HSPA Foundation 2015 Better Newspaper Contest Award Winners
Division 1: Pages 2-16
Division 2: Pages 17-31
Division 3: Pages 32-47
Division 4: Pages 48-64
Division 5: Pages 65-80
Division 6: Pages 81-96
Non-divisional and special awards: Pages 97-100
2
DIVISION 1
Category: 1 Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Dean Bolin
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Bringing Erica Home
Rarely is a murder victim given a chance to have her voice heard after her death. Dean Bolin
did a nice job of using passages from Hagan’s travel blog to show readers what type of
person she may have been. This was a great way to place a local spin on a national story.
Second Place
Amanda Matlock
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Final charges pending
Superb use of public documents to supplement the story! And the picture of the doctor
being arrested is an attention grabber.
Third Place
Jessica Shinn
The Loogootee Tribune
Fire devastates downtown
Simple fire stories often fail to show the overall damage caused by the blaze, but Jessica
Shinn did an excellent job of illustrating how the fire affected the present as well as the past.
The historical photographs also added something special to the story.
Category: 2 Best News Coverage with No Deadline Pressure
3
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Debbie Blank
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
“Center supports child abuse victims,” Oct. 31, 2014; “Two experts interview children about
abuse,” Nov. 4, 2014; “Mardi Gras ball will be CAC fundraiser,” Nov. 7, 2014
Very in-depth look at an under-reported subject.
Second Place
Rob Hunt
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Champs reunite
Solid writing and storytelling of a community event.
Third Place
Alden Heuring
South Gibson Star-Times (Fort Branch)
President visits Gibson County
A detailed look at what happens when the president visits a small town. Excellent detail.
Category: 3 Best Ongoing News Coverage
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Clayton Doty
The Benton Review (Fowler)
Police search for missing woman; Grisly twist in search for Nena Metoyer; Human remains
found; Coroner says Jarding killed herself; Body found identified as Metoyer
4
Good coverage of story that had twists and turns. Nice writing and keeping readers informed
of updates along with sidebars and boxes.
Second Place
Amanda Matlock
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Town considers trash fee / Pendleton residents to pay new trash fee / New Pendleton trash
fee coming soon
Nice clean story, clearly written and gives all the facts that residents need to know about the
issue.
Third Place
Susan Carpenter
The Garrett Clipper (Garrett)
Town of Altona challenges leadership
Good leads for each story and good coverage of a contentious topic with several issues.
Category: 4 Best General Commentary
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Christopher Aune
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
Solve world problems with locally grown flavors; Bring the drug problem (and solution) home;
Get smart, help end violence
Focused and pointed commentary on major social issues affecting this and every community.
Second Place
Amy Hillenburg
5
The Mooresville/Decatur Times
Modern attitudes
Straightforward, good reporting. Timely commentary on issues both local and global.
Third Place
Donald Steen
The Spencer County Journal-Democrat (Rockport)
On the trail of Joe Biden; Embrace all aspects of our history; Flying with the Thunderbird
Shows a good variety of interesting topics.
Category: 5 Best Editorial Writer
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Debbie Blank
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
“Freudenfest is admirable,” July 29, 2014; “Wanted: concerned board candidates,” Aug. 5,
2014; “Voters must act, not complain,” May 1, 2015
Editorials are on hyper-local topics and also inform the readers. Great job!
Second Place
Vincent Luecke
The Spencer County Journal-Democrat (Rockport)
Repairs to State Roads Long Overdue; What if they come for us Someday; Class of 2015, Our
Hopes Rest on You
Editorials are well written, to the point and kept my interest.
Third Place
6
Stuart Cassidy
The Spencer County Journal-Democrat (Rockport)
Trails Funding Bodes Well for County; Teaching models will need time to mature and Update
Sunday Alcohol Laws
Category: 6 Best Business/Economic News Coverage
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Steven Penn
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Final cut
Steven Penn made the late small-town barber Norm Ooley come alive one more time in a
sweetly told tale that relies on the recollections of Ooley’s widow, Carolyn. Through his
narrative, we see how the man and his business were inseparable, and the role he and it
played in the community. A joy to read.
Second Place
Lisa Hoppenjans
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Santa Paws Pet Park
Lisa Happenjans shows community journalism at its best, providing information about a
service sure to please many in the community – a creative “Pet Park” daycare program for
animals. She paints pictures of the activities, personalizing the service, and the story. Very
nicely done.
Third Place
Amy Hillenburg
The Mooresville/Decatur Times
‘Stemming’ the pain
Amy Hillenburg handled a very difficult assignment well: telling the story of newly available
stem cell therapy for pets. She managed to provide a great deal of medical information while
7
maintaining the narrative flow of her story – no easy trick. Excellent handling of a complex,
technical story.
Category: 7 Headline Writing
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Amanda Matlock
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Curiosity saves the cats / Prison break / Life on the farm
Engaging headlines that go beyond cliche to draw the reader into a series on community
programs at a local prison.
Second Place
Scott Slade
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Egg scramble / Tri, tri again / Extra helpings
Puns are best used sparingly, but these are effective, especially in second and third entries.
Third Place
Kyle Lewis
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Taking a hike / Rank and file / Hart and soul
First and third are good play on key words and subjects of story. Second entry seems a bit
forced.
Category: 8 Best Short Feature Story
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
8
First Place
Amanda Matlock
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Prison break
It is clear the writer knew the subject. Excellent storytelling.
Second Place
Amanda Matlock
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Shoe santa looking to add to his nice list
Easy to read story that hits home. Excellent writing and storytelling.
Third Place
Brittney Lundy & Lisa Hoppenjans
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Raise the song of harvest home
A well-written story created out of an unusual event. Good storytelling.
Category: 9 Best Profile Feature
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Jeff Jones
The Butler Bulletin
Popular postmaster retiring
Great entry into the story. Description from the scene put me in the room as it was
happening. That’s the sign of a strong feature story.
9
Second Place
Susan Carpenter
The Garrett Clipper (Garrett)
Practice makes perfect for teen archer
Good lede and supportive interviews.
Third Place
Kathy Tretter
Ferdinand News
Reynold and Roman’s whirlwind holiday
Category: 10 Best In-Depth Feature/Feature Package
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Debbie Blank
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
Blindness doesn’t dim painter’s genius
Inspirational and informational story about a blind man who is a successful artist and mentors
others.
Second Place
Cheryl Hurst
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Surviving suicide
A heart wrenching story about the grief and stigma of a child’s suicide.
10
Third Place
Amanda Matlock
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Inmates help raise produce, fish for local consumption
The piece reflects an impressive access to inmates.
Category: 11 Best Sports Event Coverage
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Jake Thompson
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Hudkins overcomes adversity, wins title
This was the tightest writing and cleanest package with good graphics and sidebar.
Second Place
Brian Bohne
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Rebels gallop away with regional title // Lady Pats continue dream season // Patriots capture
sectional title
Great detail and good art. Would have been better with more separation of individual game
stories as sidebars rather than as part of the whole. Overall, well done.
Third Place
Rob Hunt
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Dawgs strike
Solid, to-the-point writing with nicest use of graphics.
11
Category: 12 Best Sports News or Feature Coverage
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Stuart Cassidy
The Spencer County Journal-Democrat (Rockport)
On a rim and a prayer
Strong writing, compelling subject.
Second Place
Jake Thompson
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Special bond between grapplers goes deeper than wrestling
Third Place
Jake Thompson
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Inner strength
Category: 13 Best Sports Commentary
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Jake Thompson
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Time to get back to the track/ Titles, trophies keep on coming/ Tri-West succeeds both on
and off field
All well written and interesting to read.
Second Place
12
Brian Bohne
Ferdinand News
Talkin’ Sports: Happy Birthday // Talkin’ Sports: Summer, Softball and Wet Burritos // Talkin’
Sports: My First Squirrel Hunt
Enjoyed the variety of topics.
Third Place
Steve Page
The Mooresville/Decatur Times
The sports page
Solid all the way through.
Category: 15 Best Spot News Photo
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Eric Tretter
Ferdinand News
Barn fire
First place winner was compelling in its composition, foreground and background, and a
strong sense of urgency.
Second Place
Eric Tretter
Ferdinand News
Blaze
Second place read really well as a black and white, solid composition and beautiful tonality.
13
Third Place
Jeff Jones
The Butler Bulletin
Butler company fire
A textbook fire photo. Plenty of flames and color.
Category: 16 Best General News Photo
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Audra P. Deckard & Stephen A. Deckard
The Shoals News
Fish
Everyone on the judging committee reacted to this photo. Quirky, delightful, icky and
memorable.
Second Place
Stuart Cassidy
The Spencer County Journal-Democrat (Rockport)
Pig wrestling
Good moment and good contrast of colors – muddy subjects and colorful crowd.
Third Place
Tom Russo
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Band
Nice intimate moment. We felt like we were part of the embrace.
14
Category: 17 Best Sports Feature Photo
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Brittney Lundy
Ferdinand News
Fishing
In the spirit of the category, an idyllic and timeless scene.
Second Place
Eric Tretter
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Dog pile
Well captured, it’s fast moving after-game action from a perfect vantage point. Clean
cropping.
Third Place
Brian Gill
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Coach
Another well-excecuted perennial favorite. Perfect timing and position.
Category: 18 Best Sports Action Photo
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Eric Tretter
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Dunk
15
Eric nailed it. Not luck but preparation. Well lit, sharp focus, nicely framed, perfect angle. Very
well done.
Second Place
Brittney Lundy
Ferdinand News
Twenty seconds
The shot captures the importance of the moment and contains all the elements required. The
clock and the urgency as expressed on the players’ faces brings the reader into the moment.
Well done.
Third Place
Brian Gill
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Hart
Brian properly positioned himself with a light tower behind him to capture the all-elusive
night shot in the rain with a fast enough shutter to stop the action. The image captures the
true struggle and triumph in getting the ball over the line against strong opposition. Nice
shot.
Category: 19 Best Feature Photo
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Eric Tretter
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Calf
Nice moment, heightened by the low-angle intimacy.
Second Place
16
Eric Tretter
Ferdinand News
Plunge
Wondering if the photographer was in a boat, wearing hip boots, or what, but I like that the
point of view is from the water, not the shore.
Third Place
Brittney Lundy
Ferdinand News
Chicken dance
Shows the character of someone who probably is a “character.”
Category: 20 Best Multiple Picture Group
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Brittney Lundy
Ferdinand News
Ferdinand 175th
Good framing of subject matter and simpler images without a lot of visual cacophoney.
Would have liked more awareness of the horizon, less “artsie.”
Second Place
Eric Tretter
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Gramma Gunn
Nice topic. With an older woman like this one, some tight faces would be wonderful because
of all the character.
17
Third Place
Eric Tretter
Ferdinand News
Civil Warrior
I get the sense that this was a really small event where just three people – all performers –
showed up.
Category: 21 Best Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Steven Penn
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Need for speed
Second Place
Steven Penn
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Serving up smiles
Third Place
Steven Penn
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Breathing lung transplant
Category: 22 Best Editorial Page
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Kyle Lewis
Times-Post (Pendleton)
18
Times-Post Opinion
Layouts really pop. Nice mix of feature and news commentary. Seems like each week was
given a fresh, unique layout. Nice job.
Second Place
Vince Luecke
The Spencer County Journal-Democrat (Rockport)
Sept. 4, 2014; Oct. 8, 2015 and Feb. 5, 2015 editorial pages
There’s a lot going on here, with good original content. I like the question to encourage
reader engagement.
Third Place
Debbie Blank, Diane Raver & Christopher Aune
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
July 29, 2014; Sept. 26, 2014; Dec. 9, 2014
Nice mix of local and national content.
Category: 23 Best Use of Graphics
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Kyle Lewis
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Times-Post Graphics
Second Place
Brittney Lundy
Ferdinand News
Whose life? Will Read. Ferdinand 175.
19
Category: 24 Best Online Site/Web Page
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Denise Freitag Burdette & Staff
The Rising Sun Recorder & The Ohio County News (Rising Sun)
www.theohiocountynews.com
Second Place
Staff
The Mooresville/Decatur Times
www.md-times.com
Third Place
Debbie Blank, Diane Raver & Christopher Aune
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
www.batesvilleheraldtribune.com
Category: 25 Best Sports Section
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Kyle Lewis, Rob Hunt & Mike Battreall
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Times-Post Sports
Very striking page design. Creative and innovative layouts. Great coverage of local sports.
Second Place
Steve Page
The Mooresville/Decatur Times
Sports
20
Impressive use of photos. Love the emphasis on youth sports.
Third Place
Brian Bohne
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
3 Sport Sections
Great photography.
Category: 26 Best Feature Section/Page(s)
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Staff
Spencer County Leader (Ferdinand)
Agriculture
Nice covers and design throughout, easily stood out from the rest.
Second Place
Kyle Lewis & Staff
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Times-Post Features
Nice coverage of community events.
Third Place
Staff
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
EDGE Business Magazine
Good, comprehensive coverage of local business.
Category: 27 Best Business Section or Page(s)
21
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Amy Hillenburg
The Mooresville/Decatur Times
Business page
Good, solid local business reporting. Goes beyond rewriting press releases for its display
content. Well done.
Second Place
Kyle Lewis & Amanda Matlock
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Times-Post Business
Third Place
Debbie Blank & Diane Raver
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
Aug. 19, 2014; Feb. 13, 2015; April 3, 2015
Category: 28 Best Special Section
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Staff
Ferdinand News
Ferdinand 175th
You can tell that real passion and effort went into this. Nice job!
Second Place
Staff
South Gibson Star-Times (Fort Branch)
Backyard Adventures
22
So. Much. Information. And the page designs look great.
Third Place
Diane Raver, Debbie Blank & Jordan Cleckley
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
Eagle Fire Company 1865-2015
A great look at the past and future of the department.
Category: 29 Community Service
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Staff
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Spirit to survive
Spirit to Survive is an ambitious, well-written and compelling project on breast cancer, which
is certainly a significant community issue.
Category: 30 Best Newspaper Design
Division: N1 Nondailies less than 3,001
First Place
Kyle Lewis
Times-Post (Pendleton)
Times-Post Design
Clean and organized A1 with smart use of banner space. Inside pages are orderly and easy to
digest. Section fronts add additional personality. Design is consistent throughout entire
publication.
23
Second Place
Michael Haynes, Dax Lowery & Amelia Tegerdine
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon)
Hendricks County Flyer Design
Good sense of visual hierarchy and organizations of photos within a page. Effective use of
additional elements such as pull quotes and info boxes.
Third Place
Dax Lowery & Michael Haynes
The Herald-Tribune (Batesville)
Nov. 28, 2014; March 27, 2015; April 28, 2015
Organized content without being overwhelming. Clearer visual hierarchy could elevate this
publication to the next level.
24
DIVISION 2
Category: 1 Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Suzzi Romines
Osgood Journal (Versailles)
Lauren Hill: ‘Best day ever’
This story made my eyes water.
Second Place
Stuart Cassidy
Perry County News (Tell City)
County officials eye federal grant to remove Deer Lake hazard
Stuart Cassidy nicely illustrated how the actions of one person – or in this case one family –
can affect an entire county, state or nation.
Third Place
Bryce Mayer & Barbara King
The North Vernon Sun
Fiery catastrophe
Twenty years from now, people will refer to Mayer and King’s article when they reminisce
about North Vernon. The reporters did an excellent job of documenting an event that will
surely have historical significance.
Category: 2 Best News Coverage with No Deadline Pressure
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Ben Skirvin
25
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Drained: Intricacies of septic condemnation confuse, frustrate residents
Very nice dive into a sticky situation. Nice reliance on documents and testimony to challenge
the official story.
Second Place
Suzannah Couch
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Hooked: Heroin’s hold here
Good series on the dangers of heroin, excellent information.
Third Place
Ben Kibbey
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
‘Healthy debate’ alive and well
Best writing overall for a single piece.
Category: 3 Best Ongoing News Coverage
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Suzannah Couch & Sara Clifford
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Hannah Wilson murder
Good details of updates on Facebook as well as responses from the public on Facebook.
Good details of the incident as well as a local responses from residents in the coverage area.
Well written.
Second Place
26
Ebony Chappel & Jessica Key
The Indianapolis Recorder
Why so low?//Key race results//Voters urged to stand up, be counted//BILL 466 RAISES
VOTER SUPPRESSION CONCERNS
Great issue and one of the most underrated issues today. Good leads in the story. Good use
of sidebars and plenty of input on the issue of voting. Good at explaining voter apathy with
the example of the lowest voter turnout in Indiana’s history.
Third Place
Sara Clifford
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Not ‘Stellar’ this year
Well thought-out leads along with crisp paragraphs explaining the issue as well. Good use of
sub heads.
Category: 4 Best General Commentary
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Joe Awad
The Journal-Press (Aurora)
We belong in the thick of it 3-24-15//Take caution when you ‘sow’ 3-31-15//Step into the
light before it’s too late 5-26-15
Hard hitting, in your face raw, real. A winner.
Second Place
Kate Wehlann
The Salem Leader
Can’t be the only one/Gobble up Turkey/Count your blessings
Honest reflections.
27
Third Place
Alan Stewart
The Corydon Democrat
Finished product worth ‘ugly’ work // iPhone ‘junkie’ goes through iGrief // Best always was
one of us
Category: 5 Best Editorial Writer
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Alan Stewart
The Corydon Democrat
Plenty of failure to go around // Mid-term not the time to change state board // Antibullying everyone’s business
I liked the fact that you took national issues and made local connections. Great writing!
Second Place
Kate Wehlann
The Salem Leader
Support our kids/School grades could do with improvement/Complex issue of school
shootings
The editorials offered thoughtful insight to controversial topics.
Third Place
Vincent Luecke
Perry County News (Tell City)
Perry County’s Pride: A Strong Local Hospital, Great Schools; Wrong Turns Not an Option
When Lives are on the Line; City Council Should Tread Lightly on RV Owners
28
The editorials weren’t just critical of actions, but offered suggestions. Well done!
Category: 6 Best Business/Economic News Coverage
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Kevin Lilly
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Zoning rules revision needed
Second Place
Sara Clifford
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Energy bill stokes fears
Third Place
Ben Skirvin
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Business of education showing slide
Category: 7 Headline Writing
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Staff
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Homes, sweet homes // This land is state land // Apply yourself; college applications a
complicated equation
Smart and engaging, packs a punch in a few words. Second entry is a standout, great way to
draw in readers to a policy story.
29
Second Place
Staff
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Finger-pickin’ good // The family that taps together sticks together; syrup-making tradition
runs thick in local family // Seasoned leaders: SALT members pepper events with support
Nice feature headlines.
Third Place
Shannon Williams, Victoria Davis & Jessica Key
The Indianapolis Recorder
Disappointed with layers of deceit in IMPD//Amid questions, BlueIndy gets green light//Manly
Movember: A hairy highlight on health
Good, active headlines, but watch punctuation errors.
Category: 8 Best Short Feature Story
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Mary Mattingly
The Versailles Republican
Shooting victim forgives
Excellent storytelling.
Second Place
Suzannah Couch
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
New sheriff in town?
Excellent writing with a sense of humor and good storytelling.
30
Third Place
Vincent Luecke
Perry County News (Tell City)
The big farmall that could (and did)
Well written. Excellent storytelling.
Category: 9 Best Profile Feature
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Ben Kibbey
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
‘Can’t replace people like that’
Voices. Voices. Voices. The collection of interviews made for a strong read. I think Billy Ray
would have been quite pleased with his feature obit, right down to the writer not running
from the fact that he was ornery.
Second Place
Ben Kibbey
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Former prosecutor still in love with county
Nice read, even if a little syrupy in spots. Would have liked to hear other voices earlier, but
reader gets a good sense of subject’s personality and what he has meant to the community.
Third Place
Joe Awad
The Journal-Press (Aurora)
She has been blessed
Some nice touches. Especially liked the walk-off line.
31
Category: 10 Best In-Depth Feature/Feature Package
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Suzannah Couch
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Bye bye blackboard
Good coverage on the technology issue facing every public school in the country.
Second Place
Kate Wehlann
The Salem Leader
Beyond the books
Sweeping success provides interesting stories about the lesser-known cogs in the educational
wheel.
Third Place
Ross Schulz
The Corydon Democrat
A mountain to pass
Fascinating story about local people and a far-away place.
Category: 11 Best Sports Event Coverage
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Ross Schulz
32
The Corydon Democrat
Sam’s best not enough
Simple, descriptive language not bogged down by cliches is a refreshing change. The writer’s
word choices and pacing make the play-by-play stand out, instead of being twisted into a
jumble of puns that are more about the writer than the game. Thank you for not falling into
this trap.
Second Place
Jim Buchberger
Dearborn County Register (Lawrenceburg)
Schwier, Magee key Tigers at North 8-28-14
Descriptive and concise, the writer has a fair hand at telling a story, balancing the game
action and the players’ background.
Third Place
Brian Smith
The Corydon Democrat
Napper swagger
Writer has a way with his descriptions that show not only the game play but also the
personalities of the players.
Category: 12 Best Sports News or Feature Coverage
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Jim Buchberger
The Journal-Press (Aurora)
Today we play for 22
Despite this being a nationally known story, the author does a good job of bringing out the
emotion without being maudlin.
33
Second Place
Brian Smith
The Corydon Democrat
Tim Martin: Storied running past, passing on to North Harrison Harriers
Great detail about the motivation of a coach and how he motivates his runners.
Third Place
Ed Cahill
The Press-Dispatch (Petersburg)
Gil Hodges: A hall of fame life
A good story within a story about an athlete and the pains an author took to note the hall of
fame life.
Category: 13 Best Sports Commentary
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Sharon Hamilton
The North Vernon Sun
Buzzers and whistles
Nice variety of topics. Well written. Nice job getting into detail on the topics.
Second Place
Brian Smith
The Corydon Democrat
Inspirational end to hoops season // Perfect close to high school sports season // Sweet
smells fire up desire for hoops
Nicely done.
34
Third Place
Josh Lewis
The Salem Leader
Just Joshin’ Sports Talk
Category: 15 Best Spot News Photo
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Bryce Mayer
The North Vernon Sun
Fiery catastrophe
Dramatic fire image punctuated by vibrant colors and strong composition.
Second Place
Kate Wehlann
The Salem Democrat
Through the smoke
Even without the flames, the composition made this image rise above other entries.
Third Place
Ross Schulz
The Corydon Democrat
Fire
The pictorial quality made this stand out.
Category: 16 Best General News Photo
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
35
First Place
Alan Stewart
The Corydon Democrat
Fireworks
Beautiful. It took skill to get this right.
Second Place
Jo Ann Spieth-Saylor
The Corydon Democrat
Rodeo
Fantastic action shot. Great face and great body positions.
Third Place
Ben Kibbey
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Ruth’s retiring
A good, touching moment.
Category: 17 Best Sports Feature Photo
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Josh Lewis
The Salem Leader
Scream
An unusually good image of the contrast of the reactions of the players.
Second Place
Chad Fleetwood
The Salem Democrat
Big show
36
Cute kids in the moment, with colorful composition.
Third Place
Josh Lewis
The Salem Leader
Tears of joy
An unusual scene.
Category: 18 Best Sports Action Photo
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Chad Fleetwood
The Salem Leader
Pinned
Colorfully rich with the team’s purple and nicely lit under less-than-ideal conditions. The brute
strength required to pin an opponent is captured in the physique of the winner versus the
soles up and open hands of the vanquished. The team’s emotions are reflected in the
youthful exuberance of the teammates and conservative approval of the coach. Technically
well done with shutter speed, ISO and the low angle all coming together to make this a
remarkable image. Very well done.
Second Place
Brian Smith
The Corydon Democrat
Steal
Brian was well prepared to capture this slide into third base. This landscape image nicely
captures the energy released in this successful stolen base and the grimace on the runner’s
face reflects the sacrifice made in the endeavor. Only possible from a very low angle not
37
easily obtained on a municipal field. Nicely lit with the late afternoon sun and colorfully rich.
Well done.
Third Place
Josh Lewis
The Salem Leader
Ball
Josh does a great job in capturing emotion and stance. The player’s fear is clearly visible –
and with overcast conditions and a visor, bringing out that face requires skill. The bat is clear
and ball blurred, requiring master over shutter speeds to convey the action. The story is
rounded out with the inclusion of the fans’ cautious reservation reflected in their slightly out
of focus faces. Nicely done.
Category: 19 Best Feature Photo
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Ross Schulz
The Corydon Democrat
Boys
Not the usual expression when hitting a ball.
Second Place
Ben Kibbey
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Hair donation
Shows the fun of having your long hair chopped off for charity.
Third Place
Suzannah Couch
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Flip
38
Would rather not see the mop guy, but you captured a moment and a different take on a
pancake breakfast.
Category: 20 Best Multiple Picture Group
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Alan Stewart
The Corydon Democrat
Indy
These photos show a variety of distances and angles while maintaining some elements of
composition.
Second Place
Ben Skirvin
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Fourth
These photos offer some creative angles and visual interest.
Category: 21 Best Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Alan Stewart
The Corydon Democrat
Shoe giveaway
39
Well constructed. I enjoyed the use of the exposition text in the beginning. The kid reactions
during the second half was a nice touch.
Second Place
Victoria Davis & Ebony Chappel
The Indianapolis Recorder
#Selma50
Wonderful piece about an important subject. However, 11+ minutes is too long for most
viewers. If this had been edited down – which admittedly would be a tough job – I would
have placed this at first place.
Third Place
Ben Kibbey
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Riding shotgun
Nice clip and some good dialogue
Category: 22 Best Editorial Page
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Staff
The Corydon Democrat
Jan. 21, 2015 // Aug. 6, 2014 // Nov. 26, 2014
Live Wire is a nice touch. Good reader engagement.
Second Place
Staff
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
40
1-14-15 // 3-18-15 // 7-2-14
Designs look nice.
Third Place
Vincent Luecke
Perry County News (Tell City)
Aug. 11, 2014; Dec. 1, 2014 and Nov. 3, 2014 Editorial Pages (with jumps)
Good editorials and local content.
Category: 23 Best Use of Graphics
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Victoria Davis & Jessica Key
The Indianapolis Recorder
Best Use of Graphics
Second Place
Staff
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Conference call // Heroin and the body // Home to history
Category: 24 Best Online Site/Web Page
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Victoria Davis
The Indianapolis Recorder
41
www.indianapolisrecorder.com
Second Place
Denise Freitag Burdette & Staff
Dearborn County Register (Lawrenceburg)
www.thedcregister.com
Third Place
Staff
The Corydon Democrat
www.corydondemocrat.com
Category: 25 Best Sports Section
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Staff
The Press-Dispatch (Petersburg)
The Press-Dispatch
Although no color in the section, there are a TON of photos highlighting high school and
youth sports that really engage the reader throughout.
Second Place
Brian Smith
The Corydon Democrat
June 3, 2015 // March 11, 2015 // October 15, 2014
Enjoyed coverage of multiple sports, not just the major ones like basketball. Also included
tennis and cross country.
Third Place
Jim Buchberger
42
Dearborn County Register (Lawrenceburg)
The Dearborn County Register Best Sports Section 7-10-14//10-9-14//6-4-15
Category: 26 Best Feature Section/Page(s)
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Staff
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Out There
Second Place
Staff
The Corydon Democrat
20 years of paint-ball fun // Heart of a warrior // Time in the nation’s capital
Third Place
Staff
Perry County News (Tell City)
Nov. 27 B Section
Category: 27 Best Business Section or Page(s)
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Staff
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Treading water // On the market // Big business moves
43
Quality business pages. Well-written and well-reported. Good design, and I appreciate the
effort to try to present sometimes-dry information in a more eye-catching way. This small
paper does a really nice job.
Category: 28 Best Special Section
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Staff
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Brown County Fair 2014
Comprehensive, informative, colorful, covers all the bases. I especially liked the detailed
entries for each of the individual listings for lodging, restaurants and things to do in Brown
County. Even McDonald’s got a few lines.
Second Place
Chris Adams & Jo Ann Spieth-Saylor
The Corydon Democrat
Marching bands
Great idea, and well executed, giving marching bands the sports-team treatment. Even had
the feel of a sports preview section.
Third Place
Denise Freitag Burdette & Lydia Morath
Dearborn County Register (Lawrenceburg)
Salute to Veterans
A strong mix of offerings, with especially nice treatment of the letters home. Nice touch with
the headline styles and layout, which managed to make the stories stand out while still
seeming dignified.
44
Category: 29 Community Service
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Sara Clifford & Ben Skirvin
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Nashville’s Stellar bid
The examination of the Stellar Communities process was exhaustive and informative – wide as
well as deep. What a valuable public service.
Second Place
Sara Clifford & Ben Kibbey
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
Landmark decision
This coverage educates and informs readers about an important local issue of financial and
historic consequence.
Third Place
Stephanie Taylor Ferriell, Kate Wehlann & Marcia Walker
The Salem Leader
Snapshot
We can learn from the past – that’s the community service that this project performed. Good
work.
Category: 30 Best Newspaper Design
Division: N2 Nondailies more than 3,000
First Place
Staff
45
Brown County Democrat (Nashville)
11-5-14 // 3-25-15 // 4-29-15
Creative package designs on sections fronts. Organized and strong sense of hierarchy.
Second Place
Staff
The Corydon Democrat
November 19, 2014 // April 15, 2015 // March 11, 2015
Good use of photo placement and headline typography. Consistency throughout entire paper
made it feel connected.
Third Place
Staff
Dearborn County Register (Lawrenceburg)
The Dearborn County Register Best Design 9-11/-14//11-20-14//3-12-15
Organized stories and consistency with typography. Stronger visual hierarchy would elevate
this publication.
46
DIVISION 3
Category: 1 Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Whitney Riggs & Zach Spicer
The Tribune (Seymour)
Fire engulfs North Vernon
Outstanding account of what was clearly a devastating fire. This was a stellar news package,
with gripping focus stories and sidebars, accompanying graphics, and a wide selection of
dramatic photos. It’s very clear that the reporters and photo staff worked very closely
together on this. A job well done.
Second Place
Rod Rose, Sarah Lang & Greta Sanderson
The Lebanon Reporter
Election night
An excellent election night package, with comprehensive coverage of the different races tied
together with interviews with voters and photos from the polls. Definitely a team effort by the
participating news staff.
Third Place
Katie Clontz
The Courier-Times (New Castle)
Horses surrendered to sheriff’s department; 4 found dead
This was an interesting entry. One normally wouldn’t expect a story about horses to be found
in a deadline reporting category, but in this situation it makes perfect sense. The reporter did
a good job of getting the owner’s side of the story as well as law enforcement’s, and the
effect is quite heart-rending.
47
Category: 2 Best News Coverage with No Deadline Pressure
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
Princeton Daily Clarion
Presidential visit to Gibson County
The Obama coverage was impressive. The preview stories were well done, and I really liked
how residents were woven into the previews as well. The day-of coverage was very well done
in words and photos; it was complete, encompassing and involving.
Second Place
Rod Rose
The Lebanon Reporter
Hunger in Boone County
The writer took this story about food insecurity and wove in so many viewpoints and voices
simply and effectively. Numbers drove the point home, but they are well buttressed by the
real people involved in this topic. This story really engaged me.
Third Place
Dave Schultz & Jessica Williams
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
Saving on assistance
Who knew this topic would be so engaging. For this judge, it worked because of how the
reporters balanced their story with numbers and different viewpoints. In a relatively short
story, I learned a lot, felt I got both sides of the story and then could make up my own mind
on the subject. Simply a nice job of reporting and writing.
Category: 3 Best Ongoing News Coverage
48
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Jessica Williams
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
Owen Collins
This series shows not only solid crime reporting, but also great investigative work to give
readers a full picture of a murder that clearly impacted the community. Well-written
throughout. The lede on “What happened inside Owen Collins’ home?” gave me chills.
Second Place
Matt Fritz
The LaPorte Herald-Argus
Murder trial on 21-year-old cold case
The coverage of this trial is gripping from the first lede. The reporter crafted the details of
this trial in a way that sucks in the reader and demands that every word be read. He clearly
raised the bar for trial coverage.
Third Place
Donna Cronk
The Courier-Times (New Castle)
Full cradles, empty coffers. Cradles to keep rocking
Engaging writing. Solid storytelling. This package goes beyond the meeting coverage to tell
the stories that impact a community.
Category: 4 Best General Commentary
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Matt Getts
49
The Star (Kendallville)
Lamenting Solomon / Divot on the Dome / Rough day at the range
Matt Getts writes about his personal and professional life with wry humor and insight. His
deft touch makes him a pleasure to read.
Second Place
Lou Ann Saylor
The Herald Republican (Kendallville)
Life goes on; In search of poetry; After 65 years
To read a column by Lou Ann Holman-Saylor is a pause that refreshes. She writes with a
reflectiveness and literary sensibility that is refreshing.
Third Place
Mark Miller
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
Inevitability, finality and self-evident truths | Street fair dinners, parties, politics and trees |
Reflections on an emotional week
Mark Miller takes readers beyond the headlines to give a human touch to the news.
Category: 5 Best Editorial Writer
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Straight ticket bill deserves a vote//Everyone has something to offer//Be welcoming to our
visitors
Second Place
Tim Timmons
50
The Paper of Montgomery County (Crawfordsville)
Tim Timmons
Third Place
Todd Lancaster
Washington Times-Herald
A spoiled session from the Legislature; ISTEP misery; All the shampoo in Walmart can’t wash
this away
Category: 6 Best Business/Economic News Coverage
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Zach Spicer
The Tribune (Seymour)
Opening doors
Second Place
Kelly Lynch
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Yield looks strong
Third Place
Jack Ronald
The Commercial Review (Portland)
For Fishers, it’s all in the family
Category: 7 Headline Writing
51
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Pesky NATS: Computer system causes shutdown//It’s not snow bad: Winter storm not as
severe as predicted//Father is ready to let ‘Frozen’ go
Great way to liven up a wire story.
Second Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
“And on this farm they had some fun” // “The Otter Limits. Mammals numbers’ rise” // “When
Hoppy Met Sally”
“Hoppy” headline was great.
Third Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
“Can-do attitude. 450 North hopes to tap new fans with designer packaging “ // “Where This
Little Piggie calls home. Girl and her ‘Hamie’ take 4-H journal together” // “Fore the Youth.
Local golf courses offer lessons, leagues”
Fresh treatment of tired phrases.
Category: 8 Best Short Feature Story
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Kelly Lynch
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Slow ride
52
Good, descriptive writing. Funny subject, perfect quotes, nice lede. Makes the reader feel as if
we are along for the ride.
Second Place
Jessica Williams
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
‘My heart was married to him’
Good details (he still lists her as “Legs” in his phone), nice pacing, writing with personality.
Third Place
Whitney Riggs
The Tribune (Seymour)
Belle of the ball at 93
Cute story told well with good quotes and details.
Category: 9 Best Profile Feature
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Whitney Riggs
The Tribune (Seymour)
Directing lives
Finely observed details pull us into the story of a man who can help others because he has
been there himself. The writer has a good ear for a quotes and compels us to continue
reading right to a memorable ending.
Second Place
Donna Cronk
53
The Courier-Times (New Castle)
Remembering Betty O’Neal Giboney
This profile reads like a miniature novel. A worthy treatment of a fascinating life.
Third Place
Andrea Howe
Princeton Daily Clarion
Mettle in her bones
The beautiful character of this profile’s subject shines though the frightening details of her
ordeal. That’s not an easy thing to pull off, but this writer does it.
Category: 10 Best In-Depth Feature/Feature Package
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Scott Roberts
The Reporter-Times (Martinsville)
Final farewell for central
Well-done and interesting story. I enjoyed the vignettes from throughout the day. Terrific
treatment of the topic.
Second Place
Daniel Thompson
Herald Journal (Monticello)
Community members, officials walk a ‘Mile in My Shoes’
A unique topic and an interesting, well done story.
Third Place
Staff
54
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
Palm Sunday tornado 50th anniversary
Good use of new and old material.
Category: 11 Best Sports Event Coverage
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Harley Tomlinson
Rensselaer Republican
Bombers state bound
Interesting lede draws the reader in with only a tease to the back story behind the win,
tempting the reader to continue on. A concise overall story packed with information in plain,
descriptive language, not an overload of jargon.
Second Place
Neil Burk
The Paper of Montgomery County (Crawfordsville)
Mounties get redemption
Great story and a lede that lets the reader feel what the team has gone through leading up
the game. Well written. Thank you for avoiding over-used, trite cliches.
Third Place
Eric Wohlford
Greensburg Daily News
Pirates a real hit// Tigers outlast Pirates in triple-overtime// Owens, Pirates build on success
Nicely written. Description pulls readers in without overloading them up front with a fact
dump.
55
Category: 12 Best Sports News or Feature Coverage
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Chris Schanz
The Commercial Review (Portland)
‘Felt that God spared her’
Compelling, dramatic, great storytelling.
Second Place
Grady Tate
Connersville News-Examiner
Overcoming obstacles
Great example of how perseverance pays off.
Third Place
Aaron McKrell
The News-Dispatch (Michigan City)
In his blood
Deeply personal story; would have liked to see some reference to other athletes who
overcame diabetes.
Category: 13 Best Sports Commentary
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
56
Failure simply a step to success//Eagles inspire with victory//Tribe baseball has come a long
way
Nice column topics. Well written.
Second Place
Val Tsoutsouris
The Rochester Sentinel
Everybody have Phoun tonight; TRC luck brutal for 7-0 grid teams; Coaches ultimately shut
out in tourney format change
Can tell writer is in touch with the local community. Nice job.
Third Place
Jordan Morey
The Tribune (Seymour)
Bill could impact sports, revenue; // Owls tennis team still swinging at next goal // Boxing
back on nation’s mind
Good job tackling some interesting issues.
Category: 15 Best Spot News Photo
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Robb Quinn
The News-Dispatch (Michigan City)
Huddle
Winner stood out by the emotion of the moment that draws the viewer to ask what’s
happening.
Second Place
57
Scott Cousins
The Times (Frankfort)
Destroyed
Strong composition and mood
Third Place
Aaron Piper
The Tribune (Seymour)
Blaze
Creative composition and contrast. Sometimes you don’t need a lot of flames to convey the
urgency of the moment.
Category: 16 Best General News Photo
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Matthew LeBlanc
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
Bee
Great use of negative space and cropping. It turned an often-covered event into a unique
moment.
Second Place
Aaron Piper
The Tribune (Seymour)
Soldier
Solid composition of old to young.
Third Place
58
Scott Cousins
The Times (Frankfort)
Pothole
Great incorporation of light and dust to create very textured photo.
Category: 17 Best Sports Feature Photo
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Robb Quinn
The News-Dispatch (Michigan City)
Twins
An unusual idea well done, albeit it might be an entry for the photo-illustration category. I
couldn’t pass it over.
Second Place
Michael Caterina
Princeton Daily Clarion
Out at home
Well done, although it might be better suited to a sports action category.
Third Place
Eric Wohlford
Greensburg Daily News
Softball
A nicely seen moment that borders on the abstract, in the spirit of the category.
Category: 18 Best Sports Action Photo
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
59
First Place
Mike Kenny
The Rochester Sentinel
Vikings
Capturing the scoreboard immortalizes the clearly important standing room only event.
Capturing the faces of the fans took planning and positioning. Technically well executed with
the faces properly exposed and a wide enough lens to capture the magnitude of the crowd in
an inclosed space. Very well done.
Second Place
Andy Duvall
The Times (Noblesville)
Avon
Andy has captured a very smart image, well timed and charged with emotion. In a single
image the emotions on the runners’ faces range from frustration to determination to a
champion’s steely focus. The low angle yields a professional’s image with enough depth of
field to capture the emotions. Well done.
Third Place
Robb Quinn
The News-Dispatch (Michigan City)
Football
Robb’s image is one of those interesting images that stand out from the pack. The ‘stack’ is
not enough to subdue the ball carrier. Well lit, sharp, focused and composed, it draws the
reader in, the quintessential purpose of sports photography. Nice.
Category: 19 Best Feature Photo
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
60
Amanda Haverstick
The LaPorte Herald-Argus
Skimmer
The right place at the right time.
Second Place
Michael Caterina
Princeton Daily Clarion
Sunset
No reason not to underexpose when you get something more evocative of an evening
concert.
Third Place
Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Cowlick
Spontaneity is nice, if you catch it, and you did.
Category: 20 Best Multiple Picture Group
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Nicole Minier
Columbia City Post & Mail
Whiteout
Second Place
Aaron Piper
The Tribune (Seymour)
61
Houston
Third Place
Scott Cousins
The Times (Frankfort)
Backstage
Great idea for a photo story! Not only did you capture the crew, but the actors as they break.
Fantastic.
Category: 21 Best Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Michael Caterina
Princeton Daily Clarion
Block party
Very fun still photos that are also well exposed and constructed. Good placement of video
with overlaying dialogue.
Second Place
Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Honors night
Reporter voice over was a good touch. Still images were a good mix of reaction shots and
hand shakes.
Third Place
Tyler Moore & James Tew
The Herald Republican (Kendallville)
Joe Driver
62
Effective video. I would recommend a mono-pod and wireless mic. Nice closeups and detail
shots.
Category: 22 Best Editorial Page
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
“HIV in Indiana: Fact vs. Fiction” // “Heeding the Call” // “Renaissance Man”
Nice designs and good information.
Second Place
Andrea Howe
Princeton Daily Clarion
Daily Clarion Opinion pages
Solid mix of content.
Third Place
Staff
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Opinion
Good mix of local with national content.
Category: 23 Best Use of Graphics
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
63
Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Student cost arithmetic//Property breakdown//Revamping facade
Second Place
Michael Caterina
Princeton Daily Clarion
Princeton Daily Clarion
Third Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
A matter of life & death // Ready for college // 1 suspect, two robberies
Category: 24 Best Online Site/Web Page
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
Princeton Daily Clarion
www.pdclarion.com
Second Place
Staff
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
www.news-banner.com
Third Place
Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
www.thecr.com
64
Category: 25 Best Sports Section
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
Best sports section
Clean and creative layouts draw reader in, and not just on section fronts. Nice layouts on
inside pages as well. Good emphasis on features, not just local game coverage.
Second Place
Pete Swanson, Michael Caterina & Andrea Howe
Princeton Daily Clarion
Daily Clairon Sports Section
Great use of photos, which are very striking. Not afraid to “go big” with a story when
warranted.
Third Place
Staff
The News-Dispatch (Michigan City)
The News-Dispatch Sports Sections
Category: 26 Best Feature Section/Page(s)
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
65
The Tribune (Seymour)
“Stop in the Name of BUS” // “From Nashville to Home” // “Columbus Tradition of Rock the
Park Roars Back”
Nice design concepts.
Second Place
Erin Doucette, Jennifer Decker
& Amy Oberlin
The Herald Republican (Kendallville)
Aug. 7, 2014; Oct. 19, 2014; Dec. 7, 2014
Great features highlight these pages. The farrier story really stood out.
Third Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
“Color from darkness” // “Gobble Gobble” // “Top Dogs”
A strong third place finish, just edged out of second.
Category: 27 Best Business Section or Page(s)
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Brian Culp
The Reporter-Times (Martinsville)
Business page
Nice bakery feature. And working in real people to business stories is a plus. Design is the
strongest of the contest, though some of the photos could have been better cropped.
Second Place
66
Staff
The Commercial Review (Portland)
Business
Category: 28 Best Special Section
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
The News-Banner (Bluffton)
Who We Are 2015
It’s hard to even imagine a more comprehensive but still readable tour of a county and the
people in the community from all walks of life who make it what it is.
Second Place
Harley Tomlinson & Robert Blankenship
Rensselaer Republican
Bomber Nation Rushing Into History
The staff jumped on the opportunity provided by an historic football season and ran with it.
A wonderfully detailed review of the season that will undoubtedly be a keepsake for players,
their families and countless fans.
Third Place
Christina Seiler, Wesley Dehne
& Mike Kenny
The Rochester Sentinel
Guide to Fulton County A to Z 2014
These kinds of publications can often be a little dry, but not this. A lively layout, and the Ato-Z format, which could have come off a little forced and clunky, worked well here in
covering all the bases.
67
Category: 29 Community Service
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
Where They Stand
This fresh approach to covering the election allowed the readers and newspaper to set the
agenda rather than succumb to candidate spin. Bravo!
Second Place
Brent Brown & Amanda Browning & Boris Ladwig
Greensburg Daily News
Greensburg Daily News - Community Service
The coverage of the Agape plan for a homeless shelter was informative, thought-provoking
and shone the light on a significant community issue that often goes unnoticed.
Third Place
Kelly Lynch, Jack Ronald & Ray Cooney
The Commercial Review (Portland)
J-Star Farms could face fines//Commission to file injunction//CAFO situation may have
changed//Permit process suspended//Suspension lifted//Listening is the key to
compromise//Operations now at 93//Group hears concerns//Group hears presentations//Jay
Co.
Readers certainly were well-informed by the thorough coverage of the J-Star issue, which
touched on a wide range of concerns.
Category: 30 Best Newspaper Design
68
Division: 3 Dailies less than 6,000
First Place
Staff
The Tribune (Seymour)
Best newspaper design // Nov. 1, 2014 // Oct. 25, 2014 // March 18, 2015
Front to back, this was the best entry. Not the same ol’, same ol’. Good use of color and
typography. They let the inside pages breathe a little and not cram everything in. Even the
classified pages look good. For overall design, easily the best entry.
Second Place
Staff
The Sullivan Daily Times
Various
Third Place
Stu Clampitt, Neil Burk & Isaac Taylor
The Paper of Montgomery County (Crawfordsville)
Best Newspaper Design - The Paper of Montgomery County
69
DIVISION 4
Category: 1 Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Greenwood neighbors spring into action in search of child
The story of a boy who went missing for a few hours might not make it to the front page in
another big city. But in the community the Daily Journal covers, this is major news. Hundreds
were involved in the search for the boy – and the newspaper’s staff was right there with
them. The newspaper used its Facebook account to aid the search and share important
information. More than excellent breaking news coverage, this package illustrates what it
means for a news organization to be a part of its community.
Second Place
Staff
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
Sheriff indicted
The News and Tribune dispatched a team of journalists to cover a major story: the indictment
of a sheriff. The team effectively provided readers with juicy details of the allegations,
explained the wider context of the bust, got reaction from numerous officials, explored the
possible fallout and wasted no time with an authoritative editorial calling for the sheriff to
resign. They did all this on deadline.
Third Place
Staff
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Landmark lost // Fire truck crashes
70
Pharos-Tribune staff rushed to this breaking news story, capturing the fiery loss of a
renowned business with stunning photography while managing to keep on top of a related
development: the crash of a fire truck. The newspaper’s journalists effectively used Twitter to
keep readers informed in real time.
Category: 2 Best News Coverage with No Deadline Pressure
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Tom Lange
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Wrongly arrested
This compelling story raises important questions about how a public school and police
department made a very bad mistake and disregarded red flags. The story offers strong
insight into a situation in which a child with mental illness was let down by the system. The
reporter worked hard to tell the story despite roadblocks thrown up by some officials.
Second Place
Wyatt Stayner
The Herald (Jasper)
Home is where famed heart belongs
The author has turned what could have been a simple preview of a small museum into a
beautiful love story. It’s quirky with some laugh-out-loud lines, as well as interesting and –
most appropriately – heartfelt. This story was a pleasure to read.
Third Place
Noelle Steele
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Steps toward closure
71
The narrative is compelling from the opening paragraph. The story offers a unique glimpse of
the personal toll a crime can have on a victim’s family years after it occurs.
Category: 3 Best Ongoing News Coverage
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Executed?//Overstreet Attorneys Present Case//State: Man Drafted Will//Killer’s case may set
legal standard//A Mother’s Heartache//Judge: Not Competent
A great deal of time and effort was undertaken to give readers a thorough understanding of
the death penalty issue and the particular case involved here. We found the coverage
complete and the individual issues addressed in great detail. All angles were covered in a
story that could have been, given the limited resources many newsroom experience, done
with fewer articles. Rather, the staff went all out to give in-depth treatment of a difficult issue.
Well done.
Second Place
Staff
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
Area HIV outbreak continues // At the epicenter of an outbreak // Halting an epidemic
//Weapon of education // Mayor of Austin // Showing they care // Students: ‘This doesn’t
define us’ // Forming a foundation // The picture of health // Breaking through
A close runner up. Ditto on the staff’s thoroughness. This paper did a nice job in raising
public awareness, and I got a sense that its coverage both helped get key information out as
well as influence public opinion to change policy especially in regard to needle exchanges. In
many ways this was a sensational topic but covered in a classy way. Again well done.
Third Place
72
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Ready for more ISTEP? //Istep time adding up, time called “Scary to think about”//Governor
cuts state test time//Shorter Istep tests not a done deal//Is this going to be on the test?//Plan
would cut three hours from exam//Lawmakers review Istep changes
Not everything that is covered is sexy as a death penalty or public health crisis. Here another
very important issue was addressed, in this case the amount of precious school time with
public education. I felt the staff did a fine job informing its readers about the issues, why
reducing the time expended on standardized testing was important. I think they served
parents of school-age children well.
Category: 4 Best General Commentary
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Amanda Beam
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
Beam Columns
Amanda Beam doesn’t just write about people – she brings them alive. Every one of her
columns was compelling and memorable. She is a gifted story-teller.
Second Place
Kevin Leininger
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
Ringmaster makes a point in political circus//Deaf teen is ambitious and inspiring//Landlord
wants city to act before house-car crash kills somebody else on Lima Road
Kevin Leininger is a keen observer of news and of life. His insights bring readers closer to the
news and tell them why they should care.
Third Place
73
Jerry Pattengale
Chronicle-Tribune (Marion)
An old man on an Israeli beach
Jerry Pattengale writes thoughtfully and uses the language cleverly. He rewards his audience
with a good read every time.
Category: 5 Best Editorial Writer
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Misty Knisely
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Sounding alarm on bad alarms // Giving students reason to return // Hoping for a fair ball
game
Second Place
Michael Wanbaugh
The Goshen News
Coverage of town marshal appropriate / Redskins issue worthy of discussion / RFRA issue
trickles down to Goshen
We’re often criticized in the news industry for our coverage of an issue, particularly when it
involves well-known people in the community. I’m glad you had the guts to defend your
coverage.
Third Place
Dave Kurtz
The News-Sun (Kendallville)
Give Hoosiers ... / Indiana needs ... / New hope ...
Category: 6 Best Business/Economic News Coverage
74
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Sarah Einselen
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Lights out at Whitehouse
Sarah Einselen has written a touching, personal restaurant closing story, with good research
into its history. Well written. Good narrative style.
Second Place
Sarah Einselen
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Dissecting farmland taxes
Sarah Einselen manages to personalize a farm tax story and adds important regional context
as well. Well written.
Third Place
Elizabeth Beilman
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
City pulls asphalt plant permit; lawsuit dropped // MAC says lawsuit is part of union’s attack
// Court drops MAC complaint
Elizabeth Beilman managed to bring to life what could have been a rather dull
zoning/planning board story by personalizing the issue. Well done!
Category: 7 Headline Writing
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
James Tew & Barry Rochford
The News-Sun (Kendallville)
75
Refocused; Rock star; Horse
Good word choice; horse headline was terrific.
Second Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Purdie Good//Float On//This right here is a Hole Lot of Trouble
Good presentation, nice twist on words/phrases. Float headline was great.
Third Place
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Read it and leap/Conference crown is three-mendous/Area sleep center helps patients give it
a rest
Pithy and fun.
Category: 8 Best Short Feature Story
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Annie Goeller
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Moving past the hurt
Excellent, well-written update focusing on real people and real lives in the aftermath of a
major breaking news event. Revisiting people in these situations is something that we all
need to do more of. You can feel the emotion.
Second Place
76
Julie Crothers Beer
The Goshen News
The initial blow
It reads like I’m watching a movie from 50 years ago. Excellent job of storytelling.
Tremendous detail. Grabs you attention early and keeps it.
Third Place
Mitchell Kirk
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Beyond the bucket list
Very well told. Not too morbid. Some light moments in a bleak picture. Nicely done.
Category: 9 Best Profile Feature
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Noelle Steele
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Fighting for Katie
Well-crafted narrative of parents’ fight to keep daughter alive. The story was gripping.
Second Place
Rachel Sheeley
Palladium-Item (Richmond)
‘We’re crying for help’
Strong story that would easily have been first place winner had it delved more into the issues
around child mental health care in Indiana. Very strong narrative.
77
Third Place
Annie Goeller
Daily Journal (Franklin)
No one can fill his shoes
Very well done career retrospective.
Category: 10 Best In-Depth Feature/Feature Package
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Jonathan Streetman
The Herald (Jasper)
Another chance
Real-life view of prison and life of a young female inmate. Solid reporting.
Second Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Still Franklin Strong: They Deserve some Grace//She’s still my Girl//’Miss Him So
Bad’//Continuing On
Clear snapshot of what life is like now for both the families and community affected by a
terrible accident.
Third Place
Michael Wanbaugh
The Goshen News
Pulse of the city
Nice overall view of downtown that puts the current landscape into context.
78
Category: 11 Best Sports Event Coverage
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Josh Chapin
Palladium-Item (Richmond)
Division I Devils make college choices official // Golden opportunity for Red Devil diver //
RHS guard doesn’t pass on chance // ‘Dream come true’ for standout Devil
This kind of coverage could have been – and often is – a boring recap. Instead, good
research, insightful quotes and nice writing.
Second Place
Joseph Fanelli
The Herald (Jasper)
Rasche, Jeeps feel the love in overtime upset
Great lead. Like the first few seconds of a great movie, reader feels in good hands
immediately. Then, writer backed up the lead throughout. Very nice job.
Third Place
Mark Campbell
The Madison Courier
Jazzed-up Hilltoppers
Great lead, then a game story that did not read like an average game story. Reader feels like
he’s there in the gymnasium, and that’s good writing.
Category: 12 Best Sports News or Feature Coverage
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
79
First Place
Jim Ayello
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Tales of Tink
Absolutely beautiful pair of stories that make readers wish they knew this man personally. The
writer brings them up just short of shaking his hand. Readers feel like they are in the stands
or peeking into his final practice as an old man.
Second Place
Robby Howard
The Goshen News
Survive & advance
This story keeps building and building. Readers know the outcome but get surprised with
intense parts of the story, including when the coach died during treatment and battling
depression. Readers are pulled right through from start to finish.
Third Place
Brendan Perkins
The Herald (Jasper)
Paths contrast but bonds powerful for sisters
Beautiful story about a sisterly bond that helps motivate one on the court and one off.
Readers finish the story feeling good about both sisters and sorry for neither.
Category: 13 Best Sports Commentary
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Rick Morwick
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Colts at Bottom without Luck//Deserving of Something Special//One of a Kind
Excellent variety of topics. Well written. Certainly in touch with the local scene.
80
Second Place
Pete DiPrimio
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
Hatch inspires in ‘Most Courageous’ ways//Montoya picks off drivers in 4th closest finish
ever//Allen’s dismissal demands tough Indiana action
All well written. Nice job
Third Place
Robby Howard
The Goshen News
Basketball season is best time of year / IU’s Little 500 a great display of competition /
Westview went on a special run
Good grasp of the local community and well written.
Category: 15 Best Spot News Photo
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
J. Kyle Keener
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Whiteout
A different spot-news image. Great composition and quality of light.
Second Place
J. Kyle Keener
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Fire
A painterly effect to a spot-news image.
81
Third Place
Tyler Stewart
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
Breath
Lots of emotion from EMT and the cat. Tightness of the crop strengthens the urgency of the
moment.
Category: 16 Best General News Photo
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Tyler Stewart
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
Not guilty
A visceral moment in which both faces can be seen.
Second Place
Thomas J. Russo
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Tuba
Clean and curious composition. Great use of negative space and angle.
Third Place
Dave Weatherwax
The Herald (Jasper)
Caught in the system
Great moment. The photo draws you in from the hand, through the glass and into his gaze
upward.
82
Category: 17 Best Sports Feature Photo
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Scott Roberson
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Diver
This is both technically and aesthetically wonderful.
Second Place
J. Kyle Keener
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Net minders
A mundane task beautifully visualized, transformed into something so much more than it
would be in so many other eyes.
Third Place
Rich Janzaruk
Times-Mail (Bedford)
Range
I can imagine the heat of the sun on that driving range and yet wish I was there.
Category: 18 Best Sports Action Photo
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Patrick Redmond
The News-Sun (Kendallville)
Missed
83
Had the rider landed the calf it would have been a good image, but it is the failure that
draws the reader in and causes them to pause, therein lies the goal of a professional
photographer. The low angle shot brings the action down to eye level. All the faces are
visible, well framed and balanced, background spectators are focused. Very well done.
Second Place
Scott Roberson
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Pick
Fun image here. Well-balanced, nicely timed and technically mastered. Fast enough shutter to
bring in a sharp image and stop the action while also slow enough to bring the faces out of
the shadows, not easy but for the well-trained and prepared is possible and nicely done here.
The expressions on the players’ faces tells us the story from the grin of the “gottcha” to the
ouch of the “dang.” We the reader can’t help but smile. Well done.
Third Place
Thomas J. Russo
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Eyes
The brilliant blue eyes locked in steely focus on the task at hand brings the reader in very
deep, a vantage point we spectators and families rarely get to see. Thomas’ long lens and
mastery over speed, focus points and timing come to fruition in this image. The shallow
depth of field draws the readers directly into her eyes and engages us, the hallmark of of a
great sports photographer. Nicely done.
Category: 19 Best Feature Photo
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
J. Kyle Keener
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Hula
84
Gotta love a low angle against a blue sky with multicolored circles and a kid having fun.
Second Place
Scott Roberson
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Shot
This is a crazy illusion that adds to the impact and causes a double-take on the viewers’ part.
Third Place
J. Kyle Keener
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Dog
Chili dog.
Category: 20 Best Multiple Picture Group
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Steve Summers
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Blaze
Second Place
Thomas J. Russo
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Service
Third Place
Dave Weatherwax
85
The Herald (Jasper)
Uphill
Category: 21 Best Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Rachel Mummey
The Herald (Jasper)
Pecan
Told the complete story in 2 minutes, which is about what most people’s attention span on a
news report would be. I liked that the video included still images.
Second Place
Heather Rousseau, Rachel Mummey & Caitlin O’Hara
The Herald (Jasper)
Fair
I liked the idea of this story. It was shot well, but as I watched I kept wanting to see kids
interacting with the animals in competition or just working with them in some way.
Third Place
Patrick Redmond
The News-Sun (Kendallville)
Horses
Category: 22 Best Editorial Page
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
86
First Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Best Editorial Page
Effective layouts and a nice tribute to a colleague. Well done!
Second Place
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
May 5; April 4; April 28
Page designs add to solid content.
Third Place
Grace Housholder & Dennis Nartker
The News-Sun (Kendallville)
Oct. 9, 2014; Nov. 6, 2014; Dec. 10, 2014;
Nice use of photos to complement good mix of content.
Category: 23 Best Use of Graphics
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Erin Doucette
The News-Sun (Kendallville)
Scouting, Giving tree, Movie Mayhem
Second Place
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Daily Reporter Best Use of Graphics
87
Third Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Old Town. New Ideas//Cancer Crisis//What’s It Worth?
Category: 24 Best Online Site/Web Page
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Staff
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
www.pharostribune.com
This is a very dynamic site. The carousel on the Homepage is a great way to get users into
the posts. What this site did very well was challenge the use of its article page template,
giving the appropriate different looks for the different stories. The mix of stories was also
good, showing good curation.
Second Place
Staff
Palladium-Item (Richmond)
www.pal-item.com
The top module on the Honepage gives the user a good quick scan of stories and the ability
to quickly find something that interests you. The mobile experience is pleasant and
straightforward with good visuals to help you along. The photos used for the thumbnails
were well chosen to help draw you into the posts.
Third Place
Staff
The News-Sun (Kendallville)
KPCNews.com
88
Like the Top News module on the page. This is a good use of headlines to draw users in, or
just to give you the top news. This site also works very well on mobile. There is a lot of news
on this site and the navigation is very helpful and intuitive.
Category: 25 Best Sports Section
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Best Sports Section
Great layouts. Not afraid to go big with coverage of stories. Really effective alternate ways of
telling stories, such as Q&A’s.
Second Place
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Daily Reporter sports
Loved the artifical turf story and how deep and detailed the story was. Also thought the page
layouts were very clean and striking.
Third Place
Staff
Palladium-Item (Richmond)
Palladium-Item Sports
Category: 26 Best Feature Section/Page(s)
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
89
First Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Accent
Second Place
Claire Munn
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
SoIn July 24, 204; SoIn Oct. 23, 2014; SoIn Dec. 4, 2014
Third Place
Mark Campbell & David Campbell
The Madison Courier
MadisonCourier_Category26_Division4.pdf
Category: 27 Best Business Section or Page(s)
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Oct. 3; Nov. 21; Jan. 16
Very solid business coverage. Good to have a local economist/columnist. Writing and editing
are strong, visuals have the same challenge most business sections have. Well done.
Second Place
Sarah Einselen
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
Pharos-Tribune Sunday Business Section
Third Place
90
Roger Schneider
The Goshen News
September 14, 2014 / March 1, 2015 / June 6, 2015
Category: 28 Best Special Section
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Fighting the good fight//Perfect attitude//Technology gives doctors leg up in fight//Family
affair//It wasn’t going to run my life//Woman in remission giving back// Heed the red
flag//Buoyed by support//Gift of Health// Sewn with love//
Touching stories presented with effective designs. Nice job donating the proceeds from ad
sales.
Second Place
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Spirit to Survive
Really nice designs and informative.
Third Place
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
Undefeated State Champions: New Palestine Football
Nice presentation on a look back at team’s successful season. Strong photos and good stats.
Well done!
91
Category: 29 Community Service
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
Staff
Daily Journal (Franklin)
Officials lobbying for safer crossings//Railroad upgrades get federal OK//On Track for
Trouble?//Greenwood mayor in D.C. to continue to push for crossing upgrades// Rail
worries//Mayors’ railroad worries deserve recognition//Feeling Rattled//
The coverage of this important community issue was exhaustive and thorough. I was
especially impressed by the audit of every RR crossing’s safety devices and the efforts to
assess what other localities do to ensure and improve safety at crossings.
Second Place
Staff
The News and Tribune (Jeffersonville)
Facing homelessness
The paper’s coverage showed homelessness has many faces and delved deeply into this
disturbing societal issue with compelling stories.
Third Place
Millicent Emery
Palladium-Item (Richmond)
Palladium-Item’s 12 Months of Giving
Twelve Months of Giving was a novel series that effectively involved the community.
Category: 30 Best Newspaper Design
Division: 4 Dailies 6,000-13,999
First Place
92
Staff
Daily Reporter (Greenfield)
March 21-23; April 4-6; Nov. 29-Dec. 1
Compelling package designs that took risks and stepped outside the box. Organized and
clean page layout throughout. Creativity extended to inside pages, which is something to be
commended.
Second Place
Staff
The Herald (Jasper)
Herald Best Design
Clean, sharp covers and well-organized inside pages. Strong use of visuals throughout.
Nothing felt forced or overwhelming.
Third Place
Staff
Pharos-Tribune (Logansport)
March 24, 2015 // Nov. 11, 2014 // Nov. 30, 2014
Bold packages and clearly defined subsections. Well-executed photo edits and photo package
design.
93
DIVISION 5
Category: 1 Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Staff
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
Hospital moving east
The Herald-Times staff covered vitually all possible angles on the day of an important
announcement about a partnershiip between Indiana University and a major hospital,
examining the plan’s possible impact on healthcare, the economy, higher education and local
policy.
Second Place
Steven Porter, John Terhune & Howard Witt
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
1 dead in personal property dispute
Journal & Courier staff provided the community with accurate information online in real time,
following up with a coherent, factual report in the next day’s newspaper.
Third Place
Staff
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
Election 2014
Solid election coverage online and in print. The Tribune-Star’s close watch of the long lines at
the polls on Election Day provided the evidence that reporters and government officials could
later use to examine possible flaws in the election system.
94
Category: 2 Best News Coverage with No Deadline Pressure
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Steven Porter & Mikel Livingston
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
The Great Chicago Myth
The Journal & Courier’s Steven Porter and Mikel Livingston dug deep in their reporting to
challenge the broadly held assumption that low-income African Americans had flooded their
northern Indiana community when Chicago demolished its housing projects, bringing high
crime rates along with them. Their series, “The Great Chicago Myth,” used extensive data,
plentiful interviews and excellent story-telling to prove those assumptions wrong. It was a
courageous effort to confront the community’s prejudices on an issue so volatile as race. The
stories did not claim to have all the answers, but they provided a trove of information for the
community to better understand itself.
Second Place
Anne Christnovich, Tim Vandenack & Staff
The Elkhart Truth
5 years later: More jobs that pay less
This is strong example of drilling down to tell a national story through the perspective of
local people. Elkhart County gained national attention in 2009 as “the white-hot center of the
meltdown of the American economy.” Anne Christnovich, Tim Vandenack and the staff of The
Elkhart Truth told the story of what happened in the years after the “Great Recession” was
declared over through the use of strong writing, graphics, art and online content, including
outstanding video productions.
Third Place
Douglas Walker & Keith Roysdon
The Star Press (Muncie)
Cold case: Muncie
95
The Star Press’ recurring series “Cold Case: Muncie” fascinates with its in-depth coverage of
local murders that have never been solved. It provides the service of not letting people forget
the victims of these crimes – even if they are not the finest of citizens – in addition to simply
offering excellent story telling.
Category: 3 Best Ongoing News Coverage
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Ken de la Bastide & Stu Hirsch
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
Mounds Lake
Wide coverage of an issue that has both cons and pros. Fair coverage makes the reader more
informed about both outcomes.
Second Place
Jack Molitor, Ken de la Bastide & Zach Osowski
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
Sells neglect case coverage
Good coverage of the many angles in the what, the how and the who in failing this child. The
system needed exposing, and it was. I am left to wonder where the child is today and hope
she has found love.
Third Place
Julie McClure, Jay Heater & Olivia Covington
The Republic (Columbus)
Josh Speidel
Great coverage from tragedy to triumph and the community that rounded out this amazing
story.
96
Category: 4 Best General Commentary
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Dave Bangert
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
Dave Bangert columns 10/02/14, 01/25/15, 05/01/15
Columns show strong emotion, good analysis and willingness to reveal.
Second Place
Marshall V. King
The Elkhart Truth
About Town
Good range of topics, good writing.
Third Place
Vince Turner
The Elkhart Truth
Vince Turner
Category: 5 Best Editorial Writer
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Scott Underwood
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
Our View - Scott Underwood
97
Great editorial writing that also supports the “watchdog” purpose of the press.
Second Place
Jeff Kovaleski
Kokomo Tribune
Jeff Kovaleski
Third Place
Kirk Johannesen
The Republic (Columbus)
Kirk Johannesen
Category: 6 Best Business/Economic News Coverage
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Kirk Johannesen
The Republic (Columbus)
Competing for workers
Good data, and nice flow to the writing. Nice presentation.
Second Place
Keith Roysdon
The Star Press (Muncie)
Muncie’s debt: Too much or not enough?
Interesting premise. Nicely written and nicely presented.
Third Place
98
Chris Morisse Vizza
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
Downtown dreams
Writing flows. Nice presentation.
Category: 7 Headline Writing
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Staff
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
“Feeling a draft”; “Oh, M.G.”; “Purdue back in the paint?”
Second Place
Staff
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
“A brake from the past; the future has no driver”; “A watershed learning experience”; “Disable
fly past job bias”
Third Place
Staff
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
“Growing past the grass ceiling”; “Inventor solves timeless problem”; “Saving her bacon”
Category: 8 Best Short Feature Story
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Stu Hirsch
99
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
High school grads overcome obstacles
The Lapel student should be proud of all she has overcome so far, and the author should be
proud of telling the story so well. The story makes you think and feel.
Second Place
Julie McClure
The Republic (Columbus)
Mother’s Day dream come true
There’s real emotion in this story. The storytelling makes you root for her. It’s moving and
really can make a difference.
Third Place
Abby Tonsing
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
A corporal’s best friend
A dog, military, family, love. What’s not to like? Well told and slobber worthy.
Category: 9 Best Profile Feature
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Marshall V. King
The Elkhart Truth
An Elkhart original
Second Place
Ken de la Bastide
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
100
Light in the darkness
Third Place
Laura Lane
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
It takes a town
Category: 10 Best In-Depth Feature/Feature Package
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Jon Blau, Michael Reschke & Bill Strother
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
4 Lives
4 Lives provides a comprehensive look into the impact of living with intellectual disabilities.
The series successfully brings together engaging design with compelling writing and
photography.
Second Place
Lauren Slavin, Jeff LaFave & Bill Strother
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
Downtown: Present and future
Making an engaging presentation about the success of a city’s development plan can be
challenging. The package tackles this successfully through in-depth reporting and excellent
use of graphics to illustrate the growth of Bloomington’s core.
Third Place
Michelle Sokol & Chris Jones
The Republic (Columbus)
101
Pre-kindergarten referendum
The series presents a balanced review of the pre-kindergarten referendum. The sidebars and
graphics help to provide a lot of information that could otherwise get lost in the narrative.
Category: 11 Best Sports Event Coverage
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Staff
The Republic (Columbus)
Mill Race Marathon
Fantastic art and the oddest angles of stories, from an overheated runner to a train to
reunited brothers. This is covering the event from all angles (which is exactly what it looked
like from the photographers as well).
Second Place
George Bremer, Rick Teverbaugh & Heather Bremer
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
Basketball semistate
Beautiful way to deal with fans of two teams despite two different outcomes.
Third Place
Sam Wilson
The Star Press (Muncie)
Wes-del sweeps
Excellent design with stories and great lead art.
Category: 12 Best Sports News or Feature Coverage
102
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Josh Sigler
Kokomo Tribune
Concussions
Very informative. Good use of pullouts and online extras. Also very well written on top of all
of that.
Second Place
Rachel Terlep
The Elkhart Truth
Swimming for Sarah
Third Place
Sam King
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
Comeback kid
Category: 13 Best Sports Commentary
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Todd Golden
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
Manner of Moren’s exit from ISU highlights player-coach inequity // Fair or unfair, football is
most vulnerable ISU sport if NCAA changes pass // TudorVanVleet outshined Ferrell when it
mattered
Nice job. Very in touch with what is going on, and stories were well written.
103
Second Place
Anthony Anderson
The Elkhart Truth
Twine Line
Nice job. Interesting stories.
Third Place
David Hughes
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
Columnist may pull hoodie over eyes for XLIX matchup // McFadden’s move to Nashville
already paying dividends // Saylor’s life left impression on friends, community
Veteran writer who you can tell is tuned in to the local community.
Category: 15 Best Spot News Photo
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Andrew Laker
The Republic (Columbus)
Scrap fire
A great spot news photo combines strong composition with the urgency of the moment. This
image succeeds on both levels.
Second Place
Jordan Kartholl
The Star Press (Muncie)
Steeple struck
This is the moment. The photographer saw the juxtaposition of the elements, combined them
and captured this critical moment.
104
Third Place
John Cleary
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
Waiting
Drama with a little humor. What could be better? These are the images that put eyes on the
page, and people remember them, talk about them, and will come back for more later.
Category: 16 Best General News Photo
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Kelly Lafferty Gerber
Kokomo Tribune
Reunion
Two touching moments captured simultaneously.
Second Place
Tim Bath
Kokomo Tribune
Dad
Emotion and excitement was captured best in the frame before the hug.
Third Place
Chet Strange
The Republic (Columbus)
Frog
Nicely composed and great reaction.
105
Category: 17 Best Sports Feature Photo
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Chet Strange
The Republic (Columbus)
Goal
Perfectly powerful. The camera angle makes it a winner.
Second Place
Josh Sigler
Kokomo Tribune
Concussion
The timely, national issue gives gravitas to this choice.
Third Place
Chris Howell
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
Catch
This might be a stretch for the category, but the timing and graphic impact can’t be ignored.
Category: 18 Best Sports Action Photo
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Joseph C. Garza
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
Bunt
106
“Bunt” draws us in with the stop action of the ball in flight, and the expression grabs us and
forces us to stop and enjoy in this very fun image. Joseph captures a technically difficult
image. His fast shutter speed delivers the image. Nicely framed and balanced. Very well done.
Second Place
Chris Howell
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
Cross country
It is rare that an action sports photographer returns an image of this caliber. The natural sun
light of the golden hour is on full display here and highlights the runner, her hair and
silhouette. The lush green high grass of Indiana is wonderfully bokehed with the narrow
depth of focus centered on the runner. Nicely balanced and framed, and the colors are all
rendered perfectly. Wonderful.
Third Place
Joseph C. Garza
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
Dive
Clearly the image gives the reader reason to pause and take in the remarkable image which
has all the elements required for a great sports action shot. Both players performing at their
peak, the colors, the ball, the action stopped in mid flight, and the reader is left with the
almost sure understanding of the outcome of their mighty efforts. While there are surely a
hundred or more photographers on the sideline of a football game all with a short and long
lens, Joseph knew that his vantage and the right play would need a short lens, properly set
with shutter, ISO and depth of field – all of which needed to be set before the ball was in
motion. Joseph nailed it, and his preparation, skill and the opportunity all came together in
this powerful image. Nicely done.
Category: 19 Best Feature Photo
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
107
First Place
Andrew Laker
The Republic (Columbus)
Sugar maple
Wouldn’t hurt to tweak the curves, but nice!
Second Place
Andrew Laker
The Republic (Columbus)
Doughnuts
That squirrel is going to be an obese diabetic in no time. Nice shot.
Third Place
Kelly Lafferty Gerber
Kokomo Tribune
Adopt
You have photographed love, which isn’t easy.
Category: 20 Best Multiple Picture Group
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Andrew Laker
The Republic (Columbus)
Train
Second Place
Jordan Kartholl
The Star Press (Muncie)
108
Dogs
Third Place
Jordan Kartholl
The Star Press (Muncie)
Ice
Category: 21 Best Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Kelly Lafferty Gerber
Kokomo Tribune
Girl who didn’t quit
I loved the beginning of this video. It showed her “girliness” and really drew me in to the
story. I liked the inclusion of her practicing and other team activities, especially the
photographer taking her portrait. The only thing that was missing for me was game action,
and her reacting after a play, or being tired after the game. Nice job.
Second Place
Sarah Welliver
The Elkhart Truth
Tornado survivor
The story told here was really compelling. It’s not always easy to get someone to open up
and be comfortable enough around you to show their emotions, especially on video. I would
have loved to have seen her mom and her in the garden at the end of the story, or maybe
her or her grandkids picking flowers. It would have added a lot to the story. That being said, I
still had tears in my eyes at the end.
Third Place
109
Kelly Lafferty Gerber
Kokomo Tribune
Beauty
This was a nice human-interest story. I liked the addition of photos in the video. The
hairdresser was cute, and she had a nice story that was told well.
Category: 22 Best Editorial Page
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Dave Bangert
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
Journal & Courier 09/21/14, 10/05/14, 11/23/14
Rapid Response is a fun read. Nice editorials, and good presentation and content.
Second Place
Staff
The Republic (Columbus)
The Republic
Good designs. Good content.
Third Place
Max Jones
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
1-18-15 // 5-3-15 // 2-8-15
Nice use of graphics.
Category: 23 Best Use of Graphics
110
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Rodney Ogle
Kokomo Tribune
Graphics
Second Place
Dan Spalding
The Elkhart Truth
Dan Spalding’s graphics
Third Place
Thomas Maxfield
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
“An explosion of racial diversity”; “Soft targets”; “Sobering statistics”
Category: 24 Best Online Site/Web Page
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Staff Staff
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
HeraldTimesOnline.com
A lot going on here. A good mix of content on the Homepage with what looks like fresh
photos as thumbnails for the stories and not a lot of stock images. The article pages
contained a good variety of alternative story forms and use of tools, including SoundCloud.
Like the idea of getting all your local news on top of the Homepage and the bottom being
used to give you news from around the state.
111
Second Place
Staff
Kokomo Tribune
www.kokomotribune.com
The top module on the Honepage gives the user a good quick scan of stories and the ability
to quickly find something that interests you. The mobile experience is good. The photos used
for the thumbnails were well chosen to help draw you into the posts.
Third Place
Staff
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
www.tribstar.com
Good use of the small buttons such as NEW and FEATURED on the Homepage to help user
quickly get to stories of interest. A good mix of stories in the featured carousel, something
for everyone’s taste. A lot of helpful and easy to read items in article pages, including the
Prep Scoreboard. And loved the Twitter module on the Homepage, a fast and easy look at
what’s happening now.
Category: 25 Best Sports Section
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Staff
The Republic (Columbus)
Best Sports Section
Great use of photos to cover the state basketball championship. Amazing coverage of the
marathon. Great use of photos and layout to create attractive section fronts and layouts for
inside pages too.
Second Place
112
George Bremer & Rick Teverbaugh
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
The Herald Bulletin
Absolutely love how you guys owned the Colts camp coverage. Different entry points for
readers.
Third Place
Staff
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
Herald-Times sports sections
Loved the page on Indiana basketball and the “Brothers Forever” story.
Category: 26 Best Feature Section/Page(s)
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Carol Kugler, Jenny Tilley & Bill Thornbro
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
Feature Section Outdoors
Good design features and not just photos but graphics as well.
Second Place
Heather Bremer, Kelly Dickey & Tom Swenson
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
Home & Garden
Nicely done. First and second were very close.
Third Place
Martin Slagter
113
Kokomo Tribune
Lifestyle section
Good localizing features. Some pages were a little busy.
Category: 27 Best Business Section or Page(s)
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Staff
The Republic (Columbus)
Best Business Section
Strong, bold design. That really is the hallmark of this section. Also, the content lent itself to
breakouts. Mostly business features, but that’s OK. The local centerpiece stories were wellwritten and well-edited.
Second Place
Bill Strother
The Herald-Times (Bloomington)
Best business section
Third Place
Staff
Tribune-Star (Terre Haute)
Jobs and Money sections from 2015
Category: 28 Best Special Section
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
114
First Place
Staff
Kokomo Tribune
One Year Later
The staff left no story unturned in documenting the year-after recovery from a devastating
tornado. A wide range of powerful personal stories and gripping photos supplemented with
extensive digital content.
Second Place
Staff
The Star Press (Muncie)
Muncie sesquicentennial
A sesquicentennial only comes around once – I think – and the staff made it count. All the
historical angles covered, and loved the inclusion of all the old front pages.
Third Place
Gwen Ragno, Anne Christnovich & Staff
The Elkhart Truth
Business & Industry 2015
Business and industry supplements can sometimes feel like a collection of press releases and
platitudes, but this has a much livelier feel, blending stories of individual leaders with a
broader sense of the region’s business environment.
Category: 29 Community Service
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Carson Gerber
Kokomo Tribune
Mental health
115
The breadth and depth of this project on the lack of mental health resources makes it a top
winner in the community service category. The stories were thorough, informative and wellwritten.
Second Place
Zach Osowski & Traci Moyer
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson)
Living ALICE
Living ALICE showed the working poor are a diverse group with one thing in common: the
struggle to survive. The stories were compelling and well-written.
Third Place
Seth Slabaugh
The Star Press (Muncie)
What keeps BSU sports afloat?
The Star Press did a solid community service by publicizing the hidden fees BSU students pay
to keep the athletics programs alive.
Category: 30 Best Newspaper Design
Division: 5 Dailies 14,000-34,999
First Place
Staff Staff
Journal & Courier (Lafayette)
Journal & Courier 08/24/14, 11/30/14, 03/19/15
Clever designs and clean typography. Pages were organized and easy to digest. Each section
has its own unique voice yet they all work together and feel a part of one publication.
Second Place
Staff
116
The Star Press (Muncie)
THE STAR PRESS: March 15, 2015; July 20, 2014; November 9, 2014
Clean and consistent design throughout. The entire paper flowed together very well. Photos
were played nicely, and the hierarchy kept everything organized.
Third Place
Staff
The Republic (Columbus)
The Republic
Great use of photos throughout entire publication, and played just as they should be.
Organized content and some very compelling package designs. Consistency with typography
would have elevated this to the next level and made pages feel more in sync.
117
DIVISION 6
Category: 1 Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Staff
The Indianapolis Star
Religious Freedom Restoration Act revised
A clear winner from among a series of very fine entries. The Star took one of the most
controversial issues in Indiana’s political history and covered it with a series of high-quality
articles and sidebars, all under what must have been very tight pressure.
Second Place
Staff
The Indianapolis Star
IMPD officer Perry Renn killed in the line of duty
The Star again shows its skill in covering hard-hitting news. The articles show, in devastating
detail, how dire the situation in the Indianapolis area was, with the line-of-duty deaths of
several police officers in a relatively short time period, and the shooting of several civilians.
Third Place
Virginia Black
South Bend Tribune
DCS worker’s ‘gut’ feeling about girl
The Tribune did fine work trying to unravel the story of what happened to these two children,
all presented with heartbreaking detail. It definitely raises questions as well about the
relationship between the police and DCS.
Category: 2 Best News Coverage with No Deadline Pressure
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
118
First Place
Ed Bierschenk
The Times (Munster)
OWI or reckless driving charge? It may depend on NWI county where you’re caught
Times urban affairs reporter Ed Bierschenk did a great service by shedding light on how
drunken driving cases are mishandled in Lake County. His series exposes the disturbing
attitude of officials seemingly more interested in expedience than public safety. Bierschenk
uses data to compare Lake County unfavorably to surrounding counties that aggressively
prosecutes most OWI cases. He puts human faces on the effects of the situation and explores
readily available solutions. Video and databases add to the stories’ impact.
Second Place
Jill Disis
The Indianapolis Star
Hillside: It was a perfect dumping ground
The Indianapolis Star’s Jill Disis presents the troubling story of the unsolved killings of three
middle-age black women found in the same blighted area. The coverage digs deeper into the
problem of how the blight that dominates the Hillside area has created an environment
where such crimes could occur. The stories, along with online video and photo galleries, give
a street-level view of the problem and consider the difficulties inherent in trying to improve
things.
Third Place
Giles Bruce & Jonathan Miano
The Times (Munster)
Dumped: Crown Point medical lab leaves patient information exposed
A phone call to The Times newsroom from a restaurant worker was the genesis for its
impressive coverage of how patients’ medical records from the blood lab MyFastLab ended
up in a strip mall Dumpster. Health reporter Giles Bruce explored the history of the discount
lab, which closed unexpectedly, and sparked an investigation of the business by the Indiana
attorney general’s office. The coverage also exposed the lack of credentials needed for such
blood-draw stations and how that can put patients’ privacy at risk.
119
Category: 3 Best Ongoing News Coverage
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Niki Kelly
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Religious freedom up for debate
Great coverage, very good writing, detailed and succinct, including a good story on why
Indiana was targeted as opposed to previous states who passed the law. Great coverage on
the local angle of a national story.
Second Place
Tony Cook & Tim Evans
The Indianapolis Star
Indiana BMV scandals continue
Great topic, affects the entire population, good graphics. Good description of traditional
bulldog reporting. Good leads and nice writing.
Third Place
Christian Sheckler
South Bend Tribune
A deadly trend
Great series on one of the biggest issues in the United States. Good use of pull-out quotes.
Nice short and succinct paragraphs and good balance of each side.
Category: 4 Best General Commentary
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
120
First Place
Matthew Tully
The Indianapolis Star
Matthew Tully columns
A strong voice that takes on the powerful and speaks out for the powerless. Good.
Second Place
Jon Webb
Evansville Courier & Press
Jon Webb Columns
Great variety of topics from local to national.
Third Place
Abbey Doyle
Evansville Courier & Press
Apparently obvious column
Warm, revealing, humorous columns of a wife, daughter, mother.
Category: 5 Best Editorial Writer
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Doug Ross
The Times (Munster)
Agency’s board needs watchdogs, not lapdogs
The editorials made me want to read more, specifically the articles they were based on. Great
job!
121
Second Place
Alesia Redding
South Bend Tribune
Efforts to minimize schools chief a slap at voters; School corporation can’t distance itself from
this; If you’re unhappy, it looks like you’re not alone
Third Place
Chuck Leach
Evansville Courier & Press
Editorials
Category: 6 Best Business/Economic News Coverage
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Erin Blasko
South Bend Tribune
Blackthorn: Broken promise?
Excellent investigate journalism piece on a public-private golf course development project
gone bad.
Second Place
Kevin Allen, Margaret Fosmoe & Alice Culp
South Bend Tribune
South Bend and the modern economy
Good enterprise work. Nice package of stories on three aspects of economic development in
South Bend.
Third Place
Keith Benman
The Times (Munster)
122
Badgering business: Looking to Wisconsin on how to attract economic development
Solid business development story. Good research provides context (and power) for the piece.
Category: 7 Headline Writing
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Corey McMaken
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Get a chill from the bill? // H-U-M-B-L-E: Humble: Area spelling champ studies for national
bee amid fame // Substitution teacher: No reason to panic in the pantry with these ways to
swap ingredients
Second Place
Staff
South Bend Tribune
Tiny house hits home; Messy Christmas trees an issue needling scientists; So far, Irish deal
with UnderArmour a good fit
Third Place
Dave Benson
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
In weather wintry, a census feathery // Sunday booze cheered // A company of her own:
Actresses discover a business bent puts their work-life balance in shape
Category: 8 Best Short Feature Story
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
123
Joseph Pete
The Times (Munster)
From God’s forsaken house to a garden of ruins
The author deftly turned what could have been a run-of-the-mill news story into a feature
that makes people think and feel, and could make a profound difference in the community.
Second Place
Rob Earnshaw
The Times (Munster)
Gary firefighters without a home
Very well told and interesting feature. I think what separates it is the viewpoint from which it
is told – from the firefighters themselves. Such humanizing is the heart of community
journalism.
Third Place
Maureen Gilmer
The Indianapolis Star
WWI blanket warms homeless man
Capturing the essence of a caring community. The blanket warmed the man, but the story
warmed readers’ hearts.
Category: 9 Best Profile Feature
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Joseph Pete
The Times (Munster)
Longtime Gary businessman closes store but does not give up on city
124
Second Place
Wei-Huan Chen
The Indianapolis Star
ISO concertmaster’s melody penned at age 6 debuts
Third Place
Zak Keefer
The Indianapolis Star
How Pat McAfee’s poker club led him to Indy
Category: 10 Best In-Depth Feature/Feature Package
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Marisa Kwiatkowski
The Indianapolis Star
Indy Met’s Pumas: Troubles, triumphs, champs
Stellar “where are they now” piece with perfect foreshadowing. Clean writing and solid
storytelling that makes reading feel like a breeze.
Second Place
Bob Blake & Amanda Gray
South Bend Tribune
‘Everything was just mass confusion’
Great use of weather bulletins throughout to mix in with the human elements of a terrible
day.
Third Place
Jessie Higgins
Evansville Courier & Press
125
Peace before death
Heartbreaking tale. Reporter didn’t shy from the subject and wrote in a manner that elicits
true feeling from the reader.
Category: 11 Best Sports Event Coverage
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Dan Korb
Evansville Courier & Press
Halftime screaming energizes Ealges
Leading a game story with an anecdote can be risky, but writer pulls it off and then backs it
up. Plunked the reader down right into the story. Nicely done.
Second Place
Justin A. Cohn
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Komets force Game 7 // Best start of series produces victory
Provocative lead forces reader to keep going. Nice narrative approach and better-thanaverage quotes.
Third Place
Tom Noie
South Bend Tribune
Notre Dame kicks up its heels, wins ACC tourney title
Good drama right away. Hits the reader immediately with the crux of the matter, without
being old-fashioned. Lured us in with plain-talking, good writing.
126
Category: 12 Best Sports News or Feature Coverage
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Dana Benbow
The Indianapolis Star
Ben Utecht
Powerful, emotional. Fantastic storytelling.
Second Place
Zak Keefer
The Indianapolis Star
School for the Deaf play football
Triumph of the human spirit is a tremendous narrative.
Third Place
Aubree Reichel
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Aneurysm can’t stop runner’s inner drive
A very human story that pulls in the reader.
Category: 13 Best Sports Commentary
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Gregg Doyel
The Indianapolis Star
Gregg Doyel sports columns
127
Awesome job. This is what column writing is all about. All three stories were interesting and
took on a unique approach.
Second Place
Justin A. Cohn
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Milestone memories made with Komets & Past Meeting Present // In ECHL, get used to
seeing change // Is NBA minor league major issue for Ants?
All nicely done.
Third Place
Steve Hanlon
The Times (Munster)
Character is more important than anything, folks
Nice job. Can tell the writer is in touch with his local community, which is what prep writing
should be.
Category: 15 Best Spot News Photo
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Robert Scheer
The Indianapolis Star
Shooting
Capturing emotion at a spot news event is the focus of this category. It’s what separates
photos that show what happened with those that show the effects of what happened. While
we wish there was more context to the image, the first place winner stood out because we
wanted to know what happened here.
128
Second Place
Samuel Hoffman
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Blaze
Nicely composed with subtle drama. The viewer goes right for the eyes, accentuated by the
slats and the diagonal smoke. It’s framing within framing.
Third Place
Becky Malewitz
South Bend Tribune
Drowning
Strong emotion with enough elements to tell the story visually. The image could have been
cropped a little tighter and still retained that nicely framed focus of the photo.
Category: 16 Best General News Photo
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Charlie Nye
The Indianapolis Star
Vigil
Beautifully captured image. This was a clear first-place winner.
Second Place
Samuel Hoffman
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Sewage
Strong news photo that tells a story and conveys hardship.
129
Third Place
Jonathan Miano
The Times (Munster)
Bison
Clean photograph.
Category: 17 Best Sports Feature Photo
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Chad Ryan
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Penalties
I couldn’t resist responding to the intensity of the moment, and photographer’s engagement
in the moment. You know that saying: Get close, then get closer ...
Second Place
Jonathan Miano
The Times (Munster)
Cheerleaders
An eye for the surreal elevates this use of the silhouette technique above the competition.
Third Place
Chad Ryan
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Resurgence
Great use of lighting, color and composition, with attention to communicating the energy
with the camera angle. Posing of the hands makes this a memorable entry. Well done.
130
Category: 18 Best Sports Action Photo
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Jonathan Miano
The Times (Munster)
Volleyball
Jonathan has delivered an image so powerfully charged that, at least for this judge, one can
not but be overcome with joy for these young ladies. The moment lasts only for a split
second, and only the prepared, forward-thinking photographer who waits can catch it.
Awesome.
Second Place
Robert Franklin
South Bend Tribune
Touchdown
Symmetry, clarity and the historical weight of the teams at contest here brings this image to
the top. Robert is clearly a professional with the training, equipment and access that allowed
him to be in the right place and time to capture such a powerful image. Robert has delivered
the quality product our industry thrives on, powerful, memorable and iconic images. Perfect.
Third Place
Erin McCracken
Evansville Courier & Press
Defense
This is an image the fans and families rarely get to see because of the distances and speeds
involved. Erin captures the expressions, the grit, the pain and chaos and delivers it nicely
framed and pin sharp. Technically a tough image to get, requiring long lenses, fast shutters
and proper positioning. Complicating the struggle to acquire this image was the rest of the
131
teams players who are generally in the foreground when the balls gets this close to the goal,
spoiling the shot. Erin nails it. Wonderful.
Category: 19 Best Feature Photo
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Matt Kryger
The Indianapolis Star
Dogs
I’ve seen a horse fly and a dragon fly, but never a dog fly.
Second Place
Robert Franklin
South Bend Tribune
Summertime
Third Place
Robert Franklin
South Bend Tribune
Sign
Big time.
Category: 20 Best Multiple Picture Group
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Jonathan Miano
The Times (Munster)
A proper burial
132
Powerful story and very well done! Several of the photos with some great emotion! Urn in
hearse, closeup of crying man at service, wailing mother at service. GREAT job!
Second Place
Charlie Nye
The Indianapolis Star
Takedown
Third Place
Robert Franklin
South Bend Tribune
Firefighter
Category: 21 Best Still Photo Story with Audio or Video Story
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Becky Malewitz
South Bend Tribune
Special Education Prom
What a great event. The story was told well but I would have liked the photographer to get
closer to the dancers. I felt like I was an outsider looking in and not part of everything.
Second Place
Rachel Von
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Building up downtown
This was a fun quirky way to tell a story. Tighter editing would have made this stronger.
Angles were good, and the people where fun.
133
Third Place
Chad Ryan
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Family-run service station shuts its doors
Like most entries in the category, tighter editing would have made this stronger.
Category: 22 Best Editorial Page
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Staff
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Perspective Pages
Solid content and creative layouts. I wanted to see more.
Second Place
Alesia Redding & Terry Bland
South Bend Tribune
Voices
Readers have a strong voice, and designs are well done.
Third Place
Doug Ross
The Times (Munster)
The Times Editorial Pages
Newspaper has a strong editorial voice. Impactful editorials.
134
Category: 23 Best Use of Graphics
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Gregg Bender
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
When to replace it? // Armed and courteous // Fort 4 Fitness
Second Place
Deborah Hile
The Times (Munster)
Deborah Hile
Third Place
John Stump & Robert Carter
South Bend Tribune
Tribune graphics
Category: 24 Best Online Site/Web Page
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Staff
South Bend Tribune
www.southbendtribune.com
The site draws you in. It is a clean design with a smart use of a photo carousel which gives
headlines on the side, so if you don’t want to wait for the module to cycle through, you can
read the headlines. A good choice of stories for the carousel, something different for all kinds
of audiences. The navigation of the site is clean with good fonts and good use of thumbnails.
The More About with links on the bottom of some of the article pages is helpful (why not on
135
all pages?). The navigation from the pull downs is also helpful, like there are photos to help
draw the user into the site.
Second Place
Adam Yates
The Indianapolis Star
www.indystar.com
A nice clean design. The Homepage is useful in two ways, first if you want the curated news
of the day you can get it with the stories with thumbnails, and if you want the more
immediate news you can go to the right rail for to find out what is happening now. Very
useful to the user to give them a choice. A good mix of stories on the Homepage and on the
section fronts. One of the better uses of photo galleries in article posts as well. The photos
are dynamic and help tell the story with the words on the page. Good use of the Twitter
widget on the Homepage as well.
Third Place
Staff
Evansville Courier & Press
www.courierpress.com
This is a very different look than others. And different in a good way. The tiles on the
Homepage showing off the various stories are done well. The headlines were short and crisp
to entice users into the posts. The idea that the further down the page, the more of an
explanation of what the story is was helpful, so you can either click to move on, or get what
you need from the teaser. The large photos on the article pages was very eye catching.
Category: 25 Best Sports Section
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Staff
The Times (Munster)
Times of Northwest Indiana
136
Great photos from the basketball state finals. Clean layouts. Love the separate section for
high school football to give it the coverage it deserves
Second Place
Staff
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Three Samples of Whole Sport Sections: November 23, 2014 // March 8, 2015 // March 16,
2015
The Recreation Page is a great idea to focus on sports beyond just the pros, college and high
school.
Third Place
Bill Bilinski
South Bend Tribune
South Bend Tribune Sports
Love the photos from the Northwestern vs. Notre Dame game.
Category: 26 Best Feature Section/Page(s)
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Andrew Hughes
South Bend Tribune
In the Bend (South Bend Tribune)
Second Place
Staff
Evansville Courier & Press
Best Feature Section
137
Third Place
Staff
The Times (Munster)
Best feature section – Lifestyles and Food
Category: 27 Best Business Section or Page(s)
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Ed Semmler
South Bend Tribune
South Bend Tribune Business
Graphics and local content presentation are outstanding. Something special each Sunday for
readers. Market Basket is a nice, local column. This section has local content deep inside,
especially on Sundays. Nice effort.
Second Place
Staff
The Times (Munster)
The Times Business Section
Third Place
Staff
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Three Business Sections: February 8, 2015 // May 17, 2015 // June 23, 2015
Category: 28 Best Special Section
138
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Staff
South Bend Tribune
South Bend 150
Great job on this! Engaging layouts really capture the history. History-making crimes section
was a nice touch. Also enjoyed the timeline and Memories Keep Past Alive profiles.
Second Place
Staff
The Times (Munster)
The Times Media Co. - 20/20 visions 4-part special section
Good concept, good follow-through.
Third Place
Staff
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
High School & College Football Review: August 21, 2014
Thorough look at the upcoming football season.
Category: 29 Community Service
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Kim Kilbride
South Bend Tribune
The consequences of ticketing students
139
Dogged reporting revealed a flawed, racist, inconsistent program of ticketing students. Sharp
writing shone the light on this unfair system. The searchable database was a valuable public
service.
Second Place
Marisa Kwiatkowski
The Indianapolis Star
Marisa Kwiatkowski watches our children
This writer’s coverage of neglected, abused and thrown-away children has illuminated a dark
side of humanity and educated civilians and officials.
Third Place
Staff
The Times (Munster)
The Times’ Community Civility Counts campaign
People frequently complain about the lack of civility in our daily lives. This project
undoubtedly has had success in doing something about that.
Category: 30 Best Newspaper Design
Division: 6 Dailies 35,000 and above
First Place
Staff
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Newspapers: November 9, 2014 // March 1, 2015 // June 28, 2015
Consistency throughout publication made you flow easily from page to page. Clean and
organized with compelling packages with unique graphics. Photos broke up what could have
been dense copy blocks and made pages easy to digest.
140
Second Place
Times Staff
The Times (Munster)
Times Staff
Clean and organized design. Good visual hierarchy and use of photos. Multiple points of
entry added extra value to packages.
Third Place
John Stump & Casey Major
South Bend Tribune
South Bend Tribune designs
Straight-forward and simple design.
141
NON-DIVISIONAL AND SPECIAL AWARDS
Category: 14 Best Editorial Cartoonist
Nondailies
First Place
James Silk
The Benton Review (Fowler)
Category: 14 Best Editorial Cartoonist
Dailies
First Place
Gene Herndon
Kokomo Tribune
Second Place
Gary Varvel
The Indianapolis Star
Third Place
James MacLeod
Evansville Courier & Press
General excellence
Division 1
First place
The Times-Post
142
Second place
Spencer County Leader
Third place
Ferdinand News
Division 2
First place
Brown County Democrat
Second place
The Corydon Democrat
Third place
The Salem Leader
Division 3
First place
The Tribune
Second place
The Commercial Review
Third place
Princeton Daily Clarion
Division 4
First
Daily Journal
Second
143
Daily Reporter
Third place
Pharos-Tribune
Division 5
First place
The Republic
Second place
Kokomo Tribune
Third place
The Herald-Times
Division 6
First place
South Bend Tribune
Second place
The Indianapolis Star
Third place
The Times
144
Photo of the Year Finalists
Division: 1
Brittney Lundy, Ferdinand News, Fishing
Division: 2
Chad Fleetwood, The Salem Leader, Pinned
Division: 3
Mike Kenny, The Rochester Sentinel, Vikings
Division: 4
J. Kyle Keener, Pharos-Tribune, Whiteout Conditions
Division: 5
Andrew Laker, The Republic, Sugar Maple
Division: 6
Jonathan Miano, The Times, A Proper Burial
Photo of the Year Winner
Jonathan Miano, The Times (Division 6), A Proper Burial
Story of the Year Finalists
Division: 1
Stuart Cassidy, The Spencer County Journal-Democrat
On a rim & a prayer
Division: 2
Suzannah Couch, Brown County Democrat
Bye bye blackboard
145
Division: 3
Jessica Williams, The News-Banner
Owen Collins: Toddler death
Division: 4
Jonathan Streetman, The Herald
Another chance
Division: 5
Mikel Livingston & Steven Porter, Journal & Courier
The great Chicago myth
Division: 6
Staff, The Indianapolis Star
Religious Freedom Restoration Act revised
146
Story of the Year Winner
Mikel Livingston & Steven Porter, Journal & Courier (Division 5)
The great Chicago myth
Ray Moscowitz Award Winner
Kim Kilbride, South Bend Tribune, South Bend school district investigations
Blue Ribbon Award – Nondaily
First place
The Corydon Democrat
Second place
The Times-Post
Third place
Hendricks County Flyer
Blue Ribbon Award – Daily
First place
Daily Journal
Second place
The Indianapolis Star
Third place
Journal & Courier