”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Christopher Sardelli, “Lancaster County Beat”

Judges’ comments: Articles are very informative and easy to follow. Sardelli has an excellent gift of spreading the emotions.

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Nancy Parsons, “Great Falls”

THIRD: The Lancaster News, Jenny Arnold, “Cops and Court”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Gaffney Ledger, Scott Powell, “Student Makes $10,000 Shot”

Judges’ comments: A very well-written and entertaining piece and not the usual sports story, which is why it stood out. Nice job.

SECOND: The Gaffney Ledger, Larry Hilliard, “Indians State Champs!”

THIRD: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “Brock Miller Resigns”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Robert Howey, “Rings of Honor”

Judges’ comments: Loads of facts and figures, and a lot of good quotes. I bet this piece brought back a lot of memories and even found its way into the conversations of the current football players.

SECOND: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “Thunder and Thunder”

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Old School”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland Judges’ comments: Nice smooth writing style on a variety of topics. Fun and easy reads.

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins

THIRD: The Lancaster News, Robert Howey

Page One Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Katrena McCall and Taylor Smith

Judges’ comments: Very clean layout. Excellent use of photos, graphics and headline fonts/sizes. Centerpiece layout for “15 gang suspects arrested in sweep” is very well done.

SECOND: The Lancaster News, Jamey Shepherd

THIRD: The Journal Scene, Chris Hanclosky

Inside Page Design

FIRST: Chronicle - Independent, Keri Todd Boyce

Judges’ comments: Well organized and greatly informative through use of photos, map, graphic alternative storytelling. Very well done.

SECOND: The Gaffney Ledger, Laura Parker

THIRD: The Gaffney Ledger, Joe L. Hughes II

Feature Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Gregory Summers Judges’ comments: Great use of photos and graphic elements in a well organized manner. Independence Day page is a great example of clean, concise design tying it all together.

SECOND: The Journal Scene, Chris Hanclosky

THIRD: Georgetown Times, Zena Altman

Sports Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland Judges’ comments: Well organized layout. Good use of large photos and consistent multiple entry points.

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Phyllis Lucas

THIRD: The Journal Scene, Chris Hanclosky

Spot News Photo

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Mike Olson, “Man survives log truck accident” Judges’ comments: Nice image. Right place at the right time.

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Stripmall burns”

THIRD: The Messenger, Jim Faile, “Fire”

General News Photo

FIRST: The Messenger, Jim Faile, “Firetruck” Judges’ comments: Good action. Nice patterns with water.

SECOND: The Herald-Independent, Jill Cincotta, “Ridgeway fire”

THIRD: The Journal Scene, Stefan Rogenmoser, “Teacher of the Year”

Feature Photo

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Stefan Rogenmoser, “High voltage”

Judges’ comments: Good lightning capture. Good lens selection. Neat photo.

SECOND: The Messenger, Lisa Chalian-Rock, “Dogwash”

THIRD: The Gaffney Ledger, Klonie Jordan, “Bird in snow”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: The Messenger, Lisa Chalian-Rock, “Little League”

Judges’ comments: Good action and cute picture!

SECOND: The Journal Scene, Roger Lee, “Wrestling”

THIRD: The Press & Standard, Brantley Strickland, “In good hands”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Paul Zoeller, “Football players in tunnell”

Judges’ comments: Nice lighting and composition. That’s art... Killer photo.

SECOND: The Messenger, Lisa Chalian-Rock, “Northern Farm League champs!”

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Stevo Squirewell flexes”

Personality Photo or Portrait

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Paul Zoeller, “Victor ‘Goat’ Lafayette”

Judges’ comments: Good face. Really nice character photo. Tells a story all by itself. Contrast, lighting and exposure are dead on.

SECOND: The Journal Scene, Paul Zoeller, “Beard and Moustache Society”

THIRD: The Journal Scene, Stefan Rogenmoser, “Tea time well spent”

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: The Gaffney Ledger, Cody Sossamon, “Ten days in Italy”

Judges’ comments: Feel like I was there... Nice photos. Only one thing missing. Where are all the photos of Italian girls?!

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Holly Hindman, “HILLarity 2010”

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, “Lando Days 2010”

Weekly Over 6,000

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: Lake Wylie Pilot, Catherine Muccigrosso and John Marks, “Iconic River Rat Closing” Judges’ comments: Great use of Facebook post and traditional fact finding reporter skills. Very enjoyable story!

SECOND: Myrtle Beach Herald, Staff, “Everyone was panicking”

THIRD: Greenville Journal, Cindy Landrum, “Shock and Disbelief”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Unfair market values or not?”

Judges’ comments: Excellent job on uncovering an important story. Very well done. Lots of good examples. details, etc. This was a very strong category with lots of excellent stories entered.

SECOND: Free Times, Eva Moore, “Green Burial”

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Amanda Kelley, “Beneath the Surface”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: The Horry Independent, Kathy Ropp, “Real deal Santa”

Judges’ comments: I learned a lot about the art of being Santa through your story. Excellent!

SECOND: Moultrie News, Sully Witte, “Love knows no boundaries”

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Krista Gibson, “Empty bowls full of promise”

News Feature Writing

FIRST: West Wateree Chronicle, Claire Byun, “A problem with pigs”

Judges’ comments: The story had a great lead in that it captured the reader’s attention and kept it. It explained the problem and the reasoning. Great job!

SECOND: Charleston City Paper, Erica Jackson, “Unbound: libraries adjust”

THIRD: Spartanburg Journal, Cindy Landrum, “In the land of their loss”

Profile Feature Writing or Story

FIRST: Charleston City Paper, Greg Hambrick, “Queen Mary: The Victor and The Spoilers” Judges’ comments: Extensive look at a woman who has fought encroachment of her island by the larger city of Charleston, yet now faces opposition from former supporters. Good work.

SECOND: Free Times, Patrick Wall, “The year of Toro”

THIRD: Spartanburg Journal, Cindy Landrum, “Milliken: The Man”

Short Story

FIRST: LINK, Greenville, Matt Wake, “Winter sounds have a CD only their fans could make” Judges’ comments: Interesting presentation of a music-funding idea that ties in use of the Web and fan base; clever art helped, too.

SECOND: The Gazette, Frank Johnson, “All OK after van crushes wall”

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry, “A sign of change, respect: MB football team takes field for national anthem”

Column Writing

BEST OF THE BEST: Greenville Journal, Lyn Riddle Judges’ comments: Pithy, personal, pitchperfect. All the attributes of great column writing are on display here.

SECOND: Free Times, Kevin Fisher

THIRD: Greenville Journal, Susan Clary Simmons

HONORABLE MENTION: LINK, Greenville, Clayton Kale

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Greer Citizen, Leland Burch Judges’ comments: Three VERY funny columns – consistently humorous on a variety of topics. Great writing style. Really puts readers at ease. “Thought of the week” is a very funny touch.

SECOND: The Columbia Star, Mike Cox

THIRD: The Columbia Star, Mike Maddock

Series of Articles

FIRST: Fort Mill Times, Jenny Overman, “Tainted water” Judges’ comments: Great series that stood out from the rest. Well written and well edited. A safe water supply is a very emotional issue for property owners. This series told the story from all perspectives. A clear winner!

SECOND: Carolina Gateway, Jenny Arnold, Beverly Lane Lorenz and Christopher Sardelli, “Good neighbors”

THIRD: Fort Mill Times, Toya Graham, “Born to Serve”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald, Staff, “Socastee High School shooting” Judges’ comments: Excellent job of covering many angles of the shooting and raising important questions on behalf of The Herald’s readers.

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Tourism tax errors”

THIRD: Free Times, Ron Aiken, “HUD/CEZ Issues”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: Carolina Gateway, Christopher Sardelli, “Indian Land”

Judges’ comments: Very good looks into a community. Particularly compelling was the miracle on the Hudson article.

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Matthew Burdick, “Crime”

THIRD: Charleston City Paper, Greg Hambrick, “State and local politics”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald, Amanda Kelley, “Cool running”

Judges’ comments: Great example of finding the story when the paper could have just written a “race canceled” brief. Good quotes, really captured the can-do spirit of those who came and ran anyway.

SECOND: Fort Mill Times, Mac Banks, “Fort Mill hopes pinned”

THIRD: The Middle Tyger Times, Jed Blackwell, “Dorman does it”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: Fort Mill Times, Jason Chisari, “More than just wins and losses”

Judges’ comments: A crisp, fresh reminder that any sport is nothing more than a game, and games are meant to be fun learning experiences that make for happy memories.

SECOND: The Horry Independent, Robert Anderson, “Conway regrets Willie Mays’ offer”

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Ashley Bruno, “Hearing the call”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: Laurens County Advertiser, Nick Herman

Judges’ comments: Nice, readable style and good job of taking on some controversial subjects and making a case.

SECOND: The Horry Independent, Robert Anderson

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Joel Fitzpatrick

Page One Design Portfolio

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith

Judges’ comments: Creative use of color, graphics and headlines... like teasers to draw readers inside.

SECOND: Carolina Gateway, Jane Alford

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Betty Moses

Feature Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: Greenville Journal, Sally Boman Judges’ commetns: Boman’s pages are simple, yet also sleek and compelling. Proof positive that less is sometimes more.

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Darah Patterson

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Ryan King

Sports Page Design

FIRST: The Greer Citizen, Darah Patterson Judges’ comments: Your Year in Review really jumps out and makes story very readable. “Heartbreak” presentation is creative and your graphic on hockey equipment spares a lot of words.

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Jennifer Annis

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Julie Holcombe

Spot News Photo

FIRST: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis “Storm destroys the Curetons’ home” Judges’ comments: Image tells story. Heartbreaking photo. Way to capture this tragic scene for your readers.

SECOND: The Link, Cheraw, Lance Aldridge, “Plane lands on highway”

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Preston Burch, “Boys will be boys”

General News Photo

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “The Engel family embrace” Judges’ comments: Timing was everything for this picture. Nice reaction in court. Emotion is well felt.

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Greg Beckner, “Nutcracker rehearsal”

THIRD: The Greer Citizen, Mandy Ferguson, “Soldier’s funeral procession”

Feature Photo

FIRST: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Mud Run” Judges’ comments: Nice color. Nice action. Nice emotion. Just a nice flow to this picture.

SECOND: Moultrie News, Vickey Boyd, “Lights alive”

THIRD: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Mechanical Bull”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Head battle for the ball”

Judges’ comments: I like the intensity of their expressions. Nice action. Nice double header.

SECOND: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Upper State Baseball Championship”

THIRD: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “100M Butterfly”

HONORABLE MENTION: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis “Girls Soccer”

Sports Feature Photo

BEST OF THE BEST: The Link, Cheraw, Leighton Bell, “Fan taunts wrestler”

Jusges’ comments: The fan’s reaction makes this a winning shot. Good color. Like the depth of this photo. Great work.

SECOND: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “Mauldin disappointed with loss”

THIRD: Tribune-Times, Gwinn Davis, “SC beats Alabama”

Personality Photo or Portrait

FIRST: LINK, Greenville, Mykal McEldowney, “Local rapper JT”

Judges’ comments: Nice use of the security mirror. Unusual angle. Creative.

SECOND: The Greer Citizen, Mandy Ferguson, “Old Glory”

THIRD: Greenville Journal, Greg Beckner, “Milliken”

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Bash at the Beach”

Judges’ comments: Nice, well-rounded story. Presentation is appealing.

SECOND: LINK, Greenville, Mykal McEldowney, “Taxidermy”

THIRD: Fort Jackson Leader, Chris Rasmussen, “Vehicle Recovery”

Weekly Over 6,000 & Under 6,000 Combined

Inside Page Design

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Charles Swenson, “Shrine of Nature”

Judges’ comments: The muted colors add to –no, color – the mood. Love the handwriting...

SECOND: Carolina Gateway, Gregory Summers and Jane Alford, “A trip to the woodshed”

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Brandon Bell “Top 10 of 2009”

Weekly Under 6,000

Spot News Reporting

FIRST: Spartanburg County News, Leon G. Russ, “Shooting shatters school, scatters students”

Judges’ comments: Russ provided great detail about a tragic event.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “Guilty plea brings closure, not justice”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “White powder scare is a lesson”

Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Charles Swenson, “New groin project stalls as agencies await word from country” Judges’ comments: Writer did a nice job of sorting out what had become of the project due to bureaucratic inactivity. Story reported agencies’’ responses without unfairly placing blame.

SECOND: Hampton County Guardian, Michael M. Dewitt Jr., “Broken Dreams: Failed housing development now eyesore, hazard”

THIRD: Lake City News & Post, Charles Tomlinson, “Caught at the Crossing: Tractor trailers get stuck on Lake City RR tracks”

Lifestyle Feature Writing

FIRST: Coastal Observer , Jackie Broach, “Love of the Land”

Judges’ comments: The couple’s love of the land and each other comets through in the reporter’s use of quotes and back story.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “A journey of hope”

THIRD: The Berkeley Independent, Frank Johnson, “Believe in ghosts?”

News Feature Writing

FIRST: Jasper County Sun, Anthony Garzilli, “McCormack an honored veteran”

Judges’ comments: The reporter did a good job of weaving McCormack’s story with that of the larger issue, which is that many veterans are being honored for their service just in time.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Roger Greene, “Living the miracle”

THIRD: The Woodruff News, Phil Buchheit, “A dog named Doc”

Profile feature writing or story

FIRST: The Star, Phyllis Britt, “‘Papa Doc’ turns 100” Judges’ comments: The lead does a great job of putting the doctor’s age into context. The reporter writes of his background with a confidence that shows she spent time with him. His personality shows through.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “Liberty and justice for all”

THIRD: The Inman Times, Jed Blackwell, “Stirring up memories”

Short Story

FIRST: Hardeeville Today, Erinn McGuire, “A sweet goodbye”

Judges’ comments: A cute story about a sweet subject. This writer’s skill at storytelling separated her from a pack of compently-crafted submissions.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “In the swim”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Charles Swenson, “Shrine of Nature”

Column Writing

FIRST: Hampton County Guardian, Michael M. Dewitt Jr.

Judges’ comments: Top entries stood out from the rest. Strong lead-ins. Winner did excellent job of explaining why things are reported/ presented the way they are in the newspaper. We should all do more of that.

SECOND: Union County News, Graham Williams

THIRD: The Manning Times, Daniel Lackey

Humor Column Writing

FIRST: The Cherokee Chronicle, Tommy Martin

Judges’ comments: As an old faithful follower of the 60s Classic Gunsmoke, I knew the auothor nailed it. I’ll probably get a subscription to The Cherokee Chronicle now. Very funny!

SECOND: The Clinton Chronicle, Larry Franklin

THIRD: Hampton County Guardian, Michael M. Dewitt Jr.

Series of Articles

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “Pink Journeys” Judges’ comments: This is an excellent series that focuses on the human side of cancer. These are good stories well told. A clear winner in the group. Good job!

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Jerry Bellune, “Greatest Generation”

THIRD: The Citizen News, Mike Rosier, “Faces of 2010”

Reporting-in-Depth

FIRST: The Woodruff News, Theron Willis, “Prayer Controversy”

Judges’ comments: Lots of work went into this package, and it shows. Good, balanced reporting shows both sides of a touchy issue. Great work!

SECOND: News-Chronicle, Elaine Ellison-Rider, “FOIA request prompts investigation”

THIRD: Hampton County Guardian, Michael M. Dewitt Jr., “Officer-related car crash”

Beat Reporting

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Jackie Broach, “Local politics” Judges’ comments: Broach’s dedication to the political beat shows in this series.

SECOND: News-Chronicle, Elaine Ellison-Rider, “Police-crime”

THIRD: The People-Sentinel, Susan C. Delk, “Government”

Spot Sports Story

FIRST: The Berkeley Independent, Dan Brown, “Life saved in the stands” Judges’ comments: I was impressed both by the thoroughness of reporting, the use of quotes to tell the story and the number of voices you used to describe a dramatic event. Well-told and well reported.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Charles Swenson, “Warriors defy fans”

THIRD: Jasper County Sun, Anthony Garzilli, “Heavy loss for Canes”

Sports Feature Story

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Roger Greene, “Fantasy” Judges’ comments: Solid writing lifted this effort to the top spot.

SECOND: The Woodruff News, Jed Blackwell, “Heart of the Team”

THIRD: The Chesnee Tribune, Jed Blackwell, “Chesnee’s Ace”

Sports Column Writing

FIRST: The Berkeley Independent, Dan Brown Judges’ comments: Fine free-flowing style. You add some personality to this and I feel your passion.

SECOND: The Manning Times, Drew Tripp

THIRD: The Travelers Rest Monitor, Roger Jewell

Page One Design Portfolio

FIRST: The Star, Brandon Lockett

Judges’ comments: Excellent use of photos and fonts to deliver the message. Clean layout helps readers navigate.

SECOND: The Weekly Observer, Emily Killian

THIRD: The Manning Times, Jason Lesley

Feature Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: Hardeeville Today, Barry Kaufman

Judges comments: Excellent balance and contrast on each page. Good use of photos and infoboxes/sidebars.

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Joshua Thorp

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Charles Swenson

Sports Page Design Portfolio

FIRST: News and Press, Elicia Kiker

Judges’ comments: Excellent non-traditional layouts. Visually appealing with good balance.

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Travis Boland

THIRD: The Woodruff News, Jed Blackwell

Spot News Photo

FIRST: Union County News, Robert Brown, “South Church Street fire”

Judges’ comments: Photographer was Johnny on the Spot. Nice color. Great image.

SECOND: News-Chronicle, Richard Kelly, “Firefighters revive dog”

THIRD: The Woodruff News, Theron Willis, “Main St. wreck”

HONORABLE MENTION: The Manning Times, Daniel Lackey, “I-95 wreck”

General News Photo

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “New Year’s Day Fire”

Judges’ comments: The coloring, the angle, the expressions are all right on. Impactful photo. Tells complete story. Allows readers to really connect and feel for this family.

SECOND: The Berkeley Independent, Stefan Rogenmoser, “Election results”

THIRD: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Mark Bellune, “Haley and Palin”

Feature Photo

FIRST: The Star, Mike Adams, “Second Saturday” Judges’ comments: Nice color and leading lines.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Spring Tide”

THIRD: The Woodruff News, William Buchheit, “Open Up!”

Sports Action Photo

FIRST: Holly Hill Observer, Doug Rogers “Tennis” Judges’ comments: Facial reaction of player shows intensity of action. Nice job.

SECOND: Holly Hill Observer, Doug Rogers, “Football”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Mud Bowl”

Sports Feature Photo

FIRST: News-Chronicle, Debbie Rogers, “Hunter Richey” Judges’ comments: Great eye for something different. Action isn’t always the most important or interesting thing at a sporting event.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Mallards in the outfield”

THIRD: Holly Hill Observer, Doug Rogers, “Coach talks to #17”

Personality Photo or Portrait

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Minnie Kennedy”

Judges’ comments: Really tells the story of her life. Powerful, moving and beautiful photo.

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Goldberg farmers”

THIRD: Marion Star & Mullins Enterprise, Andrew Golden, “Millie Scott”

Photo Series or Photo Story

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Safe at Home” Judges’ comments: Images here tell the best story. Good job!

SECOND: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Windows on the World”

THIRD: The Star, Mike Adams “Lending a hand...”

All Weekly Division

News Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The Lancaster News, Staff, “Discover Lancaster County” Judges’ comments: Perfect!

SECOND: The Clinton Chronicle, Staff, “Veterans Salute 2010”

THIRD: The Clinton Chronicle, Staff, “Horizons 2010”

Sports Special Edition or Section

FIRST: The Greer Citizen, Staff, “High School Confidential” Judge’s comments: Interesting concept. Very good execution. Managed to take some old boring football content and make it very interesting.

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Travis Boland, “Breaking Through”

THIRD: News and Press, Staff, “Southern 500”

Critical Writing

FIRST: Free Times, Mary Bentz Gilkerson

Judges’ comments: Banning puts face on faceless bureaucrats and Colin Quashie offers racial commentary, This writer’s reviews reflect sophistication and simplicity. Readers are provided sufficient context, in language that is a joy to read.

SECOND: Moultrie News, Chris McCandlish

THIRD: The Woodruff News, William Buchheit

Health Reporting

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald, Amanda Kelley Judges’ comments: Amanda showed in-depth coverage on an interesting issue. Good job!

SECOND: Lake Wylie Pilot, John Marks

THIRD: The Lancaster News, Gregory Summers

Education Reporting

FIRST: The Cherokee Chronicle, Tommy Martin, Judges’ comments: Excellent use of FOIA to uncover information about the school district’s dealings.

SECOND: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins

THIRD: Free Times, Ron Aiken

Sports Beat Reporting

FIRST: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins, Judges’ comments: I like your variety and versatility. Hard news, breaking news, commentary and personality. You present them all well.

SECOND: The Journal Scene, Roger Lee

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Amanda Kelley

Feature Headline Writing

FIRST: Greenville Journal, Melissa Blanton Judges’ comments: Great play on words. Smart!

SECOND: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry

THIRD: The News & Reporter, Travis Jenkins

Sports Headline Writing

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry Jugdes’ comments: Clever headlines that make the reader want to dive in head-first.

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

THIRD: The Berkeley Independent, Frank Johnson

Photo Page Design

FIRST: The Link, Cheraw, Ashley Hatcher, “Wallace Mud Bog” Judges’ comments: Creative use of graphics. Like the mud spots.

SECOND: Fort Jackson Leader, Susanne Kappler, “CIIP tailors to new soldiers”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Christine Sokoloski, “Tea Party”

Pictorial

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Pawleys Creek”

Judges’ comments: Nice composition. Creative use of reflection. Good leading lines. Generally just a very pretty photo. Makes me wish I was there.

SECOND: The Citizen News, Mike Rosier, “Pond draped in Winter”

THIRD: The Journal Scene, Stefan Rogenmoser, “Fog Walk”

Humorous Photo

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman “Winnie the Pooh” Judges’ comments: It’s funny. Nice moment caught.

SECOND: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Mark Bellune, “Lexington Oktoberfest Parade”

THIRD: Moultrie News, Helen R. Hammond, “Mojo”

Harris Award for Editorial Writing

FIRST: The Herald-Independent, James Denton Judges’ comments: Sensible and well-written arguments. Long enough to make the necessary point, and short enough not to tax the reader’s patience. A sound point of view that doesn’t cater to any one side or ideology. Very well done.

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Susan Clary Simmons

THIRD: Laurens County Advertiser, Staff

Public Service

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, Mark Bellune, Jerry Bellune and Vicki Shealy, “Education’s Rising Cost” Judges’ comments: Statements of explanation were critical to judging this contest. There is no other way for us to gauge impact. Winner provided valuable service in pushing FOIA requests for info that would not have come to light otherwise. Well done.

SECOND: News and Press, Cathy Elliott, “Unserved Warrants”

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry, “Socastee High School Shooting”

Sports Enterprise Reporting

FIRST: Fort Mill Times, Mac Banks, “Video lets you weigh in on match”

Judges’ comments: Great job in applying new approach to the Youtube age. You attacked a controversy from a different slant. I appreciate the tedious video viewing that went into your presentation.

SECOND: The Woodruff News, Jed Blackwell, “Short Yardage Situation”

THIRD: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Amanda Kelley, “Field House of Dreams”

Business Reporting

FIRST: The Press & Standard, George Salsberry, “Arnoti touts county facilities, etc.”

Judges’ comments: The fact that Arnoti was not identified almost cost first place, but writing and evaluation was good.

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Dick Hughes, “Women in the board room?”

THIRD: The Messenger, Jim Faile, “Sonoco shareholders”

Photo Illustration

FIRST: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “Thoughts for Food”

Judges’ comments: Good color. Nice photo. Certainly sets the scene!

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith, “Now you can pay meters by text”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “How Souper Bowl XII stacks up”

Website

FIRST: Charleston City Paper

Judges’ comments: Terrific site. Good local news content and opinion with just the right amount of “edge.” Nice flash ads and excellent graphic design on home page. Well done!

SECOND: Clarendon Citizen

THIRD: Carolina Forest Chronicle

Integration of Print and Web

FIRST: Carolina Forest Chronicle, Michael Smith and Staff Judges’ comments: Prominently featuring crossreferencing of web extension, coupled with solid enterprise in both platforms sets this one apart. A clear winner. Impressive!

SECOND: The Journal Scene, Staff

THIRD: The Weekly Observer, John Sweeney and Staff

Photo Gallery

FIRST: The Journal Scene, Paul Zoeller, “Oyster harvesting” Judges’ comments: This is a quiet story that could be easily overlooked, but you chose strong images that are not redundant. The black and white was a good decision that allows readers to look at the content without distractions. The lighting is nice. This gallery tells story of this guy’s life. We really get a sense of what he tromps through everyday. I would frame these and put them on the wall.

SECOND: Greenville Journal, Greg Beckner, “Whitsitt’s funeral”

THIRD: Coastal Observer, Tanya Ackerman, “History by Night”

Online Video

THIRD: The Weekly Observer, Staff, “Sibling Rivalry” Judges’ comments: Good local story with strong images.

SECOND: Charleston City Paper, Mike Ledford, “Lowcountry Local first revival”

THIRD: Charleston City Paper, Joshua Curry, “Marionettes”

Lifestyle/Feature Special Edition or Section

FIRST: Fort Mill Times, Staff, “Fort Mill Township Focus” Judges’ comments: Good balance of stories, maps and directories. Nice graphic quality. Helpful to community.

SECOND: Charleston City Paper, Staff, “Spoleto 2010: Week One”

THIRD: The Clarendon Sun, Staff, “Lakeside”

News Headline Writing

FIRST: Greenville Journal, Melissa Blanton Judges’ comments: All three headlines grab the reader’s attention and make the reader want to know more. And they avoid cliches... That’s an art.

SECOND: Fort Jackson Leader, Crystal Brown

THIRD: Myrtle Beach Herald, Charles D. Perry

OPEN DIVISION

Sports Series of Articles

FIRST: The Herald, Barry Byers, “Dennis Moore” Judges’ comments: Fantastic job of storytelling. You drew me in from the beginning. Great job of letting the key people tell their stories. Could be a TV movie...

SECOND: The Berkeley Independent, Dan Brown, “Games we used to play”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Gene Sapakoff, “Centers of Attention”

Online Column Writing

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Jason Spencer, “On Sanity” Judges’ comments: This thoughtful column makes its point succinctly and with just the right amount of detail.

SECOND: Free Times, Dan Cook, “Columbia: Where godliness grows”

THIRD: The Herald, Jason Foster, “Biz Buzz Blog: Valentine’s Day”

Cartoon

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Robert Ariail

Judges’ comments: Wonderful sense of humor mixed with irony. Brings timing to cartoon – an art.

SECOND: News-Chronicle, Mike Beckom

THIRD: The Greenville News, Roger Harvell

Mixed Media Illustration

FIRST: Free Times, Joey Ayer, “Showdown at 701” Judges’ comments: Very cute and comical way to take the dullness out of politics.

SECOND: The Times and Democrat, Michelle Kerscher, “Gamecocks”

THIRD: The Journal, Seneca, Amber Wilson, “S.C. hopes to be in the money”

Illustration

FIRST: Herald-Journal, Gary Kyle, “Witch Night” Judges’ comments: Creativity at its best!

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Gill Guerry, “Unfair Labor”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Gary Kyle, “Pesky Pets”

Informational Graphics Portfolio

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Gill Guerry Judges’ comments: Map-based graphics provide clear picture for readers without being overwhelming.

SECOND: The Island Packet, Drew Martin

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Chad Dunbar

Unpublished Photo

FIRST: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Viewing for the Duley boys” Judges’ comments: Captures a wealth of emotion –sadness, anger, pain. In this instance, editors were wrong not to run such emotional and dramatic picture that tells Orangeburg’s tragic story. Yes, it is graphic, but in some cases, the rules are meant to be broken. This photo tells it all...

SECOND: Morning News, John D. Russell, “West Florence Girls Tennis”

THIRD: Herald-Journal, Alex C. Hicks Jr., “Ezell Jackson”

Single Online Photo

FIRST: The Journal, Seneca, Jessica Nelms, “Reese reacts”

Judges’ comments: Awesome capture of the heat of the moment. Should have been front page of your paper too. Wish I would have shot that. We can feel her pain.

SECOND: The State, Gerry Melendez, “Morgan Weaver”

THIRD: The Journal Scene, Paul Zoeller, “Victor ‘Goat’ Lafayette”

Innovative Concept

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Staff, “Content Sharing” Judges’ comments: The sharing of content and pooling of resources by newspapers not sharing ownership is a great indication of a willingness to innovate to survive in an ever-challenging business environment. Good Job!

SECOND: The Sun News, Jake Spring and Staff, “24 Hours at Peaches Corner”

THIRD: Aiken Standard, Tim O’Briant and Staff, “ASTV Channel 95”

Online News Project

FIRST: The Post and Courier, Glenn Smith, “Losing Faith” Judges’ comments: Excellent play of a highly compelling story that likely drew huge local readership. this is a great example of what newspapers can do to extend their reach. Good job!

SECOND: The Post and Courier, Staff, “Election Day”

THIRD: The Post and Courier, Diette Courrege and Paul Nguyen, “Teacher Performance”

ASSOCIATE/ INDIVIDUAL

Best Newspaper Publication

FIRST: S.C. United Methodist Advocate Judges’ comments: Nice layout and excellent reproduction enhance exceptional content. This publication was a clear winner in the class.

SECOND: University of South Carolina Creative Services

THIRD: The Independent Voice of the People’s Republic of Blythewood

Best Magazine/Special Publication

FIRST: S.C. Farm Bureau, “Fall 2010” Judges’ comments: Good issue... Interesting reading and intelligent design.

SECOND: University of South Carolina Creative Services, Carolinian

THIRD: S.C. Lawyers Weekly, Carolina Paralegal News, Feb. 2010

Best Published Feature Story

FIRST: Murrells Inlet Messenger, Tim Callahan, “Autism speaks to Georgetown, Horry counties” Judges’ comments: A wonderfully written story that brings together a well informed article with an uplifting and heartwarming emotional touch.

SECOND: Murrells Inlet Messenger, Tim Callahan, “Courageous student overcomes adversity”

THIRD: Murrells Inlet Messenger, Tim Callahan, “Michael Brown: My son Chandler”

Best Published News Story

FIRST: S.C. Policy Council; Rick Brundrett, Eric Ward and Chip Oglesby; “The High Cost of S.C. Lawmakers” from The Nerve Judges’ comments: Interesting. Very well researched and extremely well written.

SECOND: S.C. Policy Council, Rick Brundrett, Eric Ward and Kevin Dietrich “Boeing: The story behind the story” from The Nerve

THIRD: S.C. United Methodist Advocate, Jessica Connor “Campus funds frozen”

Best Editorial/Op Ed

FIRST: Murrells Inlet Messenger, Tim Callahan “Younger brother’s death” Judges’ comment: Heartbreaking. Hopeful. Touching. We all need to have Kevin’s heart.

SECOND: S.C. Lawyers Weekly, Paul Tharp “You can take a break...”

THIRD: The Catholic Miscellany, Alison Griswald “We all still need our mothers”

Best Published Photo

FIRST: The Catholic Miscellany, Keith Jacobs “Boy Scouts” Judges’ comments: Good angle. Nice photo all around.

SECOND: University of South Carolina Creative Services, Michael Brown “South Carolina Medicine: Pregnancy”

THIRD: The Catholic Miscellany, Keith Jacobs “Deacon Johnson”

Best Graphic Design

FIRST: S.C. Lawyers Weekly, Jim Sleeper, “Paralegal personality” Judges’ comments: Very nice illustration. Nice use of headline with illustration.

SECOND: S.C. Chamber of Commerce, Bobby Baker “Purple Statehouse template”

THIRD: S.C. Lawyers Weekly, Mike Zellmer “No camera, No DUI”

Best Event Marketing

FIRST: University of South Carolina Creative Services, “May Carolina” Judges’ comment: Beautiful artwork and design.

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

THIRD: University of South Carolina Creative Services “Parents Weekend”

Best PR Campaign

FIRST PLACE ONLY: S.C. Farm Bureau, “AG-tivity”

Judges’ comments: This campaign was successful in educating kids (and probably their parents and teachers) about the importance of farming in South Carolina. Well thought-out and implemented! Certainly a great resource for teachers! AG-tivity was well designed, informative and fun to look at!

Best Website

FIRST: University of South Carolina Creative Services, sc.edu/president

Judges’ comments: Creative and simple, but with tons of information. Great photos and design. Is not the same old pattern.

SECOND: S.C. Policy Council, thenerve.org

THIRD: Ask & Receive, Inc., sharingluxury.com

Best Electronic Newsletter/ Publication

FIRST: S.C. Chamber of Commerce, Competitiveness Update

Judges’ comments: Thorough and easy to navigate. Surely serves the Chamber’s members well. I like that the briefs are short enough to quickly read, but not so short that they don’t educate the reader on the issues. Thumbs Up/ Down and Worth Watching are nice features. Innovative way to inform readers on key issues at The Statehouse without bogging them down.

SECOND: Ask & Receive, Inc., HR News You Can Use

THIRD: Ask & Receive, Inc., Golden Career Strategies

PRESIDENT’S CUP FOR EXCELLENCE

SWEEPSTAKES AWARD

Daily Over 60,000 – The Post and Courier

Daily 20,000-60,000 – Herald-Journal

Daily Under 20,000 – The Times and Democrat

Daily Over 60,000

FIRST: The Post and Courier

Judges comments: A comprehensive, boldly designed, well-written publication. Strong photography, good use of graphics. Impressive overall, especially in local coverage.

Two-to-Three Times Weekly – The Journal Scene

Weekly Over 6,000 – Myrtle Beach Herald

Weekly Under 6,000 – Coastal Observer

GENERAL EXCELLENCE

Daily 20,000-60,000

Daily Under 20,000

FIRST: Anderson Independent-Mail

Judges comments: Good newspaper with excellent local coverage. Good use of photos, graphics. Solid Op-Ed page with lots of local features.

SECOND: The Sun News THIRD: Herald-Journal

Two-to-Three Times Weekly

FIRST: ChronicleIndependent

Judges comments: Well-rounded paper. Good writing and presented wonderfully!

SECOND: The Press & Standard

THIRD: The Lancaster News

Weekly Over 6,000

FIRST: Myrtle Beach Herald

Judges comments: Good, solid, strong weekly paper. Strong in most areas, weak in none.

SECOND: Carolina Forest Chronicle THIRD: The Greer Citizen

FIRST: Index-Journal

Judges comments: Strong local news enterprise and editorial page set this one apart in tough division. This was a tough call but the little things give this the edge. Good job!

SECOND: The Island Packet THIRD: The Beaufort Gazette

Weekly Under 6,000

FIRST: Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

Judges comments: Clear winner in a competitive category. Superior work in all areas – layout, writing, coverage. Very clean look. Best content of them all as well as superior sports coverage. Solid editorial page.

SECOND: The Berkeley Independent THIRD: The Manning Times