Leader Publications won 34 awards, including 11 first-place awards, Sept. 13 at the annual Missouri Press Association convention at the Wildwood Hotel in Wildwood.
The Better Newspaper Awards were for the Leader’s work in 2024.
Weekly and daily newspapers are judged separately, and papers are judged in different circulation-size categories, and the Leader’s awards are in the category for the largest weekly papers in the state, those with a circulation of 5,000 or more.
The newspaper took home twice as many awards as last year.
“We work hard every day and every week to bring great news to our local communities,” said Leader Publications Publisher Peggy Scott. “It’s nice to be recognized for the work that we do.”
Scott serves as the president of the Missouri Press Association for 2025, and as a result, the statewide convention was held in Wildwood, which is one of the communities Leader Publications serves. Leader Publications publishes the Jefferson County Leader, Arnold-Imperial Leader, West Side Leader and the Eureka Leader
First place
The Leader won 11 first-place awards.
■ Abby Stetina for Best News Story for “Under Water.”
“Major flooding stories are always difficult to write because the event encompasses so much. This story shows how to do these kinds of stories well,” a judge said. “It’s comprehensive, detailed and well-written.”
■ Barb Fawver for Best Feature Story for “Temps drop, danger rises.”
“Compelling topic, excellent job, personal yet big-picture too, the writer even gets the photos — just great,” a judge said. “This story was not done at the desk over the phone, and I believe the writer even put herself at some personal risk to get it. A true winner.”
■ Tony Krausz for Best Investigative Reporting on Arnold’s plan to build Arnold Parkway.
“Incredibly detailed on both the plan and the backlash,” a judge said. “Would this project have been scuttled without this level of attention being paid by a reporter to inform the public? Unlikely.”
■ Laura Marlow for Best News or Feature Obituary for Pat Foster.
“Great full coverage,” a judge said. “I enjoyed the pics and her life story.”
■ Abby Stetina for Best Story About Government on “Deadly water.”
“A clear standout in this category, this story tackles a complex and life-threatening issue — recurring drownings and water rescues at Rockford Park — and provides strong accountability coverage of how the County Council is responding,” a judge said. “The piece excels in both urgency and clarity, integrating compelling data, resident and official perspectives, and historical context. The writing is concise and powerful, and the presentation is strengthened by strong visuals. Excellent public service journalism that blends policy, public safety and storytelling.”
■ Teresa Inserra for Best Story About Religion for “Homecoming.”
“This article pairs a nice preview of the church’s celebration plans with a thoughtfully-written look into its history, with well-chosen details throughout that give the reader a good sense of the significance of the 200th anniversary to come,” a judge said.
■ Kevin Carbery for Best Story About the Outdoors for “Mission accomplished.”
“Great story. Nice use of detail. Good job answering many of those questions the reader probably wondered but was too shy to ask about hiking the trail,” a judge said.
■ Kevin Carbery for Best Health Story for “Alpha Gal Syndrome.”
“Great reporting on a local woman who developed a rare disorder after a tick bite,” a judge said. “Good job mixing her own accounts with those of medical experts for a thorough discussion. Smart to focus on the practical implications of the syndrome as well. Nice storytelling.”
■ Peggy Bess for Best Humorist Columnist.
“Not only are these funny, they’re completely relatable for a wide audience,” a judge said. “The chuckles sprinkled throughout the writing are like sprinkles on a really good sundae. The artwork that goes with the column adds the cherry on top.”
■ Russell Korando for Best Sports Columnist for The County Line.
“Well-written and a broad range of topics, with reporting mixed into the columns to provide weight and a deeper feel,” a judge said.
■ Cody Taylor for Best Editorial Cartoon.
Second place
The Leader won 10 second-place awards.
- Steve Taylor and Kimberly Mathis for Best Editorial and Opinion Pages.
- Kevin Carbery for Best Serious Columnist.
- Kim Robertson for Best Investigative Reporting for “Cult in Festus?”
- Kim Robertson for Best News or Feature Obituary for Vernon Sullivan.
- Laura Marlow for Best Business Story for “Powering down” at the Rush Island plant.
- Best Online Newspaper or Website.
- Community Service for the Leader Holiday Dinner.
- Best Headline Writing.
- Ron Rigdon for Best Sports Photograph for football players in the snow.
- Cody Taylor for Best Editorial Cartoon.
Third place
The Leader took home 13 third-place awards including the General Excellence Award.
- General Excellence.
- Lindsay Recar for Best Page Design for the Leader’s Holiday Recipe Contest special section.
- Lindsay Recar for Best Photo Illustration for state wrestling champs.
- Tony Krausz for Best Breaking News Story for “Tragedy.”
- Tony Krausz for Best News or Feature Series.
- Russell Korando for Best Sports Feature Story for “Official crisis.”
- Kevin Carbery for Best Business Story for John’s Butcher Shoppee.
- Kim Robertson and Abby Stetina for Best Election Story for “Republicans prevail.”
- Laura Marlow for Best Story About History for “Heartbreaking history.”
- Teresa Inserra for Best Health Story for “Crisis center.”
- Goldie Lowe and Abby Stetina for Multi-Media Reporting for fire training
- Kevin Carbery for Best Humorist Columnist.
- Peggy Bess for Best Serious Columnist.