Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Fauquier Times Entry Title: 'Forever chemicals' discovered on former Army base turned residential neighborhood discovers Entry Credit: Hunter Savery, Jill Palermo Judge Comment: Dogged reporting continued to press the "official" line on a community's drinking water. Writing was concise and clear. Keep up the great work!
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: The Virginia Gazette Entry Title: Mass grave discovered in Colonial Williamsburg Entry Credit: Wilford Kale Judge Comment: Reporting included just the right balance of present-day work and historical research. Writing did a good job of keeping readers' interest.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: The Breeze Entry Title: Wreck Kills 3 JMU Students Entry Credit: Charlotte Matherly, Zia Faqiri, Michael Russo Judge Comment: Commitment to following through on the funerals and the families weeks later was not easy. The stories were heart-rending, but the reporting and writing was impactful for the community.
Competition Comment: It was a pleasure to read the entire collection. Lots of interesting topics and voices. Readers in these communities are well served.
