Reporter-News scores 5 first-place awards, including Community Service, in AP contest

Abilene Reporter-News followed its 2020 award for Community Service with a first-place repeat at this weekend's Associated Press Managing Editor annual convention in Irving.

The ARN was honored in Class 3A, the second-highest division of Texas newspaper, for its commitment to cover the city's Black community following the national turmoil of 2020.

"Real community storytelling — at its best. Stories reflected writers' passion, source's emotions and detailed stories' significance of defining an inclusive community," wrote the judge.

The entry included: a feature on the donation of a kidney by a white Abilene resident to a Black pastor and then the funeral service for the kidney recipient, the Rev. Eddie Jordan; local university students discussing the impact of George Floyd's death upon their return to school; a piece by Mayor Anthony Williams on the impact of Juneteenth, and the newspaper's coverage of the new city holiday; the renaming of three local elementary schools; and the efforts to address the unmarked grave of a Black Abilene resident.

Staff members Timothy Chipp, Laura Gutschke, Greg Jaklewicz and Joey D. Richards contributed writing pieces to the winning package, as well as photographer Ronald Erdrich.

Staff writer Brian Bethel and Erdrich each scored individual first-place awards.

Bethel won Star Reporter of the Year for these projects: how the Jan. 6 Capitol chaos was taught at McMurry University, his package of stories on the Development Corporation of Abilene titled "The scoop on the DCOA" and his report on the UFO crash celebration in Roswell, N.M.

"Excellent job of reporting and writing. Great job of explaining and articulating the subject matter. Well done!" the judge wrote.

Erdrich won prizes in five individual categories.

He won for Feature Photography for a picture of a man, and an alien, riding a mechanical bull at the Roswell festival, and for sports photography — an Abilene High football player consoling a teammate after their playoff loss to El Paso Eastwood.

"Riding mechanical bulls have been all the rage for a long time in Texas. Riding the alien craze is a new thing and the photographer had the sense to realize that he was watching something unusual. Composition and dramatic expression made the photo, not to mention timing. Well done," the judge wrote about the Roswell photo.

About the post-game photo, a judge wrote, "Really nice job of capturing the emotion of losing the game. Good use of shallow depth of field to bring the attention to the players."

Erdrich also was second as Star Photojournalist for an entry of 12 photos.

"Ron entered a nice portfolio and his work earned him second place. A few photos stood out including his softball action shot and the football dejection photo. His rodeo shots are very good and he used the light to his advantage to capture a crowd at a concert and a welder at work. Nice work Ron!" a judge wrote.

Erdrich also received honorable mention in Photojournalism for his coverage of the Haitian immigrant crisis at the Texas-Mexico border and for his Big Country Journal column on efforts to restore Stamford West Cemetery, called "one of the relics of segregation."

The Reporter-News also won Designer of the Year. Lisa Naujokaitis, who was second in 2020, moved to the top with a series of five Sunday designs that included a beer mug underlay for a story about SunnHaus Brewing Project and Mother's Day feature on Shades of Hope founder Tennis McCarty.

"Terrific use of photography, combined with graceful integration of the headline typography, make these pages so engaging for the reader. While a design-friendly story count helped, each package was appropriately layered and highly effective," the judge wrote.

Jaklewicz added a third-place and two honorable mention awards. He was third in comment and criticism entry that included a story about actor Kevin Costner's performance at the Outlaws & Legends Music Festival.

He received honorable mention in sports feature for a piece about Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Lyle Leong and Taylor Potts, former Abilene High teammates, and for a general feature about Yandell's kidney donation.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: ARN scores 5 first-place AP awards, including Community Service