EUREKA SPRINGS – The Nashville News-Leader received 13 awards at the Arkansas Press Association convention June 25-27 at the Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs.
“Long day at the county fair,” a photo by John Balch, was named Arkansas Photo of the Year among all of the state’s weekly and daily newspapers by judges from the Missouri Press Association.
It also won first place honors in the News-Leader’s division.
The photo is “feature storytelling at its finest,” the judge said. “This frame captures a rare, unposed narrative of partnership between a boy and his hog. The emotional harmony between the completely exhausted four-year-old and his content, first-place hog acting as a willing pillow tells a rich story of the quiet hours behind a local tradition. Not to mention, anyone who has covered a fair knows the chaos that comes with the swine show. This is the work of a patient, observant photojournalist.”
Louie Graves was first runner-up for Columnist of the Year in the News-Leader’s division.
The judge said Graves “brings a wealth of living to his columns. He is not afraid to express his viewpoint and backs it with pesky facts and keen observations. He adds some ‘stream of consciousness’ thoughts to his column inches each week, which adds a local touch.”
The News-Leader received an honorable mention in APA’s General Excellence competition.
Results from individual contests and judges’ comments if available include the following:
Third place Sports News Story, John R. Schirmer for “A Scrapper moment. Nashville defeats Arkadelphia 24-23.” “Good game story with a very good lead,” the judge said.
Second place Freelance Recognition, Adelene Westfall for “From SW Arkansas to Europe. Study abroad opened world for NHS grad.” The judge said the story was a “well-written travel narrative about the student’s study abroad program and how her travels have expanded her understanding of the world, especially coming from a small town. Impressive writing from a college sophomore.”
Third place Freelance Recognition, Jonathan Canaday for “The Howard Theater 86 years later.” The judge said the story was a “well-researched feature on the history of Nashville, Ark., as seen through the lens of a once-popular movie house. Vintage photos add context for the reader.”
Second place General Interest Column, Louie Graves for “An upright life. Someone will be missing at next monument muster.” Comments not included.
Second place Sports Action Photo, Dede Robinson for “Caught.” The photographer did a “great job capturing a difficult shot with both players moving in different directions!”
Second place Sports Feature Photo, John R. Schirmer for “At the tourney.” Comments not included.
Second place Best Front Page Design, John R. Schirmer, Louie Graves, Don Hall. “These front page designs are exciting. The thoughtful juxtaposition of photos, along with the alternating bold headlines and gray sidebars guides your eye down the page, creating a colorful journey from top to bottom.”
Second place Best Headline Writing, Don Hall for “Quirky Albuquerque.” “Most other headlines are judged on wit,” the judge said. “This one stood out for the beauty of its meter, its hi-lo-hi rhythm, something akin to symmetry.”
Honorable mention Best News Photo, John Balch for “The big million dollar reveal. “I love the emotion and excitement captured in this photo. But a little too blurry to make the top three,” the judge said.
The awards presentation Saturday afternoon marked the conclusion of the convention.
Other activities included sessions on a number of newspaper topics, panel discussions and two debates featuring candidates in Arkansas’s November General Election. (See related story.)
