Daily Herald wins top prize, 13 first-places, in Northern Illinois Newspaper Association contest
For the third year in a row, the Daily Herald has won the James S. Copley sweepstakes award for scoring the most points for daily newspapers in the annual Northern Illinois Newspaper Association contest.
The award was bestowed Thursday at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
"We're so pleased, of course, by the recognition," Editor John Lampinen said. "It's a reflection of our staff's talent and hard work and of our news organization's commitment to journalism that enhances life in the communities we serve."
The Daily Herald won 46 awards overall, including 13 first-place awards in the daily news division. Among the first-place awards were:
• Staff for design.
• Staff for website.
• Neil Holdway for headline writing.
• Russell Lissau for general feature.
• Marie Wilson for personality profile.
• Patricia Babcock McGraw for sports story.
• Barry Rozner for sports columnist.
• Jim Slusher for columnist.
• Rick West for feature photo.
• John Starks for sports photo.
• Staff for online photo gallery.
• Kelly Vold and staff for combined social media.
• Bruce Miles for individual social media.
Wilson won for her article about late Naperville Mayor George Pradel. "This tribute uses good reporting and plenty of detail to give readers a rich portrait," a judge wrote.
Lissau's winning article, "80 years after Kristallnacht," was "an excellent retelling of stories that must not be forgotten," according to a judge.
Babcock-McGraw's entry detailed the life of an Antioch High School student, who, orphaned by age 14, used playing football to cope with grief and improve himself. "A compelling life story beautifully told and thoroughly reported," a judge commented.
And a judge said West's photo of a little girl with her hobbyhorse while attending an equestrian competition "made me smile."
The Daily Herald's staff received 18 second-place certificates.
They were:
• Jim Baumann, for use of humor in his weekly Grammar Moses column.
• Eileen Brown and staff, niche publication.
• Burt Constable, personality profile.
• Amanda Erd, infographic.
• Elena Ferrarin, general feature.
• Jake Griffin, Marni Pyke and Madhu Krishnamurthy, in-depth news story.
• Jake Griffin, individual social media.
• Michelle Holdway, headline writing.
• Justin Kmitch and Katlyn Smith, spot news.
• Brian Hill and Bev Horne, video.
• John Lampinen, editorial.
• Steve Lundy, spot news photo.
• Marni Pyke, historical feature.
• Marni Pyke, watchdog reporting.
• Kevin Schmit, sports story.
• Katlyn Smith, religion story.
• Katlyn Smith, technology/medical story.
Third-place winners were:
• John Dietz, sports story.
• Amanda Erd, infographic.
• Don Friske, headline writing.
• Jake Griffin, watchdog reporting.
• Chuck Keeshan and Susan Sarkauskas, column writing.
• Jeff Knox, spot news photo.
• Madhu Krishnamurthy, education reporting.
• Joe Lewnard and John Starks, online photo gallery.
• Steve Lundy, video.
• Jim Slusher, editorial.
• John Starks, sports photo.
• Susan Sarkauskas, religion.
• Barbara Vitello, general feature.
More than 20 newspapers submitted entries in the contest's two divisions - daily and nondaily.