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First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchMarines of Lima Company get ready to deploy for Afghanistan , for many of the Marines this was there first deployment and there was sense of excitement about the new mission. But there was also the point of remembering and honoring those who previously served when Lima Company lost twenty two Marines and a Navy corpsman in Iraq during duty of 2005.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchCorporal Joseph Leary watches his son Jack 2 sit inside the bounce house sponsored by the local Amvets post.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchPrivate Scott Thompson 19 of Frankfort talks to his grandfather Norbert Fawley 89 who served in WWII before departing for service.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchCorporal Brandon Schoen shares a moment with his wife Beth Schoen who is expecting in two weeks.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchCorporal Bryan Brumfield visits the memorial to the soldiers who served Lima Company that was erected at the Rickenbacker Airbase.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchSoldier Dustin Eubank has his photo taken with family members at Rickenbacker Airbase when the company was departing from.
First Place, News Picture Story - ERIC ALBRECHT / The Columbus DispatchBrayden Ponchot 20 spends the waiting hours with girl friend Valerie Maynich 19 before deploying with Lima Company.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchSoldiers said there goodbyes before departing to wives and girl friends.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchSoldiers assemble gear after saying goodbyes to their families.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchCorporal Matt Hoops says goodbye to family Nichole and son Charlie 8 months after escorting them back to the car.
First Place, News Picture Story - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus DispatchCorporal Justin Sexton says goodbye to his wife Danielle before leaving for duty.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerIn March of 2009, the Catholic Diocese of Catholic announced the closing of 50 churches in the region, leaving parishioners heartbroken. Thirty one of those churches closed in 2009, with the remaining 19 closed in 2010. Parishioner gather outside St. Emeric Church for a rally before the final service. Bishop Richard Lennon was supposed to conduct the final service at the church, but cancelled it. The parishioners decided to hold a prayer service in it's place.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerSave St. Pat's signs line the church property in front of a statue of St. Patrick during the closing of the church. More than 300 people turned out to protest the bishop's final mass.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerPatrick Bialek, 10, of North Royalton, holds the Polish flag during prayer service outside the closed St. Casimir Church.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerErik Sundet plays the trumplet during the final mass at St. Peter Church on Easter Sunday. St. Peter Church closed it's doors after 150 years as part of Bishop Richard Lennon's reorganization.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerParishioner kneel to pray during the final service at St. Emeric Church. Bishop Richard Lennon cancelled the final mass and the parishioners elected to hold a prayer service in it's place.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerBishop Richard Lennon conducts the final mass at St. Adalbert Church. St. Adalbert, home to Cleveland's oldest black Catholic congregation, closed it's doors Sunday morning as part of the diocesan downsizing.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerElayna Hodges, center, holds hands while praying during the final mass at St. Adalbert Church. St. Adalbert, home to Cleveland's oldest black Catholic congregation, closed it's doors Sunday morning as part of the diocesan downsizing.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerIrma Friedrich, a lifelong parishioner at St. Emeric Church, cries during a prayer service.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerElayna Hodges fights back tears as she hugs Leola Wilson during the final mass at St. Adalbert Church.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerSpencer Belcher moves a bookcase out of St. Cecelia Catholic Church. St. Cecelia will close it's doors for the final time after Sunday morning's mass.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerAngela Dohar-Szucs, left, and Heidi Kocskar, right, hug outside St. Emeric Church during the final service. After more than a year of protests, the Hungarian Catholic church was the final church of fifty to close it's doors as part of the diocesan downsizing.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerGeorge Gamble, a lifelong St. Adalbert parishioner, fights back tears as he sits outside the closed church. St. Adalbert, home to Cleveland's oldest black Catholic congregation, closed it's doors for the final time morning as part of the diocesan downsizing.
Third Place, News Picture story - Michael E. Keating / MIchael E. KeatingYevette Hooten grew up on the corner of Denham and Borden Sts. in CIncinnati. She moved from the area to provide a better life for her son Mark, 17. All was going well. Mark got a summer job at a community center there and was gunned down, shot dead by an unknown assailant just after his mom dropped him off for work. She goes back there often and hopes for closure.
Third Place, NEws Picture story - Michael E. Keating / MIchael E. KeatingYevette Hooten grew up on the corner of Denham and Borden Sts. in CIncinnati. She moved from the area to provide a better life for her son Mark, 17. All was going well. Mark got a summer job at a community center there and was gunned down, shot dead by an unknown assailant just after his mom dropped him off for work. She goes back there often and hopes for closure.
Third Place, News Picture Story - Michael E. Keating / MIchael E. KeatingYevette Hooten grew up on the corner of Denham and Borden Sts. in CIncinnati. She moved from the area to provide a better life for her son Mark, 17. All was going well. Mark got a summer job at a community center there and was gunned down, shot dead by an unknown assailant just after his mom dropped him off for work. She goes back there often and hopes for closure.
