The Alamance News was a big winner in the North Carolina Press Association’s annual news, editorial and photojournalism awards contest, announced during the association’s 150th annual convention held last week in Raleigh.
The newspaper was honored with one of the press association’s highest honors, second place for general excellence, for community (non-daily) newspapers with circulations between 3,500 to 10,000.
In this category, newspapers are required to submit two consecutive issues in either of two specified months. The news-paper’s editions of September 8 and September 15, 2022 featured two lead stories by the newspaper’s reporters, Kristy Bailey and Tomas Murawski, respectively.
[To read the two prize-winning editions, click HERE for Sept. 8, and HERE for Sept. 15:]
The September 8 edition featured a story by Bailey on superintendent Dr. Dain Butler’s decision to remove a highly-controversial book, Gender Queer, from the library at Western High School.
The September 15 edition featured a story by Murawski on a visiting superior court judge’s ruling against an NAACP lawsuit that sought to remove the Confederate monument from the north side of the Historic Court House.
Murawski also won a second place award for the same story in the category of Best Breaking News Coverage.
[Murawski’s story HERE:]
In other categories, Bailey won first place in Best Investigative Reporting for a package of stories in the April 28, 2022 edition on The Pines Apartments in Graham, as a hot spot of crime.
[Bailey’s story HERE:]
Murawski won first place in Best Feature Reporting for a story on the natural spring found during the development of the Willowbrook Park in Burlington.
[Murawski’s story HERE:]
He also won second place for City, County Government Reporting for a July 28, 2022 story on Burlington’s planning board not wanting to allow public comment during their meetings. Typically, concerned residents have voiced their views about rezoning requests during these monthly meetings, which are a precursor to consideration by the city council.
[Murawski’s story HERE:]
The newspaper’s sports reporter, Bob Sutton, was also recognized for a second place award for Sports Feature Writing for a story on former Elon University football coach Al Seagraves who was serving as an assistant coach at Turrentine Middle School.
[Sutton’s story HERE:]
“It’s always encouraging to be recognized by your peers for the excellent news coverage that our reporters provide each week,” said Alamance News publisher Tom Boney, Jr., who accepted the awards during an awards banquet Thursday night. The contest was judged this year by members of the Alabama Press Association.
“We consistently provide more comprehensive local news coverage than is available from any other source. In addition to having the quality of that effort recognized by these and other state and national awards, we’re also pleased by the growing confidence in our efforts as demonstrated by the increasing readership and circulation of the paper, both in print and online,” he added.
“In essence, our readers provide weekly ‘awards’ each week by their purchase and support of our newspaper, and we’re very grateful,” Boney said.
