Staff Report
For the fourth year in a row, the Hays Free Press has been named best in its class in the state by the Texas Press Association.
The announcement of the sweepstakes win was made a week ago at the state convention in Austin.
The newspaper won sweepstakes by winning the most categories. The Hays Free Press was awarded first place in Editorial Writing, Headline Writing and Page Design, second place in Column Writing, Feature Photography and Sports Coverage and fourth place in Feature Writing.
In column writing, HFP’s columnist Clint Younts entertained the judge, who said, “Clint’s humor is infectious.” His entry included columns from 2014, including “Play now, Pay later” and “Aw, baby, it’s cold up there.”
In feature photography, Moses Leos III won accolades from the judge for his photos on “Remembering the fallen” and “Santa arrives, city lights up.”
The judge wrote, “The gravesite photo is touching. In addition, the photographer should be commended for finding a different take on the usual kids in front of the tree photo.”
Winning first in page design, David White and Christine Thorpe were honored with comments. “Not a single weak spot in the entire entry. Every page is very readable, and I like the clean, modern typography… In sports, the three-photo progression of the slide is both creative and informative. I also like the cutout on the feature pages because it provides a different more casual feel that’s fitting for that section.”
Other newspapers in Division 7, which included medium-sized weekly publications, included The Community News, Sealy News, Big Bend Sentinel, Bandera Bulletin, Freestone County Times, Medine Valley Times, Cuero Record, Clifton Record and The Three Rivers Progress.
