First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio Univeristy
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityMicheshia Norment, left, holds onto friend Christopher 2X as she prepares to release balloons into the sky in memorial of her son, Dequante Hobbs Jr., 7, who was shot by a stray bullet through their kitchen window in the west end of Louisville, KY. Dequante was eating first grade graduation cake when he was accidentally shot by neighbors who were fighting.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityMicheshia tattooed her arm with her son's face and reminds the Louisville community of her loss by diligently painting her car windows in memory of him.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityPallbearers wore superhero shirts and "Lil DQ" gloves in honor of Dequante at his funeral.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio University"When I go in that house it's evil," Micheshia says as she packs up her old house where Dequante was shot. "I feel it should be nobody else moving in that house. It's a danger hazard, especially if a person has children."
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityMicheshia sips a drink in Master P's bus on the way to his concert in New Orleans, LA. A photo of Dequante was displayed for thousands to see while Master P sang "I Miss My Homies."
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityZanique Norment, 3, Micheshia's only other child, wraps her arm around her mother's leg at a family barbecue. "What do you tell to a three-year-old that's been with her brother for three years?" Micheshia says. "He's gone to another life. We may not see him, but he sees us. That's the only way I can explain it to my daughter." After Dequante was killed, Micheshia considered suicide but decided to fight for her daughter instead, knowing that's what Dequante would want.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityMicheshia rests on her mother, Priscilla's, lap. Family is still Micheshia's life blood.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityMicheshia visits Dequante's grave but hasn't raised enough money for a headstone yet. "I like to talk to my son face to face. Talking to a ground aint my thing but I don't have a choice." Several other family members who are buried in this cemetery met their fate under similar circumstances.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityIn Micheshia's new home she plays with Dequante's old bike and scooter. Her new home is in a much safer area of Louisville even though it's only 10 minutes away from the west end.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityOver a month after Dequante's funeral, deflated Paw Patrol balloons blow into the street after barely holding onto his front porch rail. These were his favorite cartoon characters.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio University"Hearing the water, the waves, come up was so relaxing," Micheshia says, soaking in an opportunity to decompress at the beach for her first time.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Liz Moughon / Ohio UniversityMicheshia hugs her cousin, Neca Jones.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus Dispatch
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchSeventeen-year-old Logan Cole, who was shot twice by fellow student Ely Serna, 17, at West Liberty-Salem High School on January 20th, was having his wounds checked to see if he would need skin grafts soon. His mom was supporting his neck as they temporarily loosened his brace to get a better look at the area where the second shot missed his spinal cord by about the space of a thumb-tack head. Ely Serna, a standout wrestler for the West Liberty-Salem High School Tigers in the 170-pound weight class, later confessed to authorities that he used the 12-gauge shotgun his grandparents had bought him one Christmas, fired the first of at least six rounds that morning into Logan who surprised him by walking into the bathroom where he was getting ready. Authorities said later that Logan likely threw off Ely's plan for whatever widespread destruction he sought to carry out at his high school.In this rural town of 1,788 the Serna and Cole families know each other and both were shocked to find out their children were involved.It is easy to chalk it up to chance that Logan was in that bathroom in that hallway at that moment on that day.But for the Coles -- parents Ryan and Julie and their seven children, including Logan -- it is no such thing."The amount of things that have lined up in a miraculous way that made this turn out to be not so bad. It's just … " Logan said, pausing. "It's God. That's the only explanation I can think of."Fifteen days in Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus fighting for his life. Three months wearing a neck and back brace to protect his damaged vertebrae. A potential lifetime of complications from the hundreds of lead birdshot still in his body that could slowly poison him. How can he call any of this a miracle?Logan, a junior who turned 17 last month, half-smiled and shrugged. He said simply: "Because I'm alive."
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchParents Ryan and Julie Cole take a quick moment from attending to the wounds of their son Logan Cole, 17, to talk with two of their 4 adopted children Asher, 7, (left) and Shiloh, 4, at their home. Logan was waiting for his parents to change the dressing on his wounds while laying on the bed in Shiloh's room where he has slept since he returned home because it's on the first floor.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchLogan walks down a hallway decorated with signs supporting him and his school at West Liberty-Salem High School. Logan was adjusting to his first full week back at school after spending 15 days in Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus fighting for his life and then eventually returning to school part-time.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchLogan shakes hands with Army Capt. Evan M. Peck who was there to present Logan with an award of courage during an assembly at West Liberty-Salem High School less than two months after the shooting.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchLogan rubs his eyes while enduring a toxicology appointment. One of the biggest threats to his well-being since the shooting will be the lead levels in his blood as hundreds of tiny pieces of birdshot remain inside his body because doctors have deemed it too risky to remove all of them.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchFamily members of the shooter, Ely Serna, assemble in the hallway at the Champaign County Juvenile Court as Logan walks past them to wait for one of the first hearings to take place since the shooting. Logan told his parents he wanted to be there to see Ely in court but he wasn't sure why.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchThe shooter, Ely Serna, stares ahead at the Champaign County Juvenile Court as his mom cries. Serna faces 13 charges in all, including two counts of attempted murder and three counts of felonious assault. Serna, 18, who was a 17-year-old senior at the school at the time of the shooting, will be tried as an adult. His trial is scheduled to begin April 10, 2018. No motive for the shooting has been made public.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchLogan, eager to get back to his former life as a soccer player, does some light weight-lifting with his soccer teammates at West Liberty-Salem High School less than three months after the shooting.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchLogan reacts with joy at Nationwide Children's Hospital after getting his neck and back brace off after 3 months of wearing it.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus DispatchLogan smiles with his mom Julie after getting his neck and back brace removed during a doctor's appointment 3 months after the shooting. His dad, Ryan, holds daughter Shiloh, 4, during the appointment.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate Desmond Gordon, a 35-year-old union electrician, is the father of four children: three girls and one boy. When asked what fatherhood means to him, Desmond responded ‚ "Fatherhood definitely means responsibility, guidance, protection, counsel. It's scary. It's emotional. I have a lot of fun as a dad. I look at the world differently now because kids teach you things that adults won't." Having two girls in elementary school has taught him a lot about having patience for fashion shows and makeup lessons, but most importantly, ‚ÄúHaving daughters, the thing I have learned the most is how to be a gentleman. To make sure the way I treat my wife and the way I treat my daughters is the way they expect men to treat them, and nothing less." Desmond loves watching his children excel, and grow whether it's in sports or school, or in the way they learn to treat others. He is determined to make sure they have dreams and help them follow those dreams. Each night before tucking his daughters into bed, Desmond reads part of a chapter book to them, usually with his son, 'Lil Des', crawling over him wanting his attention too. The night of April 12 2017 in Newark, Ohio, was no different.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateA dedicated Michigan football fan, Desmond and his daughters look forward to the OSU-Michigan game every year because of the rivalry. This year for the game on November 25, 2016, his girls dressed up and painted their faces and sat beside their dad to cheer on the players on with him in their home in Newark, Ohio.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond Gordon extends his hand so his 16 month old son, Desmond Jr. (affectionately called Lil Des) can grab his finger as they walk home from the playground in Newark.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Jessica PhelpsDesmond Gordon helps his son, 'Lil' Des with his Halloween costume. Both father and son went trick-or-treating as electricians. 'Lil" Des's costume was complete with a beard his mom drew on him to complete the look.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond Gordon pretends to uses his oldest daughter Cadiera, 10, as a punching bag, while the next oldest daughter, Keionna, 8, laughs and eggs him. Desmond often takes his children to the playground near his home in Newark, Ohio, because he believes in being active and actively participating in their lives.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond gingerly reaches for his newborn daughter Rosalie for the first time at St. Ann's hospital in Westerville. Even though Rosalie is his fourth child, the excitement and fear of being responsible for their wellbeing still weighs heavily on him.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond and his wife DeeDee chat in the kitchen while she feeds their newborn baby, Rosalie in Newark. 'Lil Des", who has been the center of attention his whole life, fights to get some from his parents in this moment.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond changes the diaper of his son, "Lil Des" before heading outside for playtime with his children in Newark. Desmond makes sure he is there for his children and works hard to meet all of their needs.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond never plays down to his daughters, so when his oldest, Cadiera, wants to play one-on-one in Newark, he does not hesitate to challenge her. Desmond prides himself on always pushing his children to better, whether in school or sports.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond is always surrounded by his children. They seem to orbit around him wanting his love and attention. And Desmond is always happy to oblige, even when he pretends he is not.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond playfully pushes down on his only son's nose as his wife, DeeDee holds him during a family outing at the park in Newark. Desmond is always rough-housing and playing with his children.
Third Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateDesmond Gordon holds his arms out and encourages his son to give him a hug in their Newark home. His son, Lil Des, spent his first months of life barreling towards everything but his father is trying to teach him to be gentle now that there is a new baby in the house.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio University
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityThe road to the Sacred Heart Retreat Center, a community center operated by the St. Ambrose Parish, glows in the evening light. The Story of Torch is a documentary essay on a small Southeastern Ohio town. For 10 weeks, I immersed myself, quickly befriending a farmer, who introduced me to three people, who introduced me to four more and the cycle continued. Through the community's genuine kindness and earned trust, I strived to create an archive that represented the town, its people and their love their community.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityMary Jonas enjoys an evening on her stoop with granddaughter Emily, 5, (far left) and friend Emma (4). The two sisters, along with the Jonas’ grandchildren, often spend weekends with Mary and her husband, Mike. The children enjoy the freedom and independence that the Jonas’ give them to explore around the farm and their ability to learn and be involved with the Jonas’ herd of over 50 boar goats.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityBrian Hopkins pauses to embrace his horse while he completes his regular, early morning feeding at Double C Ranch. Brian has been the ranch manager for over 30 years and in his opinion, prefers the company of his horses to people.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityEthan Chapman, a senior at Heritage Christian School, has his test answers reviewed by Danielle Midkiff, in charge of teaching the high school students. The school is comprised of one kindergartner teacher, one grade school teacher, one high school teacher and the principal. They operate under a system similar to a one room school house and uses curriculum traditionally used in a homeschool setting.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityAsunta Damron, a retired nun, shows off her antique pop gun after discussing her right to bear arms.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityEmily (5) gets help aiming her bow from mom, Sally Jonas, and grandfather, Mike Jonas. Bow hunting is a family affair in the Jonas family, and although not always used for hunting, the Jonas’ believe in the importance of imparting the skill of bow and arrows to the entire family.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversitySister Loretta cleans the pool at Sacred Heart Retreat Center, owned by the St. Ambrose Parish. The Retreat Center had been built by a wealthy doctor in the 1980s and was eventually donated to the parish with the agreement that it would be used for the community and tended to by two nuns. The Retreat Center is used for all sorts of events, not strictly religious, but it is the hope of Sister Loretta that they will leave a positive and accepting influence on the community.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityMason Phillips, left, and Alex Caldwell play a game of basketball outside of the Torch Baptist Church. The church is the original place of worship in Torch and is part of the reason why the town received its name. In the late 1800's, residents would carry torches with them to guide their way to church. What used to be a one room log cabin, the church has grown to be a community hub to about 40-50 members from different communities.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityRita Marie Von Berg, a 94-year-old retired nun, prepares tripe for her two german shepherds. Rita is 94-years-old and lives with two other retired nuns who she met while working as the director for Saint Joseph’s hospital.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityThe Eagles, basketball team for the Heritage Christian School take a break to boost team spirit at their final basketball game of the season. Pastor Hubbard (far right) yells at children to get off the court in the few seconds the game has paused. The basketball team struggles to find opponents, as they only play against other Christian high schools. For this particular game, they travelled to a gym in Midland, Ohio and played against a school based in Charleston, West Virginia.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Erin Clark / Ohio UniversityJohn Murphy sits on the porch of his farmhouse after feeding his cows. The Murphy farm has been in the family since the 1950's.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateCaity and Brett Blacet adopted four children from the Ukraine over the summer summer, but have just arrived home with them in the last couple of weeks. Lera, the oldest and her three younger brothers, Archer, Beau and Max had been living in an orphanage in the worn torn, eastern part of Ukraine and are now adapting to life in Ohio. The children are beginning to let their guard down, but are struggling with cultural differences. The family is learning how to communicate with each other. The children have limited English skills, and the Blacets do not speak Russian. Despite the language barriers, the kids have bonded with their new parents.Beau, who is the most outwardly loving, leans in to give his new mom, Caity a kiss.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateBrett and Caity Blacet play with the four children, Max, Lera, Beau and Archer, (not pictured) they adopted from the war-torn Eastern Ukraine. Even though they just became a family a week ago, they have all bonded quickly.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateLera practices reading English with a book her new ELS teacher sent home for her. Lera's new adoptive mother worries that she and her siblings are so far behind in school after living in the orphanage in the Ukraine for so long, and hope they can all catch up to their classmates.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateLera waits impatiently as her brother, Beau, and new father, Brett, fumble around with swimming toys before heading to the swimming pool in their apartment complex. Even though it was chilly outside, the kids who had just arrived in Ohio were desperate to go swimming. Their adoptive parents, Caity and Brett could not find a real reason why not, so they went off to swim on the cold water.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateLera and her brothers, Archer and Max, hurry back to their new home after an impromptu morning at the pool. The three siblings, and their brother Beau, arrived in the United States just days before after being adopted from an orphanage in the war torn Eastern Ukraine.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateArcher and Beau put shoes on their new adoptive dad, Brett, before they leave for school. Brett and his wife Caity have loved being new parents, but are having trouble keeping up with the high energy levels of all four children.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateThe children adjusted quickly to their new home during their first week, and would try and go outside and play as often as possible. Lera, the only girl goes off by herself for a few minutes, tired of the aggressive rough-housing of her younger brothers.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateCaity dresses the two younger boys, Beau and Max, for bed while Archer stirs up trouble next to them. The boys are always going at full speed, giving little rest to Caity and her husband who recently adopted them from the Ukraine.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateBefore the kids arrived in Ohio Caity got each of them backpacks with their names monogramed on the front. It was a bit of an extravagance Caity admitted, but worth it to make them feel at home.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateLera packs up her backpack for school before getting ready for bed. The kids speak minimal English and are all taking ESL classes at their school. Their parents worry about them catching up with their classmates.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateAll four kids, Lera, Max, Archer and Beau, use their new adoptive dad, Brett as a jungle gym in the basement of their new home. Brett and his wife, Caity, decided to adopt the siblings from the Ukraine after hosting three of them for the summer the year before.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark AdvocateLera, plays with the family dog while her brother, Archer, struggles to wake up for school. Lera has had to sleep in the bed with her brother Archer, after she and her sibling got a little over-excited jumping on her bed, breaking it.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The BladeProgeria is a rare genetic condition that causes a person to age prematurely. Less than 150 children worldwide are thought to have progeria. It affects 1 in every 4 million newborns. Children with progeria appear healthy, but by the age of 2 , they look as if they have become old too fast. The average life expectancy of a child with progeria is 14 years. Carly Kudzia, a smart little girl with lots of personality, has reached mid-life at age 7. She lives with her mother, Heather Unsinger, and tries to live as normal a life as possible. Carly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, does not want to take her experimental medication as her mother Heather Unsinger looks on at her grandparents home in Swanton, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The BladeCarly studies with her classmates Luke Petsok, 7, and Quinn Bublick, 6, at Lial Elementary School in Whitehouse, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade Carly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, plays with her friend Quinn Bublick, 6, at Lial Elementary School in Whitehouse, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade Carly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, takes a spelling test with parent helper Renee Darwich at Lial Elementary School in Whitehouse, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade Carly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, gets ready to to go to church at Lial Elementary School in Whitehouse, Ohio. Carly must protect her eyes from bright sunlight.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade Carly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, makes faces at her uncle's fiance Stephanie Pannell at her grandparents home in Swanton, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The BladeCarly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, plays with her mother Heather Unsinger at her grandparents home in Swanton, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The BladeCarly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, attends mass with her classmates and teacher Heather Hughes at Lial Elementary School in Whitehouse, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The BladeCarly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, rides on her mother Heather Unsinger's leg at her home in Swanton, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Jeremy Wadsworth / The BladeCarly Kudzia, 7, who has progeria, relents and takes her experimental medication with the help of her mother Heather Unsinger at her home in Swanton, Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State University
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityIts early morning and it is time to head out for Monigold's upland bird hunting reservation near Newcomerstown Ohio.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityThe birds that will be hunted today need to be netted so they can be moved out into the reserve before the hunters arrive.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityRing-necked pheasant, Chuckers and quail are released from special boxes out into the reserve a few minutes before the hunt begins.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityThe hunters, lead by guides, spread out and walk through the wide open fields of the reserve. The dogs will point out and flush anything that moves.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityA few hunters crest one of the large hills inside the hunting reserve.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityThe dogs flush a ring-necked pheasant into the air. While the guide keeps an eye on the dogs the hunters fire away at the bird.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityA poorly placed shot turns a pheasant into a cloud of feathers.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityThe birds that are brought down by the hunters are retrieved by the dogs and gathers up by the guides.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityJennifer Nign holds up what remains of a quail after it had been shot almost at point blank range.
Award of Excellence, Feature Picture Story - Aaron Self / Kent State UniversityRich Flanigan guts and cleans the birds that have been hunted, which are then bagged for the hunters to take home, ready to be cooked.
