The Alamance News was a big winner in this year’s North Carolina Press Association News, Editorial, Photojournalism, and Advertising Contest.
The newspaper and its reporters won an unprecedented total of 17 a-wards, the second highest total in its division, among newspapers across the state (both dailies and weeklies) with circulation between 2,500 to 4,000.
The newspaper garnered six first place awards for its reporting and staff writers’ stories published between April 2024 through March 2025. The awards were presented last Thursday night during a banquet at the press association’s annual meeting in Cary.
“This was, far and away, the greatest feedback – both in the number of awards and the kind and generous insights and comments of the contest judges – we’ve ever gotten in a state or national newspaper contest. And some of the highest recognitions were in some of the most prestigious categories and for some of the most significant local news stories for our readers over the past year.”
– Alamance News publisher Tom Boney, Jr.
“This was, far and away, the greatest feedback – both in the number of awards and the kind and generous insights and comments of the contest judges – we’ve ever gotten in a state or national newspaper contest,” said Alamance News publisher Tom Boney, Jr. “And some of the highest recognitions were in some of the most prestigious categories and for some of the most significant local news stories for our readers over the past year.”
The newspaper itself won first place in “community coverage,” a category designated for “reporting news that matters locally to readers and chronicles the essence of their community.”
COMMUNITY COVERAGE
“This is one of those newspapers that a subscriber can’t help but read from cover to cover. It’s packed full of information that simply can’t be found anyplace else. The editorials are hard-hitting and impactful, as well. A redesign would make this great content even easier to read.”
– CONTEST JUDGES FROM NEBRASKA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Contest judges, from the Nebraska Press Association, were effusive in their praise of the newspaper’s entries from two complete editions in July 2024 (July 4 and July 25): “This is one of those newspapers that a subscriber can’t help but read from cover to cover. It’s packed full of information that simply can’t be found anyplace else. The editorials are hard-hitting and impactful, as well. A redesign would make this great content even easier to read.”
The newspaper also won distinction for general excellence in its division (circulation between 2,500 to 4,000). The general excellence category is considered one of the association’s top awards. While newspapers are generally notified in advance about most prizes, general excellence winners are not notified or announced until the grand finale of the association’s annual meeting.
General excellence is based on the following criteria: “mechanical excellence, general and departmental news coverage, literacy excellence, promotion of community interests, graphics, and appearance and design, editorial vigor, use of photographs and advertising enterprise.”
The newspaper won third place for general excellence in its circulation category.
Double win for staff writer Kristy Bailey
Staff writer Kristy Bailey was a dual award winner for one particularly impressive story. She was cited by the North Carolina Bar Association for outstanding writing in the “Media and the Law Award of Excellence,” a special category in the state contest judged by the bar association rather than journalists and based on “accurate, informative coverage of law-related issues which offers greater public understanding of the legal system and the role of lawyers in society.”
Bailey won first place from the bar association among all community (i.e., non-daily) newspapers for the story, entitled “Disbelief, Anger, Disappointment,” which described the emotions of Kimberly Dick, when state officials paroled her mother’s murderer without giving her a chance to speak at the parole hearing, as she had requested. Dick had been a 6-year-old child when her mother was killed in 1993.
That same story also won third place in beat feature reporting. Said the Nebraska contest judges: “Very compelling read. Writer obviously cared about sharing Kimberly Dick’s story based on the in-depth interview, use of multiple sources and level of detail shared in the story. Very well done.”
Here’s complimentary access to the March 20, 2025 story: https://alamancenews.com/when-mothers-murderer-paroled-disbelief-anger-disappointment/
Coverage of school board chairman’s reaction to state audit
Bailey also won a first place award for “news enterprise” reporting for her June 20, 2024 coverage (“Investigative report found school board chairman improperly signed 12 contracts; she says she’d do it again”) of school board chairman Sandy Ellington-Graves’ reaction to a state audit.
The story, with complimentary access, is reprinted here: https://alamancenews.com/1st-place-enterprise-reporting-investigative-report-found-school-board-chairman-improperly-signed-12-contracts-she-says-shed-do-it-again/
Ellington-Graves’ comments followed the final report from a legislative committee requested by state senator Amy Galey after millions were spent on mold remediation in 2023. The state legislative commission concluded that the Alamance-Burlington school board had violated multiple state laws and ABSS policies in handling $29.3 million in mold remediation contracts in 2023.
The findings included that school board chairman Sandy Ellington-Graves had improperly signed 12 contracts prior to board approval. But Ellington-Graves said her actions were justified, and she’d do it again.
EVERY COMMUNITY DESERVES THIS LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING
“This is what enterprise reporting should look like. It’s researched from verified documents, clearly written and does exactly what public service journalism is supposed to do. It shines a light where it matters. The reporter did the work here, connecting an audit to real-world consequences in education. Every community deserves this level of accountability reporting.”
– Contest judges on the alamance news entry for news enterprise
“This is what enterprise reporting should look like,” the judges in this category said. “It’s researched from verified documents, clearly written and does exactly what public service journalism is supposed to do. It shines a light where it matters. The reporter did the work here, connecting an audit to real-world consequences in education. Every community deserves this level of accountability reporting.”
The story on the school board chairman’s reaction was also a part of the June 20, 2024 edition, one of two that snagged the general excellence designation.
Bailey also won second place for general news reporting for her story on the controversy between two Graham businessmen – Chuck Talley, major Jennifer Talley’s husband, and Jason Cox.
Cox erected a bollard in the middle of what had heretofore been viewed as a public alley. Chuck Talley took it down, which resulted in Cox pressing charges against Talley. (The case was later dismissed.)
Staff writer Tomas Murawski also a big winner
Staff writer Tomas Murawski was also a big winner, recognized with three first-place awards, four second-place honors, and two third-place recognitions.
Murawski won first place in the breaking news category for his story about the tragic death of a seven-year-old Burlington boy who had been outside his apartment complex when a stray bullet from a quarrel among adults hit him in the chest.
The boy was airlifted to an area hospital for treatment after the shooting, although he ultimately succumbed to his injury. Adding to the story’s breadth was that witnesses initially misled police investigators about where the shots had come from.
BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE
“The best entry in this category by far. Thanks for the deep, diligent coverage of this tragic event.”
– Contest judges on staff writer tomas Murawski’s story of 7-year-old shot outside his Burlington apartment
The contest judges made the following assessment of Murawski’s story: “The best entry in this category by far. Thanks for the deep, diligent coverage of this tragic event.”
Here’s complimentary access to read this tragic and prize-winning story from September 2024: https://alamancenews.com/7-year-old-boy-dies-from-stray-bullet-in-adult-quarrel/
Murawski’s writing range was also on display in his first-place feature story on a man’s quest to find, and repurchase, a Volkswagen Bug he had originally bought from a Burlington car dealership in 1969.
The contest judges characterized the story: “The VW bug comes to life in this story, through both the writer’s obvious enthusiasm and the subject’s love of the car. The author also extends the story into other owners and the history of the vehicle. Very masterfully done.”
In the category of city-county government reporting, Murawski won both first and third place. He was awarded first place for his story exploring the reasons for the dismissal of 11 city of Burlington employees who were fired between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
THIS NEWSPAPER DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB
“This was a tough category filled with excellent examples of local govt. coverage. This paper does an outstanding job of it, and this entry about a municipality’s firings and suspensions of many employees took it to the top. Kudos for the work involved in tackling this topic and digging into the reasons why. Ledes are strong and invite readers to keep reading. Stories tend to get long but are well written.”
– Nebraska Press Association contest judges
Said the contest judges, “This was a tough category filled with excellent examples of local govt. coverage. This paper does an outstanding job of it, and this entry about a municipality’s firings and suspensions of many employees took it to the top. Kudos for the work involved in tackling this topic and digging into the reasons why. Ledes are strong and invite readers to keep reading. Stories tend to get long but are well written.”
Murawski and publisher Tom Boney, Jr. together won third place in the same category for coverage of Gibsonville’s then-mayor Lenny Williams having police remove a man from a board of aldermen meeting and the background on the controversy that drew the citizen’s complaint and, ultimately, his forced removal from the board’s meeting chambers.
The contest judges commented: “Well-written stories about a city meeting gone sideways with an expulsion of a citizen and accompanying story that explains the background of the issue. The information gave readers plenty to digest so they better understood what was happening. Again, strong ledes leave readers wanting to continue.
Other Murawski awards also numerous
Some other entries securing second place in the state newspaper contest were those by Murawski for coverage of election/politics, news feature writing, religion and faith reporting, business, and investigative reporting.
The award for election and politics was for a story on the discovery that then-county commissioner Bill Lashley had failed to list a 33-year-old felony conviction prior to filing for election to the board of commissioners. In response to a question on the signed registration form, Lashley incorrectly listed no felony convictions, when, in fact, he had a drug possession conviction when he was a 20-year-old student at East Carolina University in 1986.
The contest judges said, “Excellent reporting with multiple sources, and good writing. It tells the story of a commissioner’s failure to disclose a felony conviction when a young man as required by candidate filing rules. A worthy story exposed by this reporter!”
The news feature honor stemmed from Murawski’s story (“Underneath the flag, a casket made in Graham”) about the casket in which former President Jimmy Carter was buried. It was made in Graham by the Mastercraft Casket Company and had been personally selected by the late president.
BRINGING A NATIONAL STORY HOME
“Great job being able to localize a national story. You were able to bring a national story home to your local readers. Many people were writing about the funeral. Only you were able to write about the casket.”
– Contest judges
“Great job being able to localize a national story,” wrote the contest judges on their comments about the entry. “You were able to bring a national story home to your local readers. Many people were writing about the funeral. Only you were able to write about the casket.”
The religion and faith entry dealt with a controversy among several nonprofits on how best to handle the homeless situation in Burlington. Their differences emerged at a Burlington city council meeting, which Murawski covered.
Said the contest judges: “A very well written piece about a very neat and much needed service.”
Murawski was also credited with a third place award for best investigative reporting for covering the fact that the Koury Corporation of Greensboro was able to get land rezoned in Mebane that included property owned by the county, but which was shown as a part of the company’s mixed-use retail/residential project. The county’s land was proposed to become a second entrance into the residential portion of the development.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING AWARD:
IN-DEPTH COVERAGE IMPORTANT ON COMPLICATED MATTERS
“These stories were so in-depth that they needed to be read more than once to fully grasp what was happening. That’s not a knock, because it was a complicated matter. They also highlight the importance of newspapers needing to show up at govt. meetings, because the paper’s presence at one is what alerted it to the issue the paper was able to uncover with public record requests and more digging. Kudos for sticking with it!” – Contest judges
The contest judges had high praise for the comprehensive nature of Murawski’s stories in the December 5 and 12, 2024 editions. “These stories were so in-depth that they needed to be read more than once to fully grasp what was happening. That’s not a knock, because it was a complicated matter. They also highlight the importance of newspapers needing to show up at govt. meetings, because the paper’s presence at one is what alerted it to the issue the paper was able to uncover with public record requests and more digging. Kudos for sticking with it!”
Reporters sweep two of three awards for Business Writing
Murawski and Bailey also took second and third place, respectively, in the Business Writing category. Murawski wrote on three restaurant projects in Burlington; Bailey covered the Walmart distribution center’s plans for expansion.
Sports coverage also highlighted
The newspaper’s sports reporter, Bob Sutton, was also spotlighted with a second place award for the newspaper’s sports coverage. The newspaper entered two editions for this category – March 13 and 20, 2024 – from pre-selected months as designated in the contest rules.
PRAISE FOR BOB SUTTON’S SPORTS COVERAGE: ‘WOW WORK’
“This is just wow work. Writing is solid and the depth is outstanding. A sports section worth reading and something to look forward to on a regular basis. Good work.”
– Contest judges
The judges were lavish in their praise: “This is just wow work. Writing is solid and the depth is outstanding. A sports section worth reading and something to look forward to on a regular basis. Good work.”
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