First Place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerThree years ago Bishop Richard Lennon closed 50 churches as part of the downsizing of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Eleven of those churches appealed their closing. Last year, in an unprecedented move, the Vatican reversed the bishop's closing of 11 churches, saying the parishes must be restored and the sanctuaries reopened for worship. Andrew Moreno holds a sign outside the closed St. Casimir Catholic Church as parishioners flock to the church upon hearing the church will be reopened. The Vatican council, in an unprecedented move, overturned Bishop Richard Lennon's decree to close the church and ordered the church, with 10 others, reopened. Parishioners have held vigil outside the church every Sunday, for three years, fully believing the church would reopen.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerColleen O'Shaughnessy, left, and her daughter, Kathleen tie balloons on the fence before the final vigil outside the closed St. Casimir Catholic Church. The vigil marked the 140th consecutive Sunday outside the church since the closing on November 8, 2009.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerPatricia Schulte-Singleton props open the doors of St. Patrick Catholic Church for the first time in more than two years . St. Patrick was reopened after parishioners appealed it's closing to the Vatican.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerAntoinette Polk, who works for A&V Cleaning, mops the altar of St. Barbara Catholic Church in preparation for it's reopening. St. Barbara was ordered reopened by the Vatican after Bishop Richard Lennon closed it during the Catholic Church downsizing.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerFr. James Ols puts on his vestments before the reopening mass of St. Patrick Catholic Church. St. Patrick was one of three churches to open Sunday after the Vatican overturned Bishop Richard Lennon's order to close it. Ols returns to the parish where he grew up after serving 26 years at St. Vincent de Paul in Elyria.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerLinda Gamble greets a longtime friend with a hug at the entrance of St. Adalbert Catholic Church before the reopening mass. St. Adalbert is the city's oldest black Catholic congregation. The reopening mass was the eighth of 11 churches to be reopened.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerMary Zrebiec, tears up as she prays at the altar of St. Casimir Catholic Church with her friend, Christine Cummings, for the first time in more than two years. Zrebiec was born, baptized, made her first communion and married in the church.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerBishop Richard Lennon puts on his mitre before the processional at St. Adalbert Catholic Church. Bishop Richard Lennon installed Fr. Gary Chmura as pastor of St. Adalbert during morning mass.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerAlex Chura, holds the crucifix as he waits to lead the procession for the reopening mass of St. Wendelin Catholic Church. St. Wendelin closed May 23, 2010, as part of a diocese-wide downsizing.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerFr. Sandor Siklodi blesses the people with holy water during the reopening mass of St. Emeric Catholic Church. Siklodi, the former pastor of the church, was brought back from Chicago to shepherd the church. St. Emeric is the final church to reopen.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerZaneta Haikal kneels in the foyer outside a packed St. Casmir sanctuary, as her son, Sebastian, 3, plays. A capacity crowd turned out for the reopening mass.
First place, News Picture Story - Gus Chan / The Plain DealerKristina Moreno carries a portrait of the Black Madonna that was part of the procession for the reopening mass of St. Casimir Catholic Church. Moreno carried the portrait out of the church when it was closed and brought it back for the church's reopening.
Second Place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain Dealer
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerStudent T.J. Lane shot and killed three students and injured three others. The violent incident shocked the small town of Chardon, OH. The community unified through the experience and refused to let the shootings define them. Chardon High School juniors Halle Tierney, left, and Maddy McCluskey, right, console each other outside the school where shootings took the lives of 3 students and injured three others.
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerNervous parents pick up their children at Chardon Middle School after shootings took place at nearby Chardon High School. Three students died and three others were injured.
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerLaw enforcement officials investigate property along Wilder Road in Chardon, OH. They are looking for evidence connected to T.J. Lane, the suspect in the Chardon High School shootings.
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerT.J. Lane rubs his eyes during his bindover hearing in Geauga County Juvenile Court. Judge Timothy Grendell ruled that he will be tried as an adult in the Chardon high school shootings.
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerChardon High School students and parents wearing support pins, walked to their school and re-entered the building for the first time since the shootings that killed three students and injured three others.
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerChardon High School students joined by parents and supporters, march from the town square to the school. Students re-entered the school for the first time since the shootings that killed three students and injured three others.
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerChardon High School students joined by parents and supporters, march from the town square to the school, proclaiming unity and to take back the town. Students re-entered the school for the first time since the shootings that killed three students and injured three others.
Second place, News Picture Story - Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerChardon High School students, joined by parents and supporters, pause to remember the three students killed at their school.
Third Place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State University
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityCaleb Jensen and Chelsea Cox strip down to their underwear, as partygoers cheer. College Fest is an annual block party on College Avenue in Kent. Partygoers come to dance and drink, starting in the early morning and throughout the night.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityThe partygoers didn't let the wet April weather stop them from enjoying the festivities. As the day went on people embraced the bad weather: loosing clothes, jumping in puddles and even building a mudslide.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityA group of partygoers attempts to calm down their friend. As the party continued tensions were raised and alcohol fueled fights started to break out all over College Avenue.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityThe violence escalated and police were forced to intervene, breaking up a large fight and bringing a momentary lull to the fighting. Partygoers took up arms, throwing bottles at the police officers, which were outnumbered 30 to 1. Police officers were forced off the street.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityA man flicks off police officers as they attempt to gain control of College Avenue.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityOnce the police left to regroup, fights started breaking out again. The fights were vicious some involved multiple people attacking one person.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityThe group of men who attacked this man continued to hit and kick him after he had lost consciousness.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityPolice officers return to College Avenue to restore order and allow medical vehicles access to the street.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityA partygoer kicks a can of tear gas off the street. A police taskforce returned to College Avenue in an armored personnel carrier. Armed with less-than-lethal munitions the police began to force partygoers off of College Avenue.
Third place, News Picture Story - Coty Giannelli / Kent State UniversityA police taskforce lined up at the end of College Avenue. By 7 p.m. police officers, with the help of less-than-lethal munitions, had forced College Fest participants off the street and by the end of the day had arrested over 30 people.
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati Enquirer
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati EnquirerJose Fred gets a hug from his mom Aida in the basement of their Anderson Township home. Jose has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, and is mostly highly indepedent. He is very close to his family, which includes his parents and a brother and sister. His father Jose, has been fighting bone cancer for several years. Jose's family is very supportive of his adult independence and they think of the basement as Jose's apartment. However, he cannot fully use the basement now because the bathroom is not accessible. They are asking for funds to make the basement in the Fred's home accessible for Jose. Jose is a hard-working and upbeat guy. He says, "The most important thing is that you never lose your hope." This is part of the Wish List series, which highlights needy people in the area and then asks for reader donations.
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati EnquirerTonya Hardtke is photographed with her daughters Samantha, 8, left, and LaTonya, 7, at their Newport, Kentucky apartment. Tonya is shy to smile because she needs her teeth extracted and needs a set of dentures. She has four kids and is recently divorced. She got her GED two years ago and was the first person in her family to get a high school diploma. Tonya then completed the Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training and learned skills in Microsoft Office. However, she feels that her bad teeth are now her primary barrier to getting a quality position in a business setting. She wishes for dental work to help her smile again. Tonya says, "New teeth would mean a great deal to me. I want to come to work everyday and put a smile on my face." This is part of the Wish List series, which highlights needy people in the area and then asks for reader donations.
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati EnquirerLouise Harris is photographed in her Roselawn apartment. Harris wishes for a couch and tables and chairs. She has never had new furniture, and wants something she can "get out of." Harris raised her handicapped daughter Philene by herself for 41 years until Philene died unexpectedly in August of 2011. She says of the experience "I didn't know how I was going to make it but I did. She was my first priority." This is part of the Wish List series, which highlights needy people in the area and then asks for reader donations.
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati EnquirerGeorge Heard sits in his apartment in Mt. Healthy before he goes to dialysis. Heard moved to Cincinnati in June to be closer to his daughter Crystal, his "angel". He was in bad health and left everything in his apartment in Detroit. He has very little furniture, and wants a recliner chair to sit in after dialysis.
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati EnquirerJessica Maus, 5, sits in the room that she shares with her two sisters and her sister's two daughters. Jessica and her sisters Cherr, 11, and Victoria, 10, lives with their sister, Ashley Tinker, 22, and Ashley's daughters Emerald, 6, and Ava, 3, in a 2-bedroom apartment in Westwood. Ashley has had custody of her sisters since October, and they came to her with very little. In addition to raising the girls, Ashley also attends college. The family wishes for Christmas presents for the girls and clothes because most of the clothes they came with are too small. Cherr wishes for a camera and Jessica and Victoria would like dolls, toys and games. This is part of the Wish List series, which highlights needy people in the area and then asks for reader donations.
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati EnquirerTia Miller washes dishes in the bathtub in her Northside home. The home is older and the couple and their seven children live upstairs while Kirk's elderly aunts live downstairs. The house is in disrepair and only has running water in the upstairs bathtub, which is a big problem for the family. They are wishing for new plumbing in the house and a new stove. This is part of the Wish List series, which highlights needy people in the area and then asks for reader donations.
Award of Excellence, News Picture Story - Leigh Taylor / Cincinnati EnquirerAlyssa Roberts, 14, is photographed in her Erlanger home. Roberts lives with her grandma, Edie Casterline, and several other relatives. Her mother died when she was 5 and her father died this past summer. Alyssa was a premature baby and has vision loss along with cerebral palsy. She uses a walker and is able to use her first two fingers on each hand. Her wish is to have a laptop computer with voice input and output that she can use independently at home for homework, surfing the internet, social networking and more. This is part of the Wish List series, which highlights needy people in the area and then asks for reader donations.
