Times wins 18 awards in state competition

The St. Petersburg Times won three first-place prizes Friday and 18 awards overall in the annual competition of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors.

Performing arts critic John Fleming won a first-place award in the category of criticism for reviews on subjects ranging from Dame Edna to a new opera based on the Sacco and Vanzetti affair.

Staff writer Kris Hundley won first place in business reporting for a collection of stories that included the troubled waters of Lake Okeechobee and the activity building up to the Academy Awards.

Columnist Howard Troxler won the first-place award in column writing. The judges said his work was "written in an authoritative voice backed by research and reason."

The Times received eight second-place awards. They went to Julie Hauserman in the category of investigative reporting for "Poison in Your Back Yard"; Graham Brink and Sydney P. Freedberg in explanatory reporting for "Missing Sabrina"; Susan Taylor Martin in feature writing for "Murder at Locker 02-069"; Martin Dyckman in editorial writing; Mark Wood in headline writing; Nikki Life in page design; Jeff Goertzen in graphic/illustration; and Bill Serne in sports photography.

Third-place winners were Anita Kumar in the category of explanatory reporting for "Deadly Combination: Ford, Firestone and Florida"; Kevin Kelly in sports reporting; Beth Navage in headline writing; Janel Schroeder-Norton in spot news photography; and Jamie Francis in feature photography.

Honorable mentions were given to the staff in daily deadline reporting for "Fleeing Man Kills Officer" and to Collins Conner in investigative reporting for "Lost Patrol."

With 18 awards, the Times took more print honors than any other large newspaper in Florida. This is the sixth consecutive year that the Times has captured 10 or more awards in Division A (daily circulation of more than 125,000).

Other winners in that division were the Palm Beach Post, first-place awards in feature writing, headline writing and spot news photography, and 11 overall; the Orlando Sentinel, first-place awards in daily deadline, investigative reporting and editorial writing, and nine overall; the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, first-place awards in explanatory reporting, sports reporting and graphic/illustration, and five overall; the Tampa Tribune, first-place awards in page design, Page One design and sports photography, and five overall; the Miami Herald, with a first-place award in feature photography, and five overall; and the Florida Times-Union, one award.

Scott Streater of the Pensacola News Journal received the annual Waldo Proffitt Award for excellence in environmental journalism. Rep. Fred Brummer, R-Apopka, received the organization's Pete Weitzel Friend of the First Amendment Award.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright