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O-R editorial staff wins statewide, regional awards

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Celeste Van Kirk’s award-winning photo from the 2016 DockDogs Show at Noble J. Dick Aquatorium in Monongahela.

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Katie Roupe’s award-winning photo from the 2016 Pony World Series

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Barbara S. Miller

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A. Parker Burroughs

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Rick Shrum

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Celeste Van Kirk

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Brad Hundt

The Observer-Reporter came out on top at the Golden Quill awards Thursday night at the Sheraton Station Square, Pittsburgh.

The Mental Health Matters series examining health issues and delivery services in Washington and Greene counties won the prestigious Ray Sprigle Best of Show Award for newspapers under 45,000 circulation. The series additionally won in the enterprise/investigative category and captured Best Multimedia/Multiplatform in the digital category.

The Observer-Reporter editorial staff has won numerous statewide and regional awards, including five Golden Quill awards presented Thursday.

Staff writer Barbara S. Miller won General Feature for her story, “Never Forgotten,” which shared the story, spanning two continents, of a Peters Township woman who had only recently learned the details surrounding her brother’s death while serving in World War II in Europe.

Staff writer Rick Shrum won in the Business/Technology/Consumer category for “Down on the Farm,” which provided an account of the state of farming in Washington and Greene counties.

Retired executive editor Park Burroughs’ “Mercy Has a Human Heart” series won in the History category. The weekly series told of the 100-year-old murder trial of Lillian Roupe and was based on old newspaper articles, court records, legal documents and genealogical resources.

Editorial page editor Brad Hundt won for editorial writing.

In the Feature Photography and Videography category, staff photographer Celeste Van Kirk won with her “Dog-Beat-Dog” photo, captured at a DockDogs competition.

Best Multimedia/Multiplatform went to the staff for “Officer Killed,” about the death of Canonsburg police officer Scott Bashioum’s death.

The Golden Quills contest recognizes professional excellence in written, photographic, illustration, broadcast and online journalism in Western Pennsylvania and nearby counties in Ohio and West Virginia.

The newspaper also won nine Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors awards and two Keystone Press awards. The awards were presented last weekend in Lancaster at the Pennsylvania Press Conference, sponsored by the Pennsylvania News Media Association.

First-place PAPME awards were presented to:

Regional editor Mike Jones and staff writers Katie Anderson and Bob Niedbala for Best Enterprise Reporting with “Greene County Miners Facing Difficult Times,” a series on the state of coal mining in Greene County;

Staff for Best General News Reporting for “Officer Killed,” coverage of the death of Canonsburg police officer Scott Bashioum;

Shrum for Best Business Writing for “Down on the Farm”;

Van Kirk for Best Feature Photo for “Dog-Beat-Dog World”;

Photographer Katie Roupe for Best Sports Photo for “That Sinking Feeling”;

Staff for Best Long Video for “Saying Goodbye to Scott Bashioum.”

Second-place PAPME awards were presented in the following categories:

Best Public Service – Staff, “Mental Health Matters” series;

General Excellence – Staff, Digital Presentation;

Best Multimedia Storytelling – Staff, “Funeral for Scott Bashioum.”

In the Keystone Press Awards contest, Van Kirk won first place in the News Photo category with “Dog-Beat-Dog World.”

Van Kirk, Roupe and digital news director Nick Kratsas received honorable mention in the video story category with “Saying Goodbye to Scott Bashioum.”

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