Apr 19, 2013 2 min read

1 / 10

Jon Stevens

2 / 10

Aaron Kendeall

3 / 10

Park Burroughs

4 / 10

Karen Mansfield

5 / 10

Andy McNeil

6 / 10

Brad Hundt

7 / 10

Scott Beveridge

8 / 10

Jim McNutt

9 / 10

Joe Tuscano

10 / 10

This photograph of Whitney Klages with her mother won first place in the Pennsylvania Associated Press Photography competition in the Portrait/Personality category, and the photo story of Whitney won honorable mention in the Pennsylvania Keystone Press competition in the photo story category. Whitney Klages has undergone 15 surgeries in her four short years. She is a daughter of Barry and Amanda Klages of Canton Township.

Jim McNutt / Observer-Reporter

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The Observer-Reporter has won four statewide awards for writing and photography.

Park Burroughs, retired executive editor, won a first-place Keystone Press Award for his series “A Death in the Lyric,” a six-part weekly serial that told the tragic tale of Frances Martin’s troubled life and the profound effects her death would have on so many for years to come.

Assistant sports editor Joe Tuscano won a first-place award for “No Slowing Down,” the story of a local great-grandmother who competes in triathlons.

Jim McNutt received an honorable mention for his photo, “Strength of Spirit.” McNutt also received a first-place award for the same photo in the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors News Excellence contest.

Winners will receive their awards May 17 and 18 at the Pennsylvania Press Conference in Harrisburg.

The staff also received nominations for the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania’s Golden Quill Awards.

Burroughs was nominated in the category of History/Culture Article or Series for “A Death in the Lyric.”

Tuscano received a nomination in the Sports Article or Series category for “Harnessing History,” for his coverage of Dave Palone becoming the winningest harness driver.

Staff writer Scott Beveridge and former staff writer Andy McNeil were nominated in the Enterprise/Investigative Article or Series category for “California University Finances Under Investigation.”

Beveridge and Karen Mansfield, staff writer, were nominated in the Spot/Breaking News category for their coverage of the death of Tim McNerney: “W&J Student Killed in City” and “Butler Man’s Life Memorialized by Friends, Family.”

Mansfield was also nominated in the Feature Article or Series category for her series of personality profiles, “Tales We Tell.”

Editorial page editor Brad Hundt was nominated in the Editorials category for “Specter Remembered for Independent Ways” and others. Greene County Bureau Chief Jon Stevens was nominated in the same category for “Unselfish Volunteers Make a Community” and others.

Staff writer Aaron Kendeall was nominated in the Online/e-Media category for Community Engagement News for his coverage of “W&J Community Remembers McNerney.”

The winners will be announced May 13 at the annual Golden Quills banquet in Pittsburgh.