2013 ONPA Pictures of the Year

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

The Fracturing of Greene County is a cultural immersion documentary that depicts the changing face of energy in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. This project began in Youngstown, Ohio, as a story about natural gas but the effect of mining natural gas as a substitute for coal was most evident in the heart of coal country. Here, the direct effect of change can be seen in the coal community. Despite this new source of energy, the quality of life for the residents of Greene County did not improve. They continue to struggle with poverty and lack of opportunity, but now there is an added pressure that comes with change. As a result, there is a subtle, but important cultural shift that is taking place in the community. There is a deeper connection between the residents and a strong desire to preserve as much of their traditional way of life as possible.The community and the coal industry have been interconnected for decades, but this will change. The Fracturing of Greene County aims to depict this traditional way of life as natural gas replaces coal as a primary source of revenue for its residents.Image 01: A sign outside the Fairfield Inn in Carmichaels, PA is placed on a main roadway before the closing of Hatfield Ferry Power Station, a coal-fired power plant and one of the largest in western Pennsylvania. Hatfield closed in October 2013. Over the course of two years, coal has significantly declined and natural gas has risen.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Jim Treece, Roy Baker's close friend who leases land from him down the hill, laughs while enjoying beer and good company on a humid afternoon in August 2012 while babysitting, Blake, in the background (Baker's son's son). The retired painter and admitted alcoholic spends his days living in a trailer in shadow of trees and the mountain of shale, at the end of an unpaved gravel road.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

"The Mound", a toxic pile of shale waste burning from within, sits less than a few miles from Hatfield Ferry Power Station, one of the largest coal-fired powerplants in western Pennsylvania in August 2013. Hatfield closed months later, and left over 200 people unemployed.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

"I can feel the black lung from here", remarked Tim Hughes, referring to smoke rising from below the shale deposit he rides on with his with children on warm summer evenings.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Roy “Buckey” Baker relaxes on his porch with his grandson, Blake, on a warm August day. Baker lives closest to the large mountain of mine waste that can be seen for miles outside of Nemacolin.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Buddy Jr, son of Roy “Buckey” Baker, glares at a dirtbike that tears by the mound while going "sledding" with his family, a past time he has been doing since a child. Buddy recently overcame a heroin addiction and was employed by a gas company earlier in the year. By December, Buddy lost the job and is currently trying to get more certification for different jobs in the gas industry.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Zoe Baker sleds down the fragments of coal, slate rock and brick that compile "the mound,” a century-old pile of coal waste that has been accumulating since the Nemacolin mine opened in 1920. The pile has been left behind since the mine closed forever in 1978, and generations of families in the area have used it for recreation since it's creation.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Roy "Buckey" Baker, embraces his two grandchildren, Blake and Zoey, who came to visit him from Waynesburg, PA in August 2013.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Jim Treece’s trailer circa August 2012, with Bingo (Roy “Buckey” Baker’s dog) and another stray dog wandering through the tall weeds. During the next year, Jim contracted cancer and has moved to a care facility elsewhere in the county, leaving his trailer to rot.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Roy “Nutty” Pry sits with his two golden retrievers, Sassy and Rocco, in his home in January 2013. A Purple Heart veteran of the Vietnam War, Pry has lived in — and worked in the mine under — Nemacolin his entire life. As of December 2013, Pry is seeking treatment for cancer contracted from Agent Orange at a VA Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Joe John stands in front of his homemade pond that he fondly remembers building with his son in the fields surrounding his home in southeastern Greene County. He holds his favorite hunting rifle, which he claims has killed hundreds of animals. John owns over 70 rental properties in five counties, including a substantial portion of Nemacolin, PA. While at dinner on any given night, he gets calls from potential buyers and current residents.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

John Jordan, father of Debbie Hughes (married to Tim Hughes) goes raccoon hunting on a winter night with his new hunting dog, Hugs. Jordan was looking for a deer to break Hugs' scent (Hugs chased a deer by accident), when Jordan mistakenly spotted a gas well in someone's field for an animal.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

The annual Christmas celebration in the Nemacolin Citizens Club attracts children from all over to come and hang out with Santa Claus and receive free presents, and play video games they may not have access to elsewhere, December 2013.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Bernie Ziglear fixes the zipper on his jacket, Richard MtJoy buttons up his jacket and Clarence "JoJo" McMannus tells a joke to lighten the mood while tucking in his shirt before participating in a funeral near Carmichaels in January 2013. The three veterans are part of the Carmichaels American Legion 400 and Honor Guard, and many members have direct ties to the coal industry.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Hugo Berardi is a retired aging coal miner who has lived in the same house in the Old Side of Nemacolin for his entire life. He struggles with arthritis and dementia, forcing him to only live on the first floor of his two-floor duplex that was built back in 1921 when the mine and town first opened. Hugo's grandson, Christian Berardi, comes to Nemacolin to spend time with him.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Cheryl Luckner cleans Christmas decorations inside Our Lady of Consolation, the only church in Nemacolin, in January 2013. The church, as old as the town itself, is losing money because most of its congregation lives outside Nemacolin. Some predict it will close in the coming years.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Christian Berardi, a sophomore nursing major at Waynesburg University, looks out at the Monongahela River in January 2013 from an empty parking lot in a bitter wind in Crucible, Pa.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Paul Kurincak, a retired coal miner, expresses his anger for the depression of his former town of Nemacolin in August 2013. Kurincak grew up in Nemacolin and has since watched his friends move away, grow old, or even pass away as the town withers from the coal mine's demise.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Morgan Miller (center), a 17-year-old candidate for the 59th Annual Bituminous Coal Queen Pageant sits backstage at Carmichaels High School with Colton Henry and Josh Mundell, two members of the Queen Court, in August 2012. The pageant is part of the King Coal Festival, a weeklong celebration every summer that honors coal mining culture in southwestern Pennsylvania. It has taken place in Carmichaels, (the closest town to Nemacolin) since it’s creation.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Annually, Carmichaels holds the "King Coal Week", honoring the local heritage. One of the events, the Bituminous Coal Queen Pageant, gathers all of the mothers of the contestants to explore coal-related culture. Here, one of the mothers exits a coal memorabilia museum just outside of Carmichaels two days before the 60th Coal Queen Pageant in August 2013

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Paul Kurincak sits at the Harley Inn in Carmichaels during the lunch hour in May 2012. Kurincak was injured while working for an undisclosed coal mining company in the area, which eventually lead him to retirement in his early 50's.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Hatfield Ferry Power Station, one of the largest coal-fired powerplants in western Pennsylvania, rests on banks of the Monongahela River, voted "River of the Year" of 2013 in Pennsylvania. Hatfield closed its doors forever in October 2013, three months after this image was taken.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Buddy, son of Roy “Buckey” Baker, sits on his couch after a long day of training for certification to work more freely in the gas industry while Misty, his girlfriend, sits behind him after spending the day entertaining their three children and preparing for Christmas.

First Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Jacob Byk / Kent State University

Roy "Buckey" Baker solemnly walks away from Jim Treece grave, who passed away a few days after Thanksgiving in 2013 from cancer and alcoholism. Two years earlier, Treece candidly mentioned his desire to not be buried. Baker left a can of Natural Light beer by his grave marker, and walked off into the cold December day. Much like Jim's death, Buckey's way of life is slow slipping away and changing forever.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Last year, a Columbus resident younger than 20 was shot, robbed, threatened or kidnapped with a gun every day on average — more than 400 victims in all, according to records kept by the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Columbus police data show that half of the offenses were committed by other teens. Thousands of Columbus children don’t know life without guns: Shots heard outside bedroom windows. Weapons stashed in waistbands of men on the corner. Uncles, brothers and fathers killed by bullets.In many neighborhoods, guns are easy to obtain, several youths said. Fifty bucks gets you a “little gun,” usually a .22-caliber. A “chopper” — an M16 or an AK-47 that will “chop you down” — costs more but isn’t hard to find.

A 17-year-old Cleveland boy shows off the scar from the operation the doctors used to save his life after being shot in the chest and side at a party during a session called Managing Anger and Violence in a close – or maximum – security unit at the Circleville Youth Detention Center outside of Columbus, Thursday afternoon, July 18, 2013. He woke up in detention due to violating his parole for carrying a weapon. Many of the teenagers at the detention center are repeat offenders in for violent crimes some of whom have shot other gang members or have been shot themselves. “Someone will give you a gun before they give you some money,” said the teen.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Friends and family get ready to leave the viewing of Lamont Frazier, a 17-year-old from the South Side shot and killed by Devonere Simmonds and Nathaniel Brunner on July 25, to head to his burial, Thursday afternoon, August 1, 2013.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Pastor Frank Towns beats on a large drum as he helps lead the 46th South Side March, Sunday afternoon, August 4, 2013. On the first Sunday of every month the community around the Family Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side stages a march against violence. An 42-block area on the South Side plagued with shootings and nicknamed Soufganistan by the youth there went almost 2 years with no deaths until this summer.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Ebony Crosby embraces herself in front of her home off Livingston Avenue on the East Side of Columbus as she reflects after speaking with reporters about her 16-year-old son Lee-Divine McCrae, Monday afternoon, August 12, 2013. Crosby's son Lee-Divine was shot in the leg in March of this year after someone began shooting outside of Walnut Ridge High School. Crosby worries that a whole generation of young boys will kill each other and there will be no one for her daughters to grow up and love.“I wish I could wrap my arms around all these little boys and let them know somebody loves them. Because I think at this point in life, they think nobody cares.”

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Cecil Ahad, right, president of Men for the Movement, speaks as he stands at the spot in a dangerous South Columbus neighborhood where 17-year-old Lamont Frazier was shot and left for dead in July while Lamont's sister Finni Hill, 15, third from left, listens as she wears a shirt emblazoned with her brother's photograph, Sunday afternoon, August, 4, 2013. An 42-block area on the South Side plagued with shootings and nicknamed Soufganistan by the youth there went almost 2 years with no deaths until this summer.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Jaymone Smith, 16, poses for a photograph in the basement of her North Linden home, Wednesday afternoon, August 14, 2013. Smith was shot in the hand on March 30th when gunfire erupted at the small night club she was attending during a party for her cousin. Jaymone said she thinks about three or four people started shooting but she is not sure who shot her.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Teenagers walk down Linwood Avenue on the South Side, Friday morning, August 16, 2013. An 42-block area on the South Side plagued with shootings and nicknamed Soufganistan by the youth there went almost 2 years with no deaths until this summer.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

From left: Trevon Dowling, 9, calls out a military-style chant against violence as he stands with his siblings Gerald, 8, Jeremiah, 7, Jaliyah, 3, while their mom Tanisha, of the East Side, watches during the 46th South Side March, Sunday afternoon, August 4, 2013. On the first Sunday of every month the community around the Family Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side stages a march against violence. An 42-block area on the South Side plagued with shootings and nicknamed Soufganistan by the youth there went almost 2 years with no deaths until this summer.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Teenagers talk during a session called Managing Anger and Violence in a close – or maximum – security unit at the Circleville Youth Detention Center outside of Columbus, Thursday afternoon, July 18, 2013. Many of the teenagers at the detention center are repeat offenders in for violent crimes some of whom have shot other gang members or have been shot themselves.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Teenagers play basketball at the Central Ohio Youth Center in Marysville Tuesday afternoon, August 20, 2013. The COYC is a trauma-based facility for juvenile offenders which focuses on treatment more than incarceration, although it is still maximum security.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Outreach minister Aaron Hopkins says a prayer before the 46th South Side March, Sunday afternoon, August 4, 2013. On the first Sunday of every month the community around the Family Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side stages a march against violence. An 42-block area on the South Side plagued with shootings and nicknamed Soufganistan by the youth there went almost 2 years with no deaths until this summer.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Inithe Robinson, left, weeps for her daughter's boyfriend Leon Day, 26, who was shot three days earlier just nearby this very spot as she is consoled by a complete stranger named Tina Campbell, right, of the South Side, as a group prays to end violence, Sunday afternoon, August 4, 2013. Five people were killed at – or within steps – of this South Columbus intersection in a matter of months in 2013.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

Antwan Milton, 15, talks to reporters in the basement of the North Linden home he lives in with his cousin and other family, Wednesday afternoon, August 14, 2013. Milton was shot in uncle's home but says he doesn't know how it happened. No one has been charged, and the gun was never found. The bullet went through his left wrist, scaring the P in his RIP Antwan tattoo in memory of his father who was killed last year, and lodged in his skull. Milton said he is not afraid of guns. Some teens need to have guns, he said, so “they can kill or scare” their enemies.

Second Place, James R. Gordon Ohio Undertanding Award - Eamon Queeney / The Columbus Dispatch

A detail view of a .38-caliber revolver used by a juvenile in an armed robbery in the office of assistant prosecutor Dennis Hogan, Monday morning, October 7, 2013.