59203903_10157491969963984_5717470428759326720_n

Springdale, Arkansas (May 4, 2019) – Arkansas Press Women recognized the winners of its professional communications contest during its annual awards luncheon on May 4. 

Tammy Keith, senior writer for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, received the Sweepstakes Award for earning the most honors in this year’s contest. Keith earned the APW sweepstakes award in both 2017 and 2018 and the NFPW sweepstakes award in 2017. Her 2019 APW awards include:

Nine first-place awards in the following categories:

  • Personality profile – More than 500 words for “Longtime state-park superintendent leaves legacy”
  • Specialty Articles –  Arts and entertainment for “Conway librarian writes children’s story”
  • Specialty Articles – Business for “Searcy makes top 10 in small-business competition”
  • Specialty Articles – Education for “Conway senior makes perfect ACT, SAT scores”
  • Specialty Articles – Government or Politics for “Incoming NAACP president wants to ‘build a coalition’”
  • Specialty Articles – Religion for “Conway man buys Christmas for children”
  • Specialty Articles – Social Issues for “Student starts free-ride service”
  • Specialty Articles – Sports for “Founder of Women Bike Arkansas says all skill levels welcome”
  • Columns – Humorous for “DNA test shows distaste for chewing sounds; New ‘pet’ comes with lots of perks”

Eleven second-place awards in the following categories:

  • News Story – Print-based Newspaper for “Rose Bud nurse credited with saving student’s life”
  • Personality profile – More than 500 words for “Circuit judge honored as outstanding leader”
  • Specialty Articles –  Arts and entertainment for “Music legends featured in Arkansas Tech Museum exhibit”
  • Specialty Articles – Business for “City’s first fixed food-truck lot opens Monday”
  • Specialty Articles – Education for “Recovering addict gets WISH Scholarship”
  • Specialty Articles – Government or Politics for “Youngest member, first African-American elected to council touts teamwork”
  • Specialty Article – Physical health for “Russellville runner with autism blazes her own path”
  • Specialty Articles – Religion for “Vilonia School Employee of the Year says teaching is God’s plan”
  • Specialty Articles – Social Issues for “Searcy event raises suicide-prevention awareness, funds”
  • Columns – General for “Lost and found, Chapter 2; Grandmas have all the fun”
  • Columns – Humorous for “Look who’s coming to breakfast; No surprise patience thin this season”

Ten third-place awards in the following categories:

  • Personality profile – More than 500 words for “Conway Corp. employee honored with chamber Good Neighbor Award”
  • Specialty Articles –  Arts and entertainment for “First roundabout art chosen in Conway”
  • Specialty Articles – Business for “UCA to repurpose bottom floor of Donaghey Hall”
  • Specialty Articles – Education for “Pet-friendly dorm offered at Lyon College”
  • Specialty Article – Physical health for “Heber Springs twin honored by heart association”
  • Specialty Articles – Religion for “Conway man seeks help to save rural church”
  • Specialty Articles – Social Issues for “People serve as ‘books’ to help overcome stereotypes”
  • Specialty Articles – Sports for “Mayflower RB named top offensive player”
  • Columns – General for “Happy 75th birthday to my daddy; Brave women share #metoo experiences”
  • Columns – Humorous for “Pondering persistent packing problems; In search of a few good moving boxes”

Four Honorable Mentions in the following categories:

  • News Story – Print-based Newspaper for “Superintendent: Misinformation caused defeat”
  • News Story – Print-based Newspaper for “Fire-and-rescue station, park planned for Greenbrier”
  • Specialty Articles – Sports for “Guy-Perkins senior is Boys Basketball Player of the Year”
  • Columns – General for “Goodbye to my dear friend Fred; Father-in-law will be missed, legacy lives on”

Other winners and the awards they received are:

Bill Bowden, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • First in News Story – Print-based Newspaper for “Deaths at 17 in sinking; a rush to rescue in vain”

Angelita Faller, University of Arkansas at Little Rock:

  • First in News Story – Online Publication for “Arkansas Composer Florence Price Honored by Organization Who Denied Her Entry Due to Race”
  • First in Feature Story – Online Publication for “Elaine Massacre Victim to Posthumously Receive Medals For Service in World War I”
  • Second in Specialty Articles – Sports for “Trojan Volleyball Player Surprised by Sneaky Proposal From Boyfriend Disguised as Mascot”
  • Honorable Mention in Personality profile – More than 500 words for “Veteran Earning Degree Online to Provide a Better Future For His Family”

Hunter Field, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • First in Continuing Coverage or Unfolding News for “Medical Marijuana”

Amy Forbus and Rob O’Connor, Hendrix College:

  • First in Publications Regularly Written by Entrant – Magazine/Magpaper for “Hendrix Magazine, Spring 2018”

Lisa Hammersly, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • First in In-Depth Reporting for “Widows’ Tax”

Mary Hightower, University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture:

  • First in Specialty Articles – Agriculture, agribusiness, aquaculture for “Sole searching: Turfgrass researchers seek least damaging golf shoes”
  • First in Specialty Articles – Food for “Ark Food Innovation Center project aims to help reduce waste, increase slow-month sales for farmers market vendors”
  • First in Page Design – Magazine or Newsletter for “November 2018 Blue Letter”

Helen Mansfield, The Baxter Bulletin:

  • First in Specialty Article – Physical health for “Casting for recovery”
  • Second in Headlines for “Girls on fire, Medieval madrigal, Preventing erosion, You too can hula”
  • Honorable Mention in Feature Story – Print Based Newspaper for “Preventing erosion”
  • Honorable Mention in Personality profile – More than 500 words for “The Masons”

Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • First in Columns – General for “Just a stupid football; Pleased to meet you; The scariest sad story I know”

Debbie Miller, NorthWest Arkansas Community College and Ozark Guidance:

  • First in News Story – Magazine, newsletter, or other publication for “Northwest Arkansas Community College – College moving forward with new buildings”
  • First in Reports for “NorthWest Arkansas Community College Year-End Report”
  • First in Specialty Articles – Ghost-written article for “Ghostwriting: NWACC Commencement Op-Ed”
  • Second in Specialty Articles – Ghost-written article for “Ozark Guidance Op-Ed Written for Foundation Leader”

Fred Miller, University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture:

  • First in Specialty Articles – Science or Technology for “Chancellor’s grant helps Division of Agriculture researcher attack rice blast from within”
  • Second in Specialty Articles – Science or Technology for “Avian neuroscientists identify new stress response component in poultry brain”
  • Second in Specialty Articles – Science or Technology for “Study of crop plants’ cellular response to aphid pests earns U of A Chancellor’s Grant”
  • Second in News Story – Online Publication for “Soil scientists prepare to mark 350 years since discovery of ‘cold fire’”
  • Third in News Story – Online Publication for “Northeast Arkansas farmers facing big crop losses from heavy rains”

Ginny Monk,  John Moritz, and Ryan Tarinelli, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • Second in In-Depth Reporting for “Violent Reality”

Kristin Netterstrom Higgins, University Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture:

  • First in Website Editing/Management – Nonprofit, Government, Educational for “Issue 3 – Arkansas Term Limits Amendment”
  • First in Blogs – Nonprofit, Government or Educational for “Arkansas 2018 Ballot Issues – Where they Passed and Failed”
  • First in Public Service for “2018 Arkansas Ballot Issue Education Program”
  • Second in Electronic Newsletter – Nonprofit, Government, Educational for “Three Ballot Issue Groups Turn In Petitions; Counting Starts on Casino, Minimum Wage, Term Limits Signatures”

Michelle Parks, Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas:

  • First in Feature Story – Magazine, newsletter or other publication for “The Home of an Arkansas Architect”
  • Second in Feature Story – Magazine, newsletter or other publication for “Double the Design Power”
  • First in Publications regularly edited by entrant -Magazine/Magpaper for “ReView alumni magazine Winter 2017/2018”

Charlotte Purdy, Dewitt Era-Enterprise:

  • First in Single photograph – News or feature photo for “11 ft. 5 1/2″ Alligator”
  • First in Single photograph – General photo for “Book by Long”
  • Second in Continuing coverage or unfolding news for “Best of South Arkansas County”
  • Second in Specialty Articles – History for “Daughter of the White River”
  • Second in Specialty Articles – Hobby, crafts, designing, construction for “ARCO Youth & Outdoors, Next Gen. Gives Local Youth the Opportunity to Hunt”
  • Third in Personality profile – 500 words or fewer for “Miss Arkansas County Rice 2018-19 Sydney Dumond”
  • Honorable Mention in Specialty Articles –  Arts and entertainment for “Book Signing”
  • Honorable Mention in Specialty Article – Physical health for “Breastfeeding is Beneficial to Both Baby and Mom”
  • Honorable Mention in Specialty Articles – Religion for “Operation Christmas Child”

Deborah Stanuch, Baxter Bulletin:

  • Third in Feature Story – Print Based Newspaper for “Feline Friend, Cornbread the Cat”

Celia Storey, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • Second in Feature Story – Print Based Newspaper for “Rabbit! Rabbit!”

Autumn Tolbert, Arkansas Times:

  • First in Columns – Personal Opinion for “Enough; Hey Ladies”

Clara Turnage, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • First in Feature Story – Print Based Newspaper for “Mother’s call for help ends with son’s death”

Emily Walkenhorst, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

  • Third in News Story – Print-based Newspaper for “Paper mill fined over foul air”

First-place winners in the APW contest advance to the National Federation of Press Women competition if the winners are NFPW members. This year, 31 Arkansas first-place winners competed at the national level. National awards will be presented at the NFPW convention in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, June 27-29. NFPW’s national conference will be in Arkansas in 2020.

Also during the luncheon:

  • APW presented a $1,000 scholarship to Lauren McLemore, a student at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and the incoming editor of The Echo, the UCA student newspaper. APW gives the scholarship annually to a junior or senior college student planning a career in journalism or a related communications field.
  • Speaker for the luncheon was Karla Sprague, newspaper adviser at Har-Ber High School and several of her students who spoke about what they learned about freedom of the press and the responsibility that comes with it when they published controversial stories about student athlete transfers last fall.

Arkansas Press Women, an association of professional communicators, was founded in 1949 and has been affiliated with the National Federation of Press Women since 1954. For more information about APW, email Kristin Netterstrom Higgins, president, at arkpresswomen@yahoo.com  or visit APW’s website at https://arkpresswomen.wordpress.com/.

For more luncheon photos, check out our Facebook page.  Find award entries by category List of winners by category

-30-