Southeast Missourian staff wins 15 awards in press association contest

Southeast Missourian staff won 15 awards in this year’s Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper contest. Four of the awards, which covered content produced in calendar year 2021 and which were handed out at the group’s annual conference Saturday, were first place.

The first-place awards were for best online newspaper/website, staff; best feature photograph, Monica Obradovic, “Toybox thrills children”; best business story, Rick Fahr, “Supply chain casualty — U.S. flags”; and best military story, Rick Fahr, “From the military to the classroom.”

Other awards included:

• best feature photograph, second place — Tyler Graef, “Saxony celebrates end of the school year.”
• best feature story, second place — Rick Fahr, “Bradley Skelton: He took someone else’s place.”
• best sports feature story, second place — J.C. Reeves, “Leap of faith.”
• best sports feature story, third place — Ryan Collingwood, “Malloy.”
• best health story, third place — Jay Wolz, “Health board.”

Honorable mentions were:

• best news or feature obituary — Jay Wolz, “Don Dickerson.”
• magazine/alternative publication — staff, Flourish, Spring, Summer, Winter.
• best story about religion — Monica Obradovic, “Fighting the good fight of faith.”
• best story about rural life or agriculture — Jay Wolz, “High on Chaffee.”
• best news or feature special section — staff, “Memorial Day.”
• best COVID-19 coverage — staff, “Cutting the line.”