Staff members (right) include (front row, left to right) Suzanne Hallam, Jorge J. Garcia Jr., Cyndy Slovak-Barton, David White; (back row) Jason Gordon, Jen Biundo, Brenda Stewart, Connie Brewer, Clint Younts, Tracy Mack, Sandra Grizzle, Brad Rollins and Bob Barton. (Photo by Bozena Barton)
STAFF REPORT
- Cyndy Slovak-Barton received second place honors in news photography for her photo of Glen Whitaker (above) on the scene of an auto fatality. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
The Hays Free Press swept its division in the Texas Press Association’s statewide newspaper competition, bringing home 10 awards that include three first-place finishes and earning the title of best large weekly in the state.
Results were announced last weekend at the association’s 131st annual convention at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio.
The Hays Free Press won more awards than any other weekly newspaper of any size. Only three daily newspapers out the 172 publications that submitted entries in the competition won awards in more categories.
“Best editorial and selection of news coverage seen. Excellent in just about every respect,” one judge wrote in evaluating the paper.
The Hays Free Press won the top prize in the advertising and page design category for work by production manager David White and assistant Jorge Garcia. Additionally, columnist Clint Younts took a first place award for his “View from the Crow’s Nest” humorous column.
Judges awarded the Hays Free Press second place in news photography for Cyndy Slovak-Barton’s photo of Fire Chief Glenn Whitaker on the scene of a fatality accident, and Mary Stone’s picture of a light pole that crashed into a Hays CISD gym.
Slovak-Barton also took a second place prize for sports photography, and the recently redesigned website received second place honors.
Sports editor Jason Gordon and sports reporter Mark Caul took third place for overall sports coverage, and editor Jen Biundo received a third place prize for feature stories on a local midwife and a young war widow. Biundo also took a fourth place prize in newswriting for stories on a Buda train wreck and sex education in local schools.
The Hays Free Press placed third in the general excellence category.
The newspaper won its division sweepstakes prize with an accumulation of 700 points, 200 more than its closest competitor.
Bob Barton and Cyndy Slovak-Barton are co-publishers of the Hays Free Press; Jen Biundo is the editor.
