Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Virginia Mercury Entry Title: Sarah Vogelsong - poultry plants and COVID-19 Entry Credit: Sarah Vogelsong Judge Comment: This is a good investigation that clearly shows how government refused to pressure poultry plants into following COVID rules an divulge true infection rates among employees, who would then be exposing whole communities. The author combined solid reporting from plant workers with questionable claims by government explaining why it could not force the disclosure of the information.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Charlottesville Tomorrow Entry Title: FOIA violation Entry Credit: Jessie Higgins Judge Comment: Excellent work getting a FOIA deadline measure overturned. The stories relied on state law and consistently applied pressure to overturn the measure. The best investigative work leads to change.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Virginia Mercury Entry Title: Virginia's Clean Energy Transition Entry Credit: Sarah Vogelsong Judge Comment: A thorough and insightful series showing the financial cost and expected return on Virginia's ambitious clean energy goal.
