Southeast Missourian newspaper wins 10 awards in state news writing contest

BRANSON, Mo. -- Southeast Missourian reporters and editors won 10 awards in the 2007 Missouri Associated Press Managing Editors contest announced Friday.

The Southeast Missourian competes in the contest's Division II.

Rudi Keller's series of stories tracking how campaign contributions are funnelled through local political committees won a first prize in the Community Affairs/ Public Interest category. TJ Greaney's story about the city of Cape Girardeau's initial decision to exempt itself from the state's new minimum-wage law won third in the category.

In Feature Writing, Greaney's story about migrant workers in Cobden, Ill., won a first-place prize. Keller's story about saving Johnson's Shut-Ins in the aftermath of the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse won a second.

In the Spot Sports category, reporter Mark Bliss and Southeast Missouri sports editor Toby Carrig collaborated on the first-place story about NCAA violations at Southeast Missouri State University. Marty Mishow's story breaking the news that Southeast basketball coach Gary Garner would not be rehired won a third-place prize.

In Sports Features, Jeremy Joffray's won a third for his story about Bell City basketball coach Brian Brantner's bouncing back from a near-fatal fall off a cliff to lead the Cubs into the Class 1 championship game.

In Headline Writing, news editor Spencer Cramer took first with his headline "Plight of the Humble Bee." Joffray's "Holy Molina" headline was judged second. John Pillers won third with "Blocked Artery."

Winners from the 2007 Missouri Associated Press Managing Editors contest:

Sweepstakes winner:

Steve Everly, The Kansas City Star, for his "Hot Fuel" series entered in the Community Affairs/Public Interest category. Judges said the exhaustive investigative reporting enlightened consumers in an easy-to-understand way on how they are being robbed by paying for gas and diesel that expands in the heat, yet fuel pumps are not adjusted to compensate for temperatures above 60 degrees.

Community Affairs/Public Interest

Division 1:

1st place: Steve Everly, The Kansas City Star, "Hot Fuel" series

2nd place: Tony Rizzo & Laura Bauer, The Kansas City Star, "Predators in Hiding"

3rd place (tie) Carolyn Tuft & Joe Mahr, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Broken Promises, Broken Lives" Bill Smith, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Gateway to a Cure"

Division 2:

1st place: Rudi Keller, Southeast Missourian, "Missouri's Campaign Shell Game: Following the Money"

2nd place: Derek Spellman & Melissa Dunson, The Joplin Globe, "Anderson Guest House Fire and Aftermath:

3rd place: T J Greaney, "Southeast Missourian, "No Prop B Pay Raise"

Division 3:

1st place: Paula Barr, Daily Journal, "Scam Alert series"

2nd place: Mark Sommerhauser, The Fulton Sun, "Safety Concerns at DMH Facility, Fulton State Hospital"

3rd place: Teresa Ressel, Daily Journal, "Meth's Devastation"

Spot News

Division I:

1st place: Staff, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "5 Children Drown in Meramec River"

2nd place: Staff, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Path of Destruction"

3rd place: Kevin Murphy, Don Bradley, Steve Rock, Kit Wagar, John Shultz, The Kansas City Star, "Ten Trapped in Rubble of Collapsed Building"

Division II:

1st place: Globe staff, The Joplin Globe, "10 Perish in Fire"

2nd place: Globe staff, The Joplin Globe, "A Very Close Call"

3rd place: Globe staff, The Joplin Globe, "Sprint to Finish"

Division III:

1st place: Todd G. Higdon, Wes Franklin, Neosho Daily News, "10 Dead"

2nd place: John Ford, Todd G. Higdon, Neosho Daily News, "Camping Trip Cut Short"

3rd place: Buzz Ball, Neosho Daily News, "Anderson Stands Still"

Feature Writing

Division I:

1st place: Todd C. Frankel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "The Forgotten Prince"

2nd place: Betsy Lee, Sun Tribune, "Mending Broken Hearts"

3rd place: Lynn Franey, The Kansas City Star, "Secret Santa Revealed"

Division II:

1st place: TJ Greaney, Southeast Missourian, "Picking for Keeps"

2nd place: Rudi Keller, Southeast Missourian, "Saving the Shut-Ins"

3rd place: Karen Cernich, Washington Missourian, "Recover From Autism?"

Division III (Feature Writing):

1st place: Donna Hickman, Daily Journal, "Keeping a Family Man at the Heart of His Family"

2nd place: Mark Sommerhauser, The Fulton Sun, "A Light in Darkness"

3rd place: Donna Hickman, Daily Journal, "Santa's Daughter Keeps Spirit of Christmas Alive"

Spot Sports

Division I: 1st place: Jeff Flanagan, J. Brady McCollough, Sam Mellinger, Jeff Passan, Steve Penn and Joe Posnanski, The Kansas City Star, "He's Still the Pride of KC"

2nd place: Staff: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Yes! Cards Cap October Dream"

3rd place: Mike DeArmond, Jason King, Howard Richman and Jason Whitlock -- The Kansas City Star, "The Stuff of Champions"

Division II:

1st place: Mark Bliss and Toby Carrig, Southeast Missourian, "SEMO Discloses NCAA Violations"

2nd place: Tim Davis, The Sedalia Democrat, "Sedalia's Last Minuteman Walks Away"

3rd place: Marty Mishow, Southeast Missourian, "Garner Will Not Be Back, Source Says"

Division III:

1st place: Cody Thorn, Neosho Daily News, "Seneca Rallies to Win District Championship"

2nd place- Cody Thorn, Neosho Daily News, "Mat Madness"

3rd place: Israel Potoczny, The Lebanon Daily Record. "The Drive"

Sports Features

Division I:

1st place: Wright Thompson, The Kansas City Star, "A Forged Tradition"

2nd place: Lori Shontz, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Dreams Can Be Cold and Hard

3rd place: David Robb, Columbia Daily Tribune, "Modern Gladiator"

Division II:

1st place: Tim Davis, The Sedalia Democrat, "Sedalia's Boys"

2nd place: Tim Davis, The Sedalia Democrat, "Cordes Still Playing Despite Torn ACL"

3rd place: Jeremy Joffray, Southeast Missourian, "From the Bottom to the Pinnacle"

Division III:

1st place: Matthew J. Wilson, Lake Sun Leader, "They Call Him 'Pappy'"

2nd place: Dusty Luthy, Lebanon Daily Record, "NASCAR Driver Ken Schrader"

3rd place: Cody Thorn, Neosho Daily News, "Return to Glory"

Headline Writing

Division I:

1st place: Staff, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, "Litigators of the Lost Art"

2nd place: Greg Kozol, St. Joseph News-Press, "Summer is Wonderful, but Chiggers Suck"

3rd place: Beth Jordan, The Kansas City Star, "Smile, You're On Countless Cameras"

Division II:

1st place: Spencer Cramer, Southeast Missourian, "Plight of the Humble Bee"

2nd place: Jeremy Joffray, Southeast Missourian, "Holy Molina"

3rd place: John Pillers, Southeast Missourian, "Blocked Artery"

Division III:

1st place: John Ford, Neosho Daily News, "Cowboy' Corralled"

2nd place: Renee Jean, Daily Journal, "Wicked Storms from the West"

3rd place: John Ford, Neosho Daily News, "E-prey"