The Daily Home won 29 awards for excellence in news and sports writing, photography and page design in the annual Associated Press newspaper contest.During its spring convention, being held this weekend in Orange Beach, the news cooperative will present the newspaper awards including the Freedom of Information Award for efforts to acquire and publish records chronicling the misuse of funds at the Talladega Water and Sewer Board and the News Sweepstakes Award for the series on blindness and deafness, "In Silence and Darkness."
"Our job is to provide our readers the information they need about what's going on in their communities," said publisher Carol Pappas. "It's a never-ending task, and one we take very seriously, day in and day out. We don't do what we do to win awards, but we do appreciate the recognition The Associated Press has given us."
Samples of work done in 1998 were judged by AP members from another state.
For purposes of the contest, The Daily Home is listed in Class 3, among small Alabama daily newspapers including The Opelika-Auburn News, The Daily Mountain-Eagle (Jasper), The Cullman Times and The Athens News-Courier.
The 29 awards mark the most The Daily Home's staff has won in a single year, and is the most won by any newspaper in Alabama this year.
The complete list includes:
o News deadline reporting, first place, Laura Nation, Jason Landers and Rob Strickland, coverage of the April 8 tornado; second place, Jason Landers and Chris Norwood, coverage of a police shooting.
o News non-deadline reporting, first place, staff including Scott Adamson, Casey Georg, Jason Landers, Susan Kitchens, June Winters, Denise Sinclair, Laura Nation, Chris Norwood, Rob Strickland, Bob Crisp, Jim Smothers, Janice Keith, Sharon Kent and Graham Hadley, "In Silence and Darkness;" honorable mention, Jason Landers.
o Newsfeatures, first place, Laura Nation.
o Business news, first place, Jason Landers.
o Education news, first place, Jason Landers.
o News sweepstakes award, staff, "In Silence and Darkness."
o Sports deadline reporting, first place, Scott Adamson.
o Sports column writing, first place, Scott Adamson.
o Participatory sports, first place, Scott Adamson; second place, Scott Adamson.
o Non-deadline page design, first place, Susan Kitchens; second place, Susan Kitchens.
o Headlines, first place, news desk.
o News graphics, first place, Jim Smothers, "Marriage and Family;" second place, Jim Smothers, "Tax Bite;" third place, Jim Smothers, "April Fools Day."
o Illustrations, first place, Graham Hadley; honorable mention, Graham Hadley.
o Feature photograph, honorable mention, Jim Smothers.
o Picture story, first place, Bob Crisp and Jim Smothers; second place, Bob Crisp.
o Humorous moment photo, second place, Jim Smothers.
o Sports action photo, first place, Bob Crisp; second place, Jim Smothers.
o Sports feature photo, second place, Jim Smothers.
o Photo portfolio, second place, Jim Smothers.
o Freedom of Information, staff, for efforts to acquire and publish records chronicling the misuse of funds at the Talladega Water and Sewer Board.
