Jeremy Wadsworth from The Blade, Scott Heckel from The Repository, Bill Lackey from the Springfield News-Sun, Jessica Phelps from The (Newark) Advocate and Robert McGraw from the Chillicothe Gazette were named Best Photographers in the Ohio Associated Press annual newspaper contest.
Ali Ghanbari from WJW and Robert Meluch from WFMJ-TV were named Best Photographers in the broadcast competition.
Newspapers in Columbus, Canton, Sandusky, Newark and Massillon were named the best in the state in the annual Ohio Associated Press Media Editors newspaper competition. General Excellence awards for 2018 went to The Columbus Dispatch, The Canton Repository, Sandusky Register, The (Newark) Advocate and The (Massillon) Independent.
Fifty-five daily newspapers submitted 1,776 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2018.
Entries were judged by editors from The Detroit News, Division V; Digital First Media, Troy, Michigan, Division IV; Midland Daily News and McComb Daily (Michigan), Division III; Mlive Media Group and the Cadillac (Michigan) News, Division II; the Petoskey (Michigan) News-Review and the Ludington (Michigan) Daily News, Division I.
Here is the list of winners:
Division V, Newspapers with a daily circulation of more than 60,000
General Excellence
1st – The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – The Cincinnati Enquirer
3rd – The (Toledo) Blade
Best Photographer
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade
2nd – Phil Masturzo, Akron Beacon Journal
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer
Best Feature Photo
1st – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Cure Celebration”
2nd – Cara Owsley, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “The Shock of Mass Murder”
3rd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Wedding Party”
Best Sports Photo
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The (Toledo) Blade
3rd – Phil Mastruzo, Akron Beacon Journal
Best Photo Story
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Over-the-Rhine Rhinos”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Meet Marco”
3rd – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hurricane Florence Aftermath”
Best Video
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Where the Gorillas Live: A Journey in the Congo”
2nd – Doral Chenoweth, The Columbus Dispatch, “Wanted: Nearly Six Million Outstanding Warrants”
3rd – Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade
Division IV, Newspapers with a daily circulation of 19,000 to 59,999
General Excellence
1st – The Canton Repository
2nd – The (Youngstown) Vindicator
3rd – The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram
Best Photographer
1st – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository
2nd – Randy Roberts, The (Findlay) Courier
3rd – Ray Stewart, The Canton Repository
Best News Photo
1st – Steven Manheim, The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram, “Boy Dies in Elyria Fire”
2nd – Steven Manheim, The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram, “Fire Destroys Flint Ridge Home”
3rd – Bob Rossiter, The Canton Repository, “Kittens Rescued”
Best Feature Photo
1st – Emily Matthews, The (Youngstown) Vindicator
2nd – Randy Roberts, The (Findlay) Courier, “Schoolhouse Spellers”
3rd – Kristin Bauer, The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram, “Splashing Into the Fourth”
Best Sports Photo
1st – David Dermer, Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Chubb for Six”
2nd – Bob Rossiter, The Canton Repository, “Upended”
3rd – Don Speck, The Lima News, “Ouch”
Best Photo Story
1st – Craig J. Orosz, The Lima News, “Memorable Pitch for Tigers Fan”
2nd – Julie Vennitti, The Canton Repository, “Working Hands”
3rd – Craig J. Orosz, The Lima News, “Restoring Hope, Rebuilding Lives”
Best Video
1st – Kristin Bauer, The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram, “Meowmaste: Cat Yoga”
2nd – Emily Matthews, The (Youngstown) Vindicator
3rd – Bruce Bishop, The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram, “Not-Forgotten Box: A Mom Says ‘Thank You'”
Division III, Newspapers with a daily circulation of 12,000 to 18,999
General Excellence
1st – Sandusky Register
2nd – The (Wooster) Daily Record
3rd – Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier
Best Photographer
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun
2nd – Nick Graham, Journal-News
3rd – Lisa Scalfaro, Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier
Best News Photo
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Firefighter”
2nd – Jenny Derringer, The (Defiance) Crescent-News, “Bystanders Crowd Around”
3rd – Nick Graham, Journal-News, “Parkland Walkout”
Best Feature Photo
1st – Nick Graham, Journal-News, “Mudd Mania”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Sunflowers”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Gamers”
Best Sports Photo
1st – Erin Caldwell, Sandusky Register, “Pin to Win”
2nd – Nick Graham, Journal-News, “Football Stretch”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Reception”
Best Photo Story
1st – Lisa Scalfaro, Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier, “Lockdown”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Champaign County Fair Opens”
3rd – Lisa Scalfaro, Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier, “KSU Fashion”
Best Video
1st – Andy Ouriel, Sandusky Register, “Steel Vengeance Leaves Me Breathless”
2nd – Mark Froelich, The (Defiance) Crescent-News, “Kids Talk About Christmas”
3rd – Erin Caldwell, Sandusky Register, “Making Maple Syrup in Sandusky County”
Division II, Newspapers with a daily circulation of 8,000 to 11,999
General Excellence
1st – The (Newark) Advocate
2nd – Zanesville Times Recorder
3rd – Cleveland Jewish News
Best Photographer
1st – Jessica Phelps, The (Newark) Advocate
2nd – Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder
3rd – Luke Gronneberg, The Sidney Daily News
Best News Photo
1st – Patricia Schaeffer, Lisbon Morning Journal, “Anguish and Relief”
2nd – Joshua Morrison, Mount Vernon News, “Smoking Leads to Two Fires”
3rd – Patricia Schaeffer, Lisbon Morning Journal, “Fire Talk”
Best Feature Photo
1st – Luke Gronneberg, The Sidney Daily News, “Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh!!!”
2nd – Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder, “Coby Bleakney Vigil”
3rd – Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder, “Hillbilly Bling”
Best Sports Photo
1st – Joe Catullo, Steubenville Herald-Star, “Riding Along”
2nd – Erick Starkey, Mount Vernon News, “Flipping Over Soccer”
3rd – Jessica Phelps, The (Newark) Advocate, “A Run Scored”
Best Photo Story
1st – Jessica Phelps and Gabriele Eimontaite, The (Newark) Advocate, “Unsafe Housing”
2nd – Jessica Phelps, The (Newark) Advocate, “Princess for a Day”
3rd – Luke Gronneberg, The Sidney Daily News, “Civil War”
Best Video
1st – Callan Pugh, Mount Vernon News, “Kight Takes Her Chance”
2nd – Callan Pugh, Mount Vernon News, “Keeping an Eye on Rep. Gibbs”
3rd – Colin Foster and Aaron Snyder, The (Celina) Daily Standard, “Fort Flashes”
Division I, Newspapers with a daily circulation up to 7,999
General Excellence
1st – The (Massillon) Independent
2nd – Chillicothe Gazette
3rd – The (Fremont) News-Messenger
Best Photographer
1st – Robert McGraw, Chillicothe Gazette
2nd – Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger
3rd – J.D. Pooley, The (Bowling Green) Sentinel-Tribune
Best News Photo
1st – Kevin Whitlock, The (Massillon) Independent, “Breakdown”
2nd – Jessica St. James, The Ironton Tribune, “Everyday Heroes”
3rd – Mike Ullery, Piqua Daily Call, “A Community Mourns a Hero”
Best Feature Photo
1st – Robert McGraw, Chillicothe Gazette, “Snow Day, Fun Day”
2nd – Robert McGraw, Chillicothe Gazette, “A Moment in Time”
3rd – D. Anthony Botkin, The Delaware Gazette, “Multitasking”
Best Sports Photo
1st – Robert McGraw, Chillicothe Gazette, “The Great Outdoors”
2nd – Robert McGraw, Chillicothe Gazette, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”
3rd – Molly Corfman, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Steer Wrestling During the Broken Horn Rodeo”
Best Photo Story
1st – Robert McGraw, Chillicothe Gazette, “Day of Thanks”
2nd – Molly Corfman, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Riders Unlimited Rallies Around Leader with Brain Tumor”
3rd – Molly Corfman, Port Clinton News-Herald, “Ottawa County’s Battle with Addiction”
Best Video
1st – Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “Son Torn from Father During ICE Raid”
2nd – Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, “More Tariffs Mean Bigger Losses for Farmers”
3rd – Cheryl Evans, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, “Abandoned Phone Booth Infant Finds Birth Mom Years Later Through DNA”
In the broadcast competition General Excellence awards went to WBNS-TV in Columbus and WTVG in Toledo.
Twenty- four broadcasters submitted 327 entries in the contest, which featured news, sports and weather reporting as well as features, documentaries and photography from 2018. Entries were judged by broadcasters from Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, Michigan and WGHN-FM, Grand Haven, Michigan, Radio; WLUC-TV, Negaunee, Michigan, WLNS-TV, Lansing, Michigan, and KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh Television I and Television II.
Television I, Stations licensed in Cleveland, Cincinnati or Columbus
General Excellence
1st – WBNS-TV, Columbus
2nd WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus
Best Photographer
1st – Ali Ghanbari, WJW-TV, Cleveland
2nd – Marcus Nichols, WBNS-TV, Columbus
Best Use of Photography
1st – Breanna Molloy and Kevin Necessary, WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, “Observatory”
2nd – Marcus Nichols, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “Greenlawn Honors Veterans”
Television II, Stations licensed outside Cleveland, Cincinnati or Columbus
General Excellence
1st – WTVG, Toledo
2nd – WTOL-TV, Toledo
Best Photographer
1st – Robert Meluch, WFMJ-TV, Youngtown
2nd – Todd Gaertner, WTVG, Toledo
Best Use of Photography
1st – Derek Steyer, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown
2nd – Robert Meluch, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown