2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV General Excellence First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Second Place The (Canton) Repository Third Place The Lima News Best Headline Writer First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Matt Arnold These headlines were clever without feeling forced. "Suspect with pig ends up in pokey" made me smile. Well done. Second Place The (Canton) Repository Jeff Verbus No comments. Third Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Richard Logan No comments. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Business Writer First Place The (Canton) Repository Shane Hoover Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Jamison Cocklin Third Place The (Canton) Repository Edd Pritchard Powerful voice and excellent writing style. Relentless reporting on a subject matter that deserves this kind of scrutiny. More business coverage should be like this. No comments. Best Columnist First Place The (Canton) Repository Charita Goshay A strong columnist's voice, capable of succinctly covering a wide range of subjects ranging from why a dilapidated playground matters to the Sandy Hook shooting. Second Place The Lima News David Trinko No comments. Third Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald Laura Kessel No comments. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Editorial Writer First Place The Lima News Jim Krumel The obvious winner in this category. Krumel's editorials are well-written and well-reasoned, and he chooses topics of local interest. Second Place The (Canton) Repository Gayle Beck Beck knows how to turn a phrase. Particularly liked the editorial on the inadequacies of the city treasurer candidates. Third Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Richard Logan Nice job on the editorial about state lawmakers' attempts to dilute the open meetings law. Best Feature Writer First Place The (Canton) Repository Tim Botos Strong subjects amply supported by narrative form journalism."11 Hours in Room 407" was a compelling standout among the entries. Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Todd Franko No comments. Third Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Ashley Luthern No comments. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Graphics Artist First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Ricky Darbey Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Robert McFerren Third Place The Lima News Craig J. Orosz These graphics are interesting and informative. A powerful combination. The flooding graphic was detailed and packed with information. I could really sink my teeth into that one. The monopoly graphic was a fun, accessible way into a dense topic. No comments. Best Sports Columnist First Place The (Canton) Repository Steve Doerschuk Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Joe Scalzo Third Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Ed Puskas Mr. Doerschuck's columns have a narrative tone that is truly the mark of a veteran columnist. His columns on Cleveland Browns football are especially sharp and manage to perfectly embody the plight of fans of perennial losers. I found Mr. Scalzo's columns to be well written with a sharp sense of humor. He also displayed the ability to capture strong emotions with the column on the TV anchor's fight with cancer. I applaud Mr. Puskas for not being afraid to tackle a controversial issue. His entries take the tone of someone hoping to enact change, especially those dealing with the controversy surrounding the Steubenville High School football coach. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Sports Feature Writer First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Joe Scalzo Second Place The (Canton) Repository Josh Weir Third Place The Lima News Jim Naveau This writing style is simply unmatched. Wonderful. Engaging. Descriptive. Entertaining and packed with knowledge. A pleasure to read. A captivating writer. Transports readers into the emotions playing out on the field and in the locker room. Love the description and elegance of the writing. A solid writer who sets himself apart from the crowd with great topics and strong mastery of story-telling. Best Sports Writer First Place The (Canton) Repository Steve Doerschuk Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Joe Scalzo Third Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald Guy Cipriano Detail and narrative style pulls the reader deep into these stories. A real knack for analyzing the subject, whether an individual, team or sport. No comments. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Photographer First Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald Jeff Forman Second Place The (Canton) Repository Scott Heckel Third Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator William Lewis Great variety in images, and what an eye! This photographer has a clear vision and executes through a number of interesting frames, peak moments and unique photos that make us stop and appreciate this community. This moment-based portfolio showcases an executed overall vision that's deserving of first place. Some great access in these photographs, showing the photographer has the capability of bringing back images for the front page daily. The police shot wowed the judges; great pictorial image. This photographer can follow sports action and reaction very well. The sports frames were superb. Best News Writer First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Joe Gorman A strong news writer who has an ear for excellent quotes and knows how to tell a compelling story. Any time you combine solid news writing with great storytelling abilities, you've got a winner. The nose for enterprise reporting here can't be overlooked, either. Second Place The (Canton) Repository Matthew Rink This is a reporter who questions authority and digs in. He has an edge to him, in a good way. Bravo. Third Place The (Canton) Repository Kelli Young Strong piece on cops getting fired. The history of the sheriff's office was a solid read, too. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Sports Event Coverage First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Kevin Connelly and Peter Milliken "Death of Sharon High School Football Players" On-the-spot coverage during a soul-searching tragedy for the team and the entire community. You put me there. Second Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald "Boys Basketball State Tournament" Complete coverage, plus a nice dash of video. Third Place The (Canton) Repository "State Football Finals" This coverage was comprehensive. Readers were well-served. Best Sports Enterprise First Place The (Canton) Repository Josh Weir "Concussions in Football" Second Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald Mark Podolski and Chris Lillstrung "50 for 50" Third Place The (Canton) Repository Todd Porter "OHSAA Competitive Balance" Researched, written and delivered well. Provided strong local and national perspectives on a complicated issue, as well as telling stories of the human toll. Sidebars on Ohio law and athletic trainers added value. Good use of digestible info graphics such as concussions by year and symptoms, as well as the Q&A. As the column says, this most certainly made for "fun conversation and lively debate" among readers. Good explainers on how the list was developed. Pieces on 1989 season and Lake Catholic were strong takeouts, with slideshows and scrapbooks nice touches. Strong overall presentation. Good explanatory journalism. Nice anecdotal lede before succinctly framing the issue. Nice graphic presentation. History of competitive balance sidebar provided context. Exploration of unintended consequences in Part II was well done. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Special Sports Section First Place The Lima News "2013 High School Football Preview" Second Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald "Mentor High School State Champs" Third Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald "High School Football Preview" This robust section is well-organized and easy to read. With schedules and highlights on each team, it is surely a must-read for every sports fan in town. This keepsake section thoroughly recaps the team's run. The memories of the players and the coach's column were a nice touch that set this section apart. The well thought-out theme and the related interesting tidbits (player quotes, factoids and the crossword puzzle) made this a fun read and differentiated it from all of the other football preview sections. Best Daily Sports Section First Place The (Canton) Repository Comprehensive sports section with a nice balance of high school, college and pro sports. Strong local writing, good headlines, fine photo selection and an easy-to-read presentation made this section a winner. Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator A thorough section that gives a lot to its readers. Third Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald A good mix of stories. Bold headlines. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Informational Graphics First Place The (Canton) Repository Bob Kast "Energy From Rock" Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Robert McFerren "The Great Flood of 1913" Third Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Robert McFerren "Mill Creek Makeover" Wow. This graphic is a powerhouse, standing far ahead of the competition. I could study it for a long time and keep learning new things. Very nicely done. Detailed and layered with information. I particularly liked the regional context from around Ohio and Indiana. Nicely done and informative. Best Illustration First Place The (Canton) Repository Michael Weiss "Hall of Fame Collage" Second Place The (Canton) Repository Michael Weiss "Your Brain on Football" Third Place The Lima News Craig J. Orosz "Bills of Health" What a great tribute. Lots of information packed in here. It was great fun studying the faces and the names. This graphic grabs your attention. A powerful piece of work for an important story. A fun take on a dense topic. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Breaking News Photo First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Madelyn Hastings "2 Kids Die in I-76 Accident" A reflective moment following a horrible tragedy. This picture is worth studying. Second Place The Lima News Craig Orosz "It's a Miracle: They Saved her Life" This picture tells much of the story. Kudos for being in position to capture this moment and frame it well. Third Place The Lima News Craig Orosz "Picking Up the Pieces" This seemingly simple picture says an awful lot. I almost feel like I don't need to read the story. Best General News Photo First Place The Lima News John Stoops "Remembering Tara" Second Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald Jeff Forman "Immigration Vigil" Third Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald Duncan Scott "T.J. Lane Killer" Great emotion from an impassioned speech at a vigil. Wonderful use of natural light and a nice quiet moment. Frame is executed well with a nice composition as well. Wow! This is not something you see from a court room every day. The photographer captured a hauntingly newsworthy image here. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Feature Photo First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Robert Yosay "On the Right Trek" Second Place The (Canton) Repository Scott Heckel "A Dab Will Do Ya" Third Place The Lima News Craig Orosz "Fall Fun Day" There's a lot of visual interest here. It's crisp and compelling, capturing the eccentricities of the hiker. Nicely done. I love the expression captured here. A nice glimpse into this community on a fun day for these kids. Best Sports Photo First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator William Lewis "Varsity Blues" Second Place The Lima News Richard Parrish "Grabbing Golds" Third Place The (Canton) Repository Scott Heckel "Rainout" Excellent job capturing the scene in this team's loss. I particularly like the contrast between the losing players and the pair celebrating in the background as fans file out of the stadium. This one stood out in a tough field of competition. Beautiful shot. No comments. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Photo Essay First Place The Lima News Craig Orosz "Awesome With or Without His 'Legs'" Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator William Lewis "Kaitlin Windt" Third Place The Lima News "Big Ideas on Lima's Big Day" These vivid images capture an 11-year-old boy who had both legs amputated a decade earlier as a result of a rare disease. The humanity in these pictures runs deep as the images show a normal boy at home who happens to use prosthetic legs. No comments. No comments. Best Community Service First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator "Drugs in the Mahoning Valley" Second Place The Lima News "State of the State" Third Place The (Canton) Repository Tim Botos "The Bill of Rights" This was a powerful project. You looked at the heroin and drug issue from every angle. This piece takes a real look at the heroin problem from a personal, statistical and informational standpoint. Well done. It makes people want to listen. The staff work that went into this should be commended. Dedication to really helping readers understand their state government and issues was what made this stick out. You went above and beyond to give everyone a better handle on the issues. This project was a great way to make the Bill of Rights personal and bring the amendments alive and make them real to the readers. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Special Section First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Robert McFerren "The Great Flood of 1913" Easily the winner in this category. An interesting look at an important historical event and how it changed a region. Second Place The (Canton) Repository "Hall of Fame Festival Preview" Nice graphics and use of alternative story-telling. Third Place The Lima News "Best of the Region" A fun-to-read section with nice presentation. Best Breaking News Coverage First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator "Car Crash Kills 3" Timely, thorough and sensitive coverage of a true community tragedy. Second Place The Lima News "Cop Stabbed; Officer Shoots Attacker" Well told. Posting the videos online added an important layer to the report. Third Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald "Life in Prison for Chardon High Shooting" This bizarre court hearing turned into breaking news by the antics of the defendant. The story was explained well and the videos added authenticity. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Explanatory Reporting First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator "Murder of Teddy Foltz" Second Place The (Willoughby) News-Herald David S. Glasier "Heroin in the Suburbs" Third Place The Lima News Heather Rutz "Mayors' Responsibilities Vary by Town" Thorough, engaging reporting on a family's failure to protect three sons, especially one 14-year-old boy. Good mix of voices. Strong secondary information from school officials and neighbors. Great work by the entire staff. Thorough look at the heroin epidemic through the eyes of an addict, a parent who lost a child due to addiction and law enforcement officials. Good job of explaining the problem to readers and providing outlets for readers to seek help. Interesting report, especially the list of the top public officials in each county. Concisely explains the differences in mayoral salary for each municipality while explaining the different staffing levels as well. Best Enterprise Reporting First Place The (Canton) Repository Tim Botos "11 Hours in Room 407" Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator David Skolnick "$1,117,000 Spent on City Studies" Third Place The Lima News Kate Malongowski "Choosing a Utility Supplier" Fascinating read that hooks you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the unexpected twist at the end. Nice outrage story about a large sum of taxpayer money that doesn't seem to have bought much. Interesting look at a topic that has high value to consumers. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Investigative Reporting First Place The (Canton) Repository Tim Botos "Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority" This is good old-fashioned, dogged reporting, chipping away and going deep on an important topic to the community and, importantly, to taxpayers. It's wonderful to see such tenacious accountability reporting practiced at the local level. Second Place The (Canton) Repository Matthew Rink and Kelli Young "Taking Away the Badge" This is a very informative take on an important topic. Lots of depth as well as historical context here. Third Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Jamison Cocklin "What is Going On at 2761 Salt Springs Road?" A very nice job lifting the lid on a secretive private enterprise. I'm sure readers appreciated learning much more about this operation. Best Full Page Layout First Place The Lima News Denise Hunter "Who We Are" Great use of a page. Informative and fun to read. I really enjoyed this one. Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Robert McFerren "The Great Flood" Nice use of historical images to make an anniversary story more captivating. Third Place The (Canton) Repository Michael Weiss "Hall of Fame Coloring Page" Wonderful idea. I love the reader interactivity, especially the youth engagement. 2013 Judges’ Comments – Newspaper Division IV Best Page One Layout First Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator Robert McFerren These front pages keep readers well informed in a very userfriendly, accessible way. Second Place The (Canton) Repository Eye-catching front pages. Third Place The Lima News No comments. Best Use of Multimedia First Place The Lima News David Trinko and Heather Rutz "Municipal Salaries 2012" Second Place The (Youngstown) Vindicator "Vindy Talk Radio" Third Place The (Canton) Repository Ben Duer "Reciting the Bill of Rights" This was a smart use of a database to provide high-interest public information in a well-organized, easily searchable manner. I'll bet it was a big hit with the audience. It's great to see a traditional newspaper try something so out of the box. Bravo. A foray into video. Keep pushing down this path.