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Leader-News sweeps up top awards in newspaper contest


Tony Perez|Frio-Nueces Current
Uvalde Leader-News general manager Pete Luna (second from right) and managing editor Meghann Garcia (far right) display the South Texas Press Association Division 3 sweepstakes plaque alongside sister newspaper representatives (from far left) managing editor Manuel Azocar and editor Marc Robertson, with their Division 1 sweepstakes plaque. The awards were presented April 22 in Corpus Christi.

The Uvalde Leader-News won sweepstakes honors in the South Texas Press Association Better Newspapers contest, bringing home 12 awards, including four each for first, second, and third place for content in 2021. Newspaper staff earned first place for page design, serious column writing, sports photography, and feature writing.

“Good clean layout throughout the pages,” noted page design judges. “Effective use of white space keeps the pages from being too dark. … Good organization of a large classified section.”

The serious columns, written by publisher Craig Garnett, appeared in the Aug. 29 and Oct. 31 editions of the newspaper. “Newspaper cartoonist departs with last laugh” memorialized longtime cartoonist Barry McWilliams, whose artwork still adorns the ULN Viewpoint pages each Sunday, and “McConaughey for governor has hometown ring” featured musings about the Uvalde-born actor’s political aspirations.

The sports photos, taken by general manager Pete Luna, appeared in the March 14 and Oct. 21 editions of the newspaper. They showed Uvalde High School junior Jackie Cardenas diving to recover a flag during the senior/junior Powder Puff football game and then-UHS freshman Guadalupe “LJ” Nolasco celebrating a wrestling win.

The feature stories, both written by staff writer Melissa Federspill, titled “Santa Claus earns own Easter miracle,” and Lemurs on the lam: Primates hang out in Utopia after bolting from ranch.” which  appeared in the Feb. 14 and April 11 editions of the newspaper.

The newspaper’s second-place awards were for headline writing, news writing, feature photography, and editorial writing.

The editorials, written by Garnett, appeared in the March 26 and Aug. 1 editions. “Heroes continue work here” highlighted efforts of those who stepped up during the pandemic, and “Dial back citywide pursuits” urged law enforcement to think about the safety of community residents after a high-speed pursuit ended in a U.S. Border Patrol unit striking a Uvalde Police Department unit at a busy intersection.

“Very good editorials that address a problem and urge action to correct that problem,” judges said. “That is what an editorial is for.”

The news photos, taken by Luna and both highlighting the immigration crisis, appeared in the July 25 and Aug. 22 editions. The first showed members of the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office combing a milo field off Highway 55 for the remains a man killed by a flail shredder, and the other was of U.S. Border Patrol canine officer Phil searching a train for stowaways. “Really strong photos. Covering a border town isn’t easy and you guys show strong skills,” judges said. “Know both photos must have taken patience and trust from law enforcement to shoot.”

The news stories, one written by staff writer Julye Keeble and the other by managing editor Meghann Garcia, appeared in the Jan. 24 and May 20 editions.

Keeble’s work, “Taking the jab: More than 1.3K receive first dose Wednesday,” specifically referenced by judges, detailed the mass vaccination efforts by Uvalde Memorial Hospital and the Uvalde Health Authority, while Garcia’s story, “Limited vacancy: With reduced staff, jail reusing some human smugglers,” focused on staffing issues at the Uvalde County Jail.

“Wonderfully well-written and informative pieces,” judges said. “Love the info box on the ‘Taking the jab’ jump page.”

Two of the winning headlines (“River bill dammed” on May 27 and “Ramos nails hammer throw” on June 3) were written by Garnett and one (“Bruiser pounds rivals” on Jan. 31) by Luna.

The third-place awards were for lifestyles pages, special section (Hunter’s Journal, fall 2021), humorous column writing (Garnett, “Bees launch insurrection over annual honey tax,” Oct. 3, and “Turkey, dry and tough, is Thanksgiving side show,” Dec. 5) and feature photos (Luna, April 1, Sabinal Lions Club Wild Hog Fest and Sept. 16, UHS drum major leading the band at the Honey Bowl). 

The newspaper received honorable mention for photographer of the year, community service, and display advertising.

“Winning the top journalism award for semi-weekly newspapers in South Texas is extremely gratifying, and this year’s result is especially so because it reflects the participation of our entire team,” Garnett said. “This includes those at every position, because without them, we do not sell the ads that pay our expenses, deliver papers to readers or post invoices.”

Fifteen newspapers from across Southwest Texas competed, and seven were entered in Division 3, which includes newspapers published twice or more per week.

The newspaper’s 12 awards generated 900 points toward sweepstakes. The Fayette County Record in La Grange, which came in second in the sweepstakes race, earned 850 points and the Fort Bend Herald, in third place, had 475.

The Frio-Nueces-Current, also owned by Leader-News publisher Craig Garnett, won 10 first-place awards en route to a Division 1 sweepstakes honor.

The North and East Texas Press Association judged the contest, and Garcia and Luna were on hand to accept the awards.