Winners of PAPME writing, photo contests announced

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors announced winners of the group’s annual writing and photo contests on Friday.

Cash awards will be presented to the first-place winners at the PAPME’s annual convention in State College on May 30.

Judges also selected “Best of Show” winners in news and photos across all circulation divisions, and a photographer to receive the Paul Vathis Memorial Photography Portfolio Award, in honor of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer from Pennsylvania. Winners for those three prizes will be revealed at the award ceremony.

The entries were judged by editors at AP member newspapers in New York.

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CIRCULATION OVER 75,000

WRITING

Blogging

First: James O’Toole, Tim McNulty, Karen Langley, Andrew McGill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Early Returns”

Second: Bob Batz, Melissa McCart, Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “PG Plate”

Business Writing

First: Donald Gilliland, The Patriot-News, Mechanicsburg, “Fragile Future: Harrisburg University’s struggle to survive”

Second: Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Why did it fail?”

Column

First: Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Someday, today’s gun laws will be absurd”

Second: Trudy Rubin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Not winning the Nobel but inspiring the world”

Editorial

First: Cynthia Burton, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Caged birds aren’t singing to be targets”

Second: Sandra Shea, Philadelphia Daily News, “CY-Buried Education”

Enterprise Reporting

First: Staff, Philadelphia Daily News, “Forgotten”

Second: Michael Matza, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “A sad tale of illness and detention”

Public Service by a Newspaper

First: Adam Smeltz, Luis Fabregas, Mike Wereschagin, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Legionnaires’ disease at VA”

Second: Helen Ubinas, Philadelphia Daily News, “10 years and still no pay for blight-fighting ex-cons”

Feature Writing

First: Jason Nark, Philadelphia Daily News, “The Bullet Always Wins’”

Second: Michael Fuoco, Laura Schneiderman, Andrew McGill,Rebecca Droke, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “After Suicide: When all that’s left is why?”

General News Reporting

First: Staff, The Philadelphia Inquirer,”6 Dead in Collapse”

Second: Robert Zullo, Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Housing Authority turns to consultant,” ’’Law firms among authority’s consultants,” ’’City Housing Authority struggles with scrutiny,” ’’Damage in kitchen from fire,” ’’Senator demands city Housing Authority data,” ’’Developer: City agency withholding funding”

Investigative Reporting

First: Joe Smydo, Andrew Rush, Julia Rendleman, James Hilston, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “A system under siege”

Second: Mike Newall, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Almost Justice: An Inquirer Special Series on the Beau Zabel Murder”

News Use of Video

First: Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Alzheimer’s tightens its grip on former pilot”

Second: Christine Baker, The Patriot-News, “The Program: Big Mike”

Online Coverage of Breaking News

First: Staff, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Shooting outside Brashear High School”

Second: Staff, The Patriot-News, “Tanker crash and fire”

Sports Deadline Reporting

First: Brady McCollough, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “That winning season,” ’’Eat it up, Pirate fans: Your team is officially a winner again”

Second: Staff, Philadelphia Daily News, “The Frost and the Furious”

Sports Feature Reporting

First: Sam Donnellon, Philadelphia Daily News, “Running With Chippah”

Second: Travis Sawchik, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Shifting gears”

Sports/Outdoors Column

First: Marcus Hayes, Philadelphia Daily News, “Borrowed Time”

Second: Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Hey, baseball, can you hear us yet?”

Spot News Reporting

First: Staff, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “6 Dead in Collapse”

Second: Jon Schmitz, Paula Ward, Kaitlyn Riely, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Flash flooding leaves widespread damage,” ’’Heavy rain inundates area roads, parking lots and basements,” ’’Rain came down”

PHOTOS

Feature Photo

First: Sean Simmers, The Patriot-News, “Stretch”

Second: Guy Wathen, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “She can still cut a rug”

Personality Portrait

First: Yong Kim, Philadelphia Daily News, “Gimme an S!”

Second: Guy Wathen, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Vatican astronomer”

Photo Story

First: Julia Rendleman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “A family gripped by grief”

Second: Julia Rendleman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “The worlds of autism”

Sports Photo

First: Matt Freed, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “New York’s Casey Cizikas just misses serious injury”

Second: Christopher Horner, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “No avoiding the tag”

Spot News Photo

First: Steven M. Falk, Philadelphia Daily News, “Sweating bullets”

Second: Andrew Russell, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Three Brashear students shot”

CIRCULATION 30,000 TO 75,000

WRITING

Blogging

First: Tom Reisenweber, Jeff Kirik, Mike Copper, Erie Times-News, “Varsity”

Second: John Cole, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, “Cartoons”

Business Writing

First: Terrie Morgan-Besecker, James Haggerty, The Times-Tribune, “A Minimum Existence”

Second: Crissa Shoemaker DeBree, Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown, “Made in the USA”

Column

First: Christopher J. Kelly, The Times-Tribune, “Ballad of a thin man”

Second: Amanda Cregan, Bucks County Courier Times, “A year of anguish”

Editorial

First: Guy Petroziello, Bucks County Courier Times, “Get our money back!”

Second: Shane Fitzgerald, Beaver County Times, “Friendship Ridge”

Enterprise Reporting

First: Staff, Erie Times-News, “Leaning Into Leadership”

Second: Staff, Observer-Reporter, Washington, “No Place To Call Home”

Feature Writing

First: Rebekah Brown, The Times-Tribune, “Journey of Hope”

Second: J.D. Prose, Beaver County Times, “When Kennedy came to the Avenue”

General News Reporting

First: Staff, York Daily Record/Sunday News, Gettysburg 150th anniversary package.

Second: Borys Krawczeniuk, Joe Kohut, Christopher J. Kelly, The Times-Tribune Staff; The Times-Tribune, Stories on Robert Gensiak’s neglect, death, uncovered flaws in system

Public Service by a Newspaper

First: Laura Legere, The Times-Tribune, “Testing the Waters”

Second: Staff, Bucks County Courier Times, “Buck Up Bucks County!”

Investigative Reporting

First: Staff, Bucks County Courier Times, “Heroin: It’s time for the talk”

Second: Terrie Morgan-Besecker, The Times-Tribune, “Pension Crisis”

Online Coverage of Breaking News

First: Staff, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “York County floods”

Second: Staff, The Intelligencer, Doylestown, “Warminster standoff”

Sports Deadline Reporting

First: Frank Bodani, Jim Seip, Brad Jennings, Chris Dunn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Lions run out of magic”

Second: Rich Scarcella, Reading Eagle, “Penn State decides to go for it,” ’’PSU’s angry defense bounces back,” ’’Highlights and lowlights”

Sports/Outdoors Column

First: Frank Bodani, York Daily Record/Sunday News, York, “Advice for a high school graduate from York County’s Sports Greats”

Second: Tom Venesky, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, “Bill could be fatal blow to endangered species”

Sports Feature Reporting

First: Ford Turner, Reading Eagle, “Magic Matz,”

Second: Mike Drago, Reading Eagle, “Trying to triumph over tragedy”

Spot News Reporting

First: Borys Krawczeniuk and The Times-Tribune staff, The Times-Tribune, “POTUS (and VPOTUS) Visit”

Second: Staff, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Flood spreads”

News Use of Video

First: Jason Plotkin, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “The hands and heart of Paul Miller”

Second: Andy Colwell, Erie Times-News, “Smiling and Laughing Through Dementia’s Darkness”

PHOTO

Spot News Photo

First: Jason Farmer, The Times-Tribune, “Firefighter at gasoline fire”

Second: Chris Dunn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Flood spreads”

Feature Photo

First: Sally Maxson, Beaver County Times, “Real home base”

Second: Stephanie Veto, Bucks County Courier Times, “Revolutionary day”

Sports Photo

First: Aimee Dilger, The Times Leader, “Play at the plate”

Second: Art Gentile, Bucks County Courier Times, “Heads of state”

Personality Portrait

First: Rick Kintzel, The Intelligencer, “The spark on defense”

Second: Kate Penn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Diabetes portrait”

Photo Story

First: Jason Plotkin, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Touch of faith: The Paul Miller story”

Second:,Kate Penn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Lineage of sickness: Jayquan’s story”

CIRCULATION 15,000 TO 30,000

WRITING

Business Writing

First: Candy Woodall, The York Dispatch, “County wages fall behind,” ’’Cost-cutting is main way many Yorkers stay afloat”

Second: Liz Hayes, Braden Ashe, Brian Rittmeyer, Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum, “Classes Dismissed”

Column

First: Marc Charisse, The Evening Sun, Hanover, “The Ajax, the Achilles and the Exeter”

Second: Howard Frank, Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, “So much for a melting pot, racism lives”

Editorial

First: Chris Rosenblum, Centre Daily Times, State College, “Thompson’s shot from the hip misses the mark”

Second: Dave Janoski, The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, “A supersized headache”

Enterprise Reporting

First: Chris Rosenblum, Centre Daily Times, “Fight of his life”

Second: Caroline Sweeney, Rosemarie Ross, Evan Brandt, The Mercury, Pottstown, “Concussions in Girls”

Public Service by a Newspaper

First: Peter Cameron, The Citizens’ Voice, “Sound the Alarm: Favoritism, egos, money putting residents at risk when it comes to getting emergency assistance”

Second: Staff, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, “R2K Right to Know Project: Power to the People; Policemen’s Legacy; Paid to Lead”

Feature Writing

First: Christina Kauffman, The York Dispatch, “Local runners get engaged, finish minutes before blasts”

Second: Mary Ann Thomas, Valley News Dispatch, “Built on Bricks”

General News Reporting

First: Michael Sisak, Bob Kalinowski, Dave Janoski, The Citizens’ Voice, “Crisis at Canaan”

Second: Staff, Pocono Record, Ross Township shootings

Investigative Reporting

First: Jenna Ebersole, Pocono Record, “Will we be ready?”

Second: Kristin Baver, Press Enterprise, Bloomsburg, “The scourge of methamphetamine: Meth Mania, From large lab to lone user/cook, I was a ghost, Instantly hooked, Drug labs leave homes tainted.”

News Use of Video

First: Bob Kalinowski, The Citizens’ Voice, “The Long Road Back”

Second: Elizabeth Skrapits, The Citizens’ Voice, “Hollywood on the Susquehanna”

Online Coverage of Breaking News

First: Staff, Pocono Record, “Ross Township shooting”

Second: Bob Kalinowski, Michael Sisak, The Citizens’ Voice, “Exclusive: U.S. Attorney General, citing safety, halts furlough of federal prison guards”

Sports Deadline Reporting

First: Austin Hertzog, Darryl Grumling, Don Seeley, The Mercury, “Golden Girls: Spring-Ford wins state title”

Second: Jimmy May, Tim Hare, Dan Reilly, Press Enterprise, “Worth the wait”

Sports Feature Reporting

First: Travis Johnson, Centre Daily Times, “A birds-eye view of the game”

Second: Rosemarie Ross, The Mercury, “Chasing waterfalls: The incredible fall and rise of Michelle Konkoly”

Sports/Outdoors Column

First: Mitch Rupert, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, “Eck fulfills promise to grandpa”

Second: Tom Tatum, Daily Local News, West Chester, “Justice prevails with a wag of the tail”

Spot News Reporting

First: Staff, Centre Daily Times, “Fundamentally flawed: Paterno family report challenges Freeh’s findings, methodology”

Second: Brian Rittmeyer, Liz Hayes, Valley News Dispatch, “Tarentum, Kiski Miners Hurt”

PHOTO

Feature Photo

First: Eric Felack, Valley News Dispatch, “School Days Begin”

Second: Mark Nance, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, “Temperatures soar”

Personality Portrait

First: Andrew Krech, The Citizens’ Voice, “Gameface Airplane”

Second: Amanda Steen, Herald-Standard, Uniontown, “Delta Dawn’s search for answers”

Photo Story

First: Christopher Weddle, Centre Daily Times, “Fight of his life”

Second: Roberto M. Esquivel, Herald-Standard, “Behind the wall: Prison overcrowding”

Sports Photo

First: Andrew Krech, The Citizens’ Voice, “Dust Bowl”

Second: Amanda Steen, Herald-Standard, “Boys and bulls”

Spot News Photo

First: Tom Kelly IV, Daily Local News, West Chester, “6 killed in Philadelphia building collapse”

Second: Andrew Krech, The Citizens’ Voice, “Wesley Street Shooting”

CIRCULATION 15,000 AND UNDER

WRITING

Blogging

First: Tammie Gitt, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Reluctant Foodie”

Second: Naomi Creason, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Now Showing”

Business Writing

First: Tammie Gitt, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Developing Downtowns”

Second: Chauncey Ross, The Indiana Gazette, “Marcellus shale holds promise as new markets for gas open”

Column

First: Jon Sitler, Times Observer, Warren, “SitComm: Hitting the pause button”

Second: Linda Koehler, Times News, Lehighton, “To colonoscopy or not to colonoscopy”

Editorial

First: Jeff Pratt, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Honor is alive and well”

Second: Eric Paddock, Times Observer, “Our opinion: A tide that never ebbs”

Enterprise Reporting

First: Donald Serfass, Kathy Kunkel, Times News, “Miracle kids”

Second: Travis Kellar, Naomi Creason, Christen Croley, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Decoding the ACA”

Public Service by a Newspaper

First: Julie Martin, The Indiana Gazette, “Gazette’s Treasures for Children program benefits needy families at Christmas”

Feature Writing

First: Colin Deppen, The Bradford Era, “Area firefighter home safe from California wildfire”

Second: Rick Bruni Jr., The Valley Independent, Monessen, “Valley soldier immortalized at Afghan base he never saw”

General News Reporting

First: Saranac Hale Spencer, The Legal Intelligencer, Philadelphia, “Same-Sex Marriage in Pennsylvania”

Second: Ron Gower, Amy Miller, Chris Parker, Times News, “Lansford officer dead”

Investigative Reporting

First: Donald Serfass, Kathy Kunkel, Times News, “Miracle kids”

Second: Travis Kellar, Naomi Creason, Christen Croley, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Decoding the ACA”

News Use of Video

First: Bruce Siwy, Michelle Ganassi, Christina Dunmyer, Rick Kazmer, Daily American, Somerset, “American Friday Night Kickoff: Weekly high school football program”

Second: Michelle Ganassi and Staff, Daily American, “DA Live Monthly video series: Group fishing for support to fix Somerset Lake”

Online Coverage of Breaking News

First: Jason Malmont, Lara Malmont, Jeff Pratt, Joe Cress, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Turnpike bus crash, March 16”

Second: Staff, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Monroe Township train derailment”

Sports Deadline Reporting

First: Tony Coccagna, The Indiana Gazette, “Local runners safe after explosions”

Second: Dave Rung, Sam Butler, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “PIAA wrestling day 3”

Sports Feature Reporting

First: Nancy Sharer, The Daily/Sunday Review, Towanda, “Iron Couple: Camptown husband and wife compete in Ironman Triathlon”

Second: Matthew Burglund, The Indiana Gazette, “Safe at Home: Seventeen years after leaving Indiana, Michael Ryan’s baseball journey continues”

Sports/Outdoors Column

First: “Rick Kazmer, Bruce Siwy, Daily American, “Should there be antler limits for hunting deer?”

Second: B.J. Small, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Celebrating a grand slam”

Spot News Reporting

First: Travis Kellar, Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Derailed”

Second: Rick Bruni Jr., The Valley Independent, “Fire, explosions hit junkyard”

PHOTO

Feature Photo

First: Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Hard work pays off for Carlisle students”

Second: James Nestor, The Indiana Gazette, “Serene Scene”

Personality Portrait

First: Michael Bupp, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Fighting Mental Illness”

Second: Darryl Wheeler, Gettysburg Times, “Ride On”

Photo Story

First: Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Raising The Roof”

Second: Evan Sanders, The Daily Courier, Connellsville, “Dead is Final”

Sports Photo

First, Bob Ford, Times News, “Flop”

Second: Teri M. Enciso, The Indiana Gazette, “In the Hunt”

Spot News Photo

First: Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Turnpike Tragedy”

Second: Tom Peel, The Indiana Gazette, “Fire Levels Accent Fuels”