Leader wins 17 awards in annual state newspaper contest

Leader Publications won 17 awards, including seven first-place awards, at the annual Missouri Press Association convention, held Sept. 19-21 at Hotel Vandivort in Springfield.

The Better Newspaper Awards were for the Leader’s work in 2023.

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.

First place

■ The Leader earned the Best Online Newspaper or Website award for myleaderpaper.com.

■ Barbara Fawver won the top award in Best News or Feature Series for a series she wrote on homelessness in the county.

“Lovely series humanizing both people who have moved past homelessness and also people who are still living on the streets,” a judge said. “Meaningful and impactful. Really well done!”

■ Russell Korando won first place in the Best Sports Columnist category for his weekly column, “The County Line.”

“I appreciated the conversational tone, variety of topics, and ability to paint a picture with words,” a judge said. “Well done!”

■ Peggy Bess won first in the Best Humorous Columnist category.

“Humerous (except the opossums) and well written. Keeps the reader’s attention while being entertaining,” the judge said.

■ Cody Taylor won first place for Best Photo Illustration, which ran with Bess’ column called, “It’s not easy to win the frame game,” showing a collage of photos of Bess wearing various styles of eyeglasses throughout the years.

“A creative display that speaks not just about glasses, but adds a touch of nostalgia,” the judge said.

■ Steve Taylor received first place for Best Editorial and Opinion Pages.

“The use of visuals in tandem with the top opinion piece is the most creative I’ve seen in this competition. I really like this page layout,” the judge said.

■ Laura Marlow received first place for Best News or Feature Obituary for her “Life Story: Donna Lee Kohl.”

“Very powerful story,” the judge said. “Ms. Kohl was a fighter!”

Second place

The Leader won four second-place awards.

■ Goldie Lowe for Best Serious Columnist: The judge wrote, “The Post Roe column gave us an intimate look at a woman in a high risk pregnancy iand the fears that overcome her in this new reality where an abortion isn’t necessarily available. Her first Mother’s Day column also deals with the challenges women face every day when they choose a family. Her insights are heart felt and give readers a sense of who she is.”

■ Teresa Inserra for Best Story About Rural Life or Agriculture” for “Bison on the loose” about an escaped bison in the southern part of the county.

■ Laura Marlow for Best News or Feature Obituary: Laura Marlow won for “Life Story: Brandon O’Harver.” The judge said, “Well written on a resilient individual.”

■ Laura Marlow for Best Story About Education for “Parents as Teachers: Homeschooling surges in popularity since pandemic.”

“I appreciated the variety of voices in this story. and the explanation of the regulations and laws governing this subject,” the judge said.

Third place

The Leader took home six third-place awards.

■ Among those six, the Leader received third place for Best Headline Writing.

■ Teresa Inserra for Best Serious Columnist: “The writer really laid herself out there in the ‘Ask for help’ column. She didn’t have to recount such a painful story (a friend who died by suicide) to hit her point home, but she put herself out there in a very human way for her readers. The same with the Alzheimer’s piece. Readers get to feel a personal connection with this writer,” the judge said.

■ Kim Robertson, Tony Krausz and Kevin Carbery for Best Investigative Reporting for a series of stories about former Deputy Colby McCreary being charged with allegedly driving while intoxicated following his wife’s death in a crash. “Well-written stories with lots of interesting details,” the judge said.

■ Steve Taylor for Best Story About the Outdoors: “The fishin’ magician: Long-retired P.E. teacher continues to share his love of nature with fifth graders.”

“This was a well-told story about someone who has made a difference, sharing their love of the outdoors. There is a strong sense of the subject and good supporting quotes, and the conclusion was fitting. There might have been opportunities to paraphrase a bit, but this was an enjoyable read,” the judge said.

■ Laura Marlow for Best Story About Education for “Game on: County schools are bringing video gaming into the educational mainstream.”

■ Cody Taylor for Best Informational Graphic for a “First Jobs” illustration that ran with a story called “Hello, work world: Countians reflect on first foray into job force.”

“This infographic gives the reader more information than you’d think. I like the way the people are displayed. It’s obvious they are portraying stereotypical teens. I also like that they are ‘doing’ their first jobs. Good representation and presentation. Nicely done,” the judge said.