First-place awards went to Jay Morrison for Best Sports Feature Writer; Ed Richter for Best Explanatory Reporting on Middletown’s ward system; Nick Graham for Best Photographer; Josh Sweigart for his blog “Butler County News and Issues” and for Best Investigative Reporting for his story about renovations at the Butler County Jail.
Judges said that Morrison “found a way to see the personal side of athletes, bringing their stories to the readers in well written articles.” Judges praised Sweigart for “thorough reporting.” Judges praised Graham for being “very versatile in any situation,” and said Richter offered “thorough, detailed, step-by-step coverage.”
Also winning awards were Ryan Gauthier, who received second place in Best News Writer; Graham for second place in Best Sports Photo; Gary Stelzer for second place in Best Photo Essay; Jessica Heffner, who received second place in Best Blog for “Here’s the Deal” and second place in Explanatory Reporting for her story on buying a home; and the staff at both newspapers received third place in the Community Service category for a series of stories on cancer.