Feature - 1st place - Everyone should hide their Christmas presents because their were a couple of Grinches walking along High Street in Springfield. The Grinches were actually Elijah Parsons (left)] and Jeremy Byron who said they were just trying to spread a little Christmas joy. (Bill Lackey / Springfield News-Sun)
Feature - 2nd place - Seven-year-old Ava Heintz (right) plays with balloons inside of an inflatable igloo during The Ability Center’s Jingle Bell Bash in Sylvania. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Feature - 3rd place - The spirit of the holiday season in a drop of rain as the Springfield Christmas tree is reflected in the rain drops hanging from a car window on a soggy Monday. (Bill Lackey / Springfield News-Sun)
General News - 1st place - Toledo Police Officer T.J. Burzynski helps children from the Clever Bee Academy shop for toys during the annual 12 Kids of Christmas event at Meijer on Alexis Road in Toledo. About 75 kids were given a $100 gift card to shop for toys with police officers. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
General News - 2nd place - Bella Rink, 18, hugs Green Mayor Rocco Yeargin after being presented with clothing donations collected by city employees in Green. Rink, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ordinarily collects donations for Akron Snow Angels herself but her diagnosis and treatments prevented her from doing so this year. (Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal)
General News - 3rd place - Linda Parra opens the doors as people wait in line for the seventh annual Feliz Navidad at Nuestra Gente Community Center in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Illustration - 1st place - Mulled Merlot (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Illustration - 2nd place - Party tray at Barry Bagels in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Portrait - 1st place - Fourth generation potato farmer, Kathy Sponheim, has a lot of spuds at Michael Family Farms in Champaign County. Kathy's family supplies potatoes to the great lakes region of the country. (Bill Lackey / Springfield News-Sun)
Portrait - 2nd place - Mary Beth Alberti, Executive director of Family House, in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Portrait - 3rd place - Roko Rumora is the new curator for ancient objects at the Toledo Museum of Art. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Sports Feature - 1st place - Liberty Center’s Toby Pieracini reacts with his teammates to their loss in the OHSAA Division V state football championship game againstIronton at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
Sports Feature - 2nd place - Toledo’s Jalen Smereck offers a stuffed animal to a little girl while helping clean up the Teddy Bear Toss in the second period of an ECHL hockey game at the Huntington Center in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Sports Feature - 3rd place - Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow makes his way to the field for warmups prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (Erik Schelkun / Elsestar Images)
Spot News - 1st place - The owner of a vacant farm house (at left) watches it burn. The German Township Fire Department responded to a fully evolved house fire in the six thousand block of Ballentine Pike. The fire department arrived to find that the owner of the house set it on fire to demolish the structure. According to German Township Fire Chief Tim Holeman, the owner didn't contact anyone or obtain any permits before setting the fire and he may face fines. Holeman said that since there was no exposure danger the department let the structure burn. (Bill Lackey / Springfield News-Sun)
Sports - 1st place - Ethan Timar of St. Edward (right) and Liston Seibert of Massillon Perry flip during their 120 pound consolation match during the 2024 Ironman Wrestling Tournament at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls. (Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal)
Sports - 2nd place - Dover's Patrick Moran throws New Philadelphia's Crespo Reyes during annual Dover-Phila duals at New Philadelphia High School. (Andrew Dolph / The Times Reporter)
Sports - 3rd place - Dover’s Nathan Leggett (on ground) is stripped of possession during the annual Dover-Phila basketball game at Dover High School. (Andrew Dolph / The Times Reporter)
Sports - HM - Dayton's Javon Bennet dives on the floor trying to steal the ball from the Marquette's Kam Jones during the 2nd half of action at UD Arena. Dayton defeated Marquette 71 - 63. (Erik Schelkun / Elsestar Images)
![Feature - 1st place - Everyone should hide their Christmas presents because their were a couple of Grinches walking along High Street in Springfield. The Grinches were actually Elijah Parsons (left)] and Jeremy Byron who said they were just trying to spread a little Christmas joy. (Bill Lackey / Springfield News-Sun)](images/December_fea_1.jpg)
