Review-Journal wins first, second place awards for community service

The Review-Journal won the coveted community service award for the second year in a row and 20 other first-place awards Saturday at the annual Nevada Press Association's "Better Newspaper Contest" banquet.

Judges in the community service category called the paper's extensive ongoing coverage of a hepatitis C outbreak that prompted the nation's largest patient notification "great investigative reporting."

"Besides reporting and tracking the news, the paper doggedly followed up with all conceivable angles and leads -- and got out ahead in some cases -- to exhaustively cover this health crisis," judges said.

Staff writers Annette Wells, Paul Harasim and Brian Haynes led the newspaper's reporting on the crisis.

The Review-Journal also took second place in the community service category for coverage, led by writer Joan Whitely, of building permit and safety issues at local casinos.

"Winning both the first and second place in community service shows that our peers recognize the kind of in-depth, hard-hitting journalism we are practicing for the sake of our readers," Review-Journal Editor Thomas Mitchell said.

Review-Journal writer Francis McCabe's tale of two tourists who took down a shooter inside the New York-New York casino earned the nod for best spot news story.

"Nice description of the event," judges said. "Great quotes."

John Przybys' look at social cliques in high school lunchrooms won over the judges for first place in the best feature story category. They commended Przybys for "a fresh and different topic."

Judges also lauded music critic Jason Bracelin's "great storytelling" and "splendid job of providing color, emotion and news" in awarding him top honors for best entertainment writing.

Bracelin also took first place in critical writing.

Corey Levitan's self-deprecating narratives about his myriad occupational misadventures earned him best local column honors.

"I sympathized," a judge said. "I chuckled. You lead an interesting life and report it well."

Judges recognized former Review-Journal sports writer Jon Gold for best local sports column, praising Gold's take on his first NASCAR experience.

The paper's photo staff took home several top awards.

John Gurzinski's shot of the grieving mother of a baby who died after receiving a lethal overdose of zinc at a local hospital won for best general news photo.

"A powerful moment, extraordinary expression," judges said.

Photo director Jeff Scheid won in the best multiple feature photos category for shots taken as part of a series that explored how Nevadans felt about campaign issues.

"Great photos, excellent presentation of many themes and positions and excellent editing," judges said.

And judges praised John Locher's "beautifully done" shot of UNLV football players holding hands in a prayer circle, for which he won the best sports photo award.

"The lighting is perfect."

Sports writer Mark Anderson took first in the best local sports story category for his article about UNLV's football team getting blown out by Colorado State.

"The way the stats are sprinkled throughout is great," judges said. "Keeps my interest until the end."

The Review-Journal's business and editorial page staffs, under Editorial Page Editor John Kerr and Business Editor Michael Hiesiger, respectively, also took top honors, winning for best business coverage and best editorial page.

Judges praised the "stellar local business coverage" and "wealth of locally generated content on editorial pages."

Art Director Ched Whitney was named best page designer. "You are not afraid to try new things and it shows," judges said.

Best illustration went to Page Designer Mark Antonuccio for his comparison of appropriate versus inappropriate work wear.

Matthew Crowley, a copy editor in the Review-Journal's business section, took first place in headline writing.

The Review-Journal's advertising staff also won several awards.

Jesse Dunaway, Teri Hogue and Mike Miller won for best black-and-white ad, best spot color ad and best multicolor ad, respectively.

The paper also won for best special editorial section for its "UAW-Dodge 400" publication.

Steven Kalas won for best local nonstaff column.

The Las Vegas Sun won several top awards, including outstanding journalist, story of the year, photo of the year, editorial of the year and journalist of merit.

Other top awards went to the Reno Gazette-Journal for general excellence and ad of the year, Valerie Miller of the Las Vegas Business Press for outstanding journalist at a weekly newspaper, and Laura Ludwick with View Neighborhood Newspapers for journalist of merit at a weekly newspaper.

Other R-J winners at the Nevada Press Association banquet:

SECOND-PLACE WINNERS

General excellence, Review-Journal; best business feature story, Hubble Smith; best explanatory journalism, Frank Geary, Alan Maimon, Margaret Miille and Joan Whitely; best investigative or in-depth story, Joan Whitely; best local column, Francis McCabe; best local nonstaff column, Doug Nielsen; best local sports story, Jon Gold; best overall design, Review-Journal; best information graphic, Mike Johnson; best illustration, David Stroud; best general news photo, Kevin Cannon; best feature photo, Ronda Churchill; best editorial cartoon, Jim Day; advertising general excellence, Review-Journal; best newspaper Web site, Review-Journal; best black-and-white ad, Mike Miller.

THIRD-PLACE WINNERS

Best spot news story, Brian Haynes, Lawrence Mower, David Kihara, Carri Geer Thevenot and K.C. Howard; best feature story, Jason Bracelin; best explanatory journalism, Jennifer Robison, A.D. Hopkins and Margaret Miille; best local sports story, Steve Carp; best local sports feature, Steve Carp; best local sports column, Ed Graney; best editorial writing, Glenn Cook; best information graphic, Mike Johnson; best illustration, Mike Johnson; best multiple feature photos, Jeff Scheid; best illustrated photo, Duane Prokop; best large-space ad, Ria Marris Reddica.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Story of the year, Brian Haynes and Glenn Puit; best local nonstaff column, Linn Mills; best local sports column, Jeff Wolf; best spot news photo coverage, John Gurzinski; best feature photo, John Locher; best portrait, Duane Prokop; best sports photo, Kevin Cannon; best editorial cartoon, Jim Day; best black-and-white ad, Mike Miller; best advertising special section, Review-Journal.

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.

NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION 2008 AWARD WINNERS