First Place, Portrait/Personality - Emily Rasinski / Kent State UniversitySisters Suzie, 9, and Sarah Shriber, 7, show off the garden tea house in their backyard. The house changes themes to suit their interests.
Second Place, Portrait/Personality - Tom Dodge / The Columbus DispatchColumbus Fire Inspector Gary Ransom refuses to do an inspection while the media is present. Ranson's inspection's were the topic of an investigative story on his practices.
Third Place, Portrait/Personality - Lisa Powell / Dayton Daily NewsDerrick, a 15-year-old boy in foster care in Montgomery County, loves swimming and water sports. He hopes to be adopted one day.
Award of Excellence, Portrait/Personality - Allan Detrich / The BladePage Snyder look through the front doors of a church in Cleveland as she anticipates getting to see Dr. Nemeh, for the fourth time, she has suffered from cancer most of her short life, her parents continue to take her to see Dr. Nemeh, a proclaimed healer as often as possible.
Award of Excellence, Portrait/Personality - Chris Russell / The Columbus DispatchFarley and Joyce Amos were forced to sell this home and their peat farm because of debts to the Ohio Farm Bureau after turning to the Bureau for help with EPA restrictions on their ability to harvest peat from their property.
Award of Excellence, Portrait/Personality - Dale Omori / The Plain DealerA young duck hunter poses with the ducks he shot on the first day of the special youth duck hunt season.
Award of Excellence, Portrait/Personality - Fred Squillante / The Columbus DispatchCandy Batross of Clintonville enjoys a good smoke at Morton's steakhouse's last cigar dinner. The 13-year tradition of cigar dinners was coming to an end due to a new Columbus law to take effect banning smoking inside public places.
Award of Excellence, Portrait/Personality - Greg Ruffing / FreelanceKathy Callahan of Parma Heights holds a photo of her daughter Isabella, who died unexpectedly and without explanation at age 16 months, in a rare case of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood. The diagnosis is similar to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) except that SIDS only applies to children who die at less than 12 months old. In the baby crib at left is her new daughter Mia, who recently turned one year old.
Award of Excellence, Portrait/Personality - Lonnie Timmons III / The Plain DealerRoger Chorich, 55, of Brook Park is in a wheelchair after repeated surgeries and hospitalizations due to staph infections following surgery. His left knee looks like a war zone. For story on the toll of hospital-acquired infections.
