Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Bristol Herald Courier Entry Title: BHC W12 General News Entry Credit: David McGee Judge Comment: This series of stories has so much
well-researched detail; and being well-written adds up to compelling reading.
Enjoyed following the new landfill process going
back decades. Throw in citizen complaints and a battle
of Bristols, all concerning landfill nightmares, and it's quite a series.
Couple all of this with the gripping human-interest story of the elderly lady being
warned of rising floodwaters when her
dog awakened her. Then she's swept on top of a tree but survives; and then she's
reunited with her apparently swept-away and dead dog.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: The Free Lance-Star Entry Title: Neighborhood faces towing troubles Entry Credit: James Scott Baron Judge Comment: The sequence of
events was well-told,
leading to the
wrecker service being
investigated. The stories
uncover detail the reader
wants to know when
trying to determine what's
going on concerning
all the towing.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: The Winchester Star Entry Title: Josh Janney General NEws Writing W12 Entry Credit: Josh Janney Judge Comment: A thorough and
interesting account
that, if less than well
written, could easily
lose readers with all
the changing dollar
amounts and quoted
parties.
Place Name: Alternate Winner Contestant Name: The News & Advance Entry Title: Bedford County Nursing Home Entry Credit: Shannon Kelly Judge Comment: An interesting read about how
government won out, for superior service to those in need, versus private companies based on the word of employees, nursing home residents and their families, and others close to the matter.
But that's also the issue with these stories: few if any quotes in the opening six or seven paragraphs.
