2016 ONPA Pictures of the Year

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Annie Glen says goodbye to husband Sen. John Glenn, of 73 years as he lies in honor in the Statehouse Rotunda. John Glenn leaves behind a legacy fit for an American hero. Before becoming a senator, he flew in 149 combat missions and was the first man to orbit Earth from outer space.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

After a mock light saber battle outdoors with his father, Keith Lucterhand, Taven took the sabers upstairs in the hallway. Taven and his father both fall on the autism spectrum creating a special bond between the two of them.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Bill "Sparky" Rector and his ten-year old son, Nyciah, light lanterns in their garage to help them see better while creating a snowman to put in their front yard. Rector says he wants to take advantage of every moment he has with his children now that he is sober.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Luke Zachrich hits Bill Yates across the face, knocking his mouth guard out. Zachrich won by unanimous decision, beating Yates in his debut fight at the Arnold Fitness Classic.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Lynsay Lewis is physically supported by her sister, Jaycee Dernberger, as she adreses the court, speaking of the loss of her four year-old daughter, Karmyn Johnson, at the plea hearing of LeeAnn McClain. McClain, 38, entered guilty pleas for driving while under the influence of methamphetamine, causing a crash that killed Johnson, her passenger,just before Christmas, 2015. McClain was sentenced to six years in prison.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

George Gordon, who has married to his wife, Alice for 70 years, shows off the miniature bobble heads he has collected over the years.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Leo Crosby, a senior at Zanesville High School, is embraced by his coaches, Chris Miller andPat Lawson after failing to qualify for the final match at the 2016 state wrestling finals. Crosby was the wrestler from his school to qualify for the state meet in over 40 years. This year was his second and final chance to make the podium, but he fell just short of making the cut.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Dancers from the Central Ohio Youth Ballet exit the stage after a critique of their first dress rehearsal run-through of their spring performance, BRAVO. COYB brings together young dancers from all over Central Ohio twice a year to perform together.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Tom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years ago. He recently moved in with his son Morgan, daughter-in-law, Abby, and their two young children. Tom will never know the children he is living with are his grandchildren, and they struggle to understand what it means to have a grandpa who's brain is broken.

Tom Engeman sits apart from the crowd at his granddaughter, Reeses's tee-ball game. Tom has no idea he is at a tee-ball game or that it is his granddaughter playing. Tom doesn't recognize his life anymore. Eight years ago he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. In the background Tom's other grandchild, David, is being held by his healthy grandfather, also David.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Abby Engeman gently grabs the arm of her father-in-law, Tom Engeman's, to keep him from wandering away during a Tee-ball game her daughter Reese was playing. Tom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years ago and just moved in with his son Morgan and daughter-in-law Abby and their two children. At times Abby has to juggle both kids and Tom but says
“I don’t think we see it as any special act. We just do it. It’s family. What’s the difference? He did it for Morgan, who I love so much. What wouldn’t I do for the person who gave me him?”

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Tom lights up when he sees his reflection in the mirror. Tom likes to talk to his reflection and asks questions and make s funny faces. It is in these moments it is possible to see a hint of who Tom used to be.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Tom wanders aimlessly through the house not recognizing that a baby is crying, and that the baby is his 12 month old grandson, David. “It’s heartbreaking to get frustrated too because we know it’s not his fault,” Abby said.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Reese sits on the couch watching a cartoon next to her Grandpa Tom, who is dozing. Tom barely acknowledges Reese except when she is making too much noise, which irritates him and he shushes her. Reese, who is five, struggles to understand why her grandpa is the way he is. Her mom, Abby, catches up on laundry. There is always extra laundry for Abby to do because of the messes Tom makes when he goes to the bathroom in his clothes or bed.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Tom Engeman, a 73-year-old former professor at Loyola University, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. His family was first alerted to the disease when Tom’s students start to say his lectures and grading weren’t making sense. During Christmas break, his wife, Susan Riis, took him to see a doctor. After hearing the diagnosis, Tom walked into his office, unplugged his computer and was done with his professional career.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Alyson Camelin, 17,, a summer intern at the Carol Strawn Center tosses a balloon around with Tom Engeman and other clients before beginning their daily exercise routine. Every day Tom is dropped off at the Carol Strawn Center which offers adult daycare specifically for clients with Alzheimer's and Dementia.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Tom and his granddaughter, Reese, simultaneously go for a basket in their backyard. The difference is while Reese is young she is learning and building the muscle to throw the ball higher, while her Grandpa Tom no longer has the strength to toss the ball. Tom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years ago and just moved in with his son Morgan, daughter-in-law, Abby and their two children.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Tom is prone to wandering aimlessly, always with the same hunched posture and hands clasped behind his back. He never wanders far, but he does have a anklet tracker in case he goes too far one day.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Each morning Morgan wakes up, goes to check on his father, Tom, cleans up any messes he may have made, bathes him in the specially fitted shower, helps him brush his teeth and get dressed before heading off to his own job for the day.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Every night when Tom goes to bed Charlie, the family dog, climbs into the small single bed with him.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

In the beginning weeks of summer little leaguers in the farm and varsity division battle it out at Mound City Ball Park for the coveted Shrine Tournament Championship title. The teams come from all over Licking County and play on the same ball field where their fathers and often grandfather played. Tensions and expectations run high as the teams get narrowed down to the final game.

Players and parents stand for the playing of the National Anthem before the start of the Shrine Tournament quarterfinals.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Family members and friends decoded Pappy's Grill's dugout before the start of the championship game. Pappy's lost to J & D Storage.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Lane Allen's helmut flies off as he is tagged by 3rd baseman, Brody White of Pappy's. Pappy's beat the Meyers team 11-10 in the farm division quarterfinals at the Shrine Tournament Saturday.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Meyers Dental players watch their quarterfinal game against Pappy's Grill. Teams throughout Licking County gathered at Mound City baseball fields Saturday to play in the Shrine Tournament quarter finals.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Pappy's Grill team members sign the baseball Braylon Bates hit out of the park in the shrine tournament quarterfinals. The Shrine tournament is steeped in tradition, one of them being anytime a kid hits the ball out of the park, the ball will be collected for that player and signed by teammates.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Terrie Hill, the man in charge of running the Shrine Tournament, comforts his grandson, while the rest of his team take the field. The team, Subway, lost in the quarterfinals of the farm division.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Dan's Family Pizza celebrates after beating Edward Jones in the consolation game. Dan's came back from a 6-1 lead to tie up the game in the sixth inning, taking the game to the seventh where they scored the last run needed for victory.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Anthony Bottomley, takes a moment before stepping onto the pitchers mound to try and turn the game around for his team. Bottomley was put in as relief pitcher in the final game of the tournament, but it just wasn't enough for his team, LMH, to overcome Newark Optometry.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

The Newark Optometry team is embraced by head coach Scott McLaughlin. The team finally won the Shrine Championship title after falling short in the finals the past two years.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Players from J & D Storage struggle to carry their trophy after beating Pappy's Grill to earn the Shrine Tournament Championship. J & D allowed two hits and struck out 12 in five innings in a 10-0 victory J & D had an almost perfect season, 37-1.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Diagnosed with autism when she was in preschool, Phoenix is mostly nonverbal, which limits her ability to communicate.That’s caused her mother; her father, Keith Lucterhand; and her teachers at school to abandon their perceptions of what’s typical and try to see things from her point of view.

On a cold morning waiting for the bus to arrive, Phoenix sits on her mom's lap laughing about something and making repetitive movements to soothe herself, known as stimming, while her brother, Taven, wanders around, also in his own world.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

When Phoenix arrives at school, the first thing she does is go to the reading corner for some quiet time to flip through books and prepare herself for the day.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

During group time at school, Phoenix hides herself under a blanket, deciding that the noise and chaos of the other boys in her class is too much. When she first started school in September, her classmates were hesitant to be near her because of her outbursts. But now that they've gotten to know her personality, they accept her for who she is.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

In order to help Phoenix move on from an outburst, her aide, Bethany Daniels, will visually count her down to the next activity. Daniels has found this to be an effective way to prepare Phoenix for upcoming changes and help her calm herself down.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Upset about something, Phoenix rolls around impatiently on her couch in the early morning hours before school. The fact that Phoenix can't communicate with words when something upsets her seems to be the source of much of her frustration and anger.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Phoenix's "happy place" is on the floor of her bedroom, playing with her toys that light up and make noise. Phoenix, 8, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and is mostly nonverbal.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Phoenix struggles against her mom, Savannah, not wanting her face to be washed after a messy dinner. Phoenix's main frustrations come from not being able to communicate how she feels or what she wants, which results in tantrums and lashing out.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Phoenix crawled onto her mom's lap after opening an early Christmas present. It was a soft Hello Kitty blanket that brought an instant smile to her face.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Shopping can be experience when the entire family goes. Savannah leads the way, picking up what they need, while Keith, who is autistic, jokes around with the kids, Phoenix and Taven, who are both in their own worlds, and both fall on the autism spectrum.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

After her first occupational therapy visit, Phoenix has a break down in the hall because the zipper on her coat would not zip correctly. A common coping mechanism for Phoenix when things become to much for her is biting and scratching, usually herself. It breaks her mom, Savannah's heart every time she witnesses this, but she has learned when to interfere and when to let Phoenix wrestle with her emotions.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

As the cold air moved in and created frost on the windows Savannah began hearing a scratching noise at night. It turns out it was her daughter, Phoenix, etching out lines on the frosted windows before falling asleep.