Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher - Better Newspaper Contest
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/425501
Page 33 Division 3 Headline Writing/Category 7 First place Frigid weather put crime rates on ice; Weighing in on weighted grades; Forum pools ideas on future facility Nicole Ott Minier & Christie Barkley Workman Columbia City Post & Mail Comments: Simply excellent headline writing. Nicely done. Second place Brit wins Tour de France with Froome to spare; Sharp Cyrus strikes out 6, shuts out Southwood; Wie is the champion: Ex-teen prodigy wins first career major Val Tsoutsouris The Rochester Sentinel Comments: Fun and creative use of names in headlines. Nice job. Third place These little piggies need permits; The hole truth; Stu- dents come out in (work) force Staff The Tribune (Seymour) Comments: Great feature headlines, and "These little piggies need permits" is really funny. Best Short Feature Story/Category 8 First place 'I love you bro' Lindsay Owens Washington Times-Herald Comments: Lindsay Owens made this judge just about cry with her story about a fifth-grader being honored by others for standing by his friend with cancer. The story was care- fully written, had a good lead and ending, and the writing demonstrated the reporter's good observation skills. It wasn't overwritten; instead it was spare and concise. Second place A day of lasts Lisa Perry The Courier-Times (New Castle) Comments: Lisa Perry took an ordinary-appearing assign- ment of a school closure and made it extraordinary with her clever and careful writing. Her lead paragraphs drew the reader into the story, and she balanced the beginning with a well-constructed middle and end, using just the right combi- nation of quotes and narrative. Third place Shoe on the other foot Donna Cronk The Courier-Times (New Castle) Comments: An unusual program was the subject of Donna Cronk's story. She highlighted a program in which caregivers and family members learn about dementia and its symptoms by experiencing them in a controlled setting. Cronk obtained excellent quotes and used them wisely in a well-structured story, that offered hope without preaching. The informational sidebar was excellent. Best Profile Feature/Category 9 First place Rinehart still cutting hair at 90 Jenny Peter-McNeece Vincennes Sun-Commercial Comments: Some wonderful storytelling and excellent writ- ing going on here. An outstanding job choosing just enough details to paint a picture that tickles the reader's senses (I could almost smell that goulash simmering) while capturing the essence of a slice of Americana. Jenny Peter-McNeese just became one of my favorite profile feature writers. Second place Pearl Harbor to Heron Hill Amy Oberlin Herald-Republican (Angola) Comments: This story was very well-done. Excellent writing and storytelling. Oberlin displays a talent for peeling back the layers of her subject, pulling the reader in with her choice of details and quotes. Third place Youthful a-Piehl Ray Cooney The Commercial Review (Portland) Comments: The writing pulled me into this piece from the first sentence. Cooney definitely has a knack for description that taps into all of the reader's senses. 'I love you bro' • Frigid weather put crime rates on ice • Weighing in on weighted grades • Forum pools ideas on future facility Nicole Ott Minier & Christie Barkley Workman Columbia City Post & Mail Rinehart still cutting hair at 90 Lindsay Owens Washington Times-Herald Zane Leake, 11, and Jacob Miller, 10, are best friends who share a special bond. Last year, Jacob was diagnosed with cancer, news that was devastating to Zane, who was still dealing with the loss of his cousin and other best friend, Memphis Riker. Memphis lost his battle after fighting cancer just over two years ago. "The first thing Zane asked was if Jacob was going to die like Memphis," said Tommi Hamilton, Zane's grandmother. "He really struggles with the loss of Memphis and now dealing with the thought Jacob going through this is so much for him." The Tuesday after Easter, both boys were outside playing when Jacob asked Zane to go get his mother. But instead of running back to the house, Zane did something very heroic. He told Jacob," I ain't going to leave you," and picked up his friend who had collapsed in a seizure then carried him back to the house. When they got to the house, Jacob was repeatedly saying, "I love you bro," to Zane. Hamilton said that at first, Tangie Miller, Jacob's mother, thought the boys were just playing. "Zane just sat there by his side weeping," said Hamilton, who works at the Daviess County Security Center. "I shared this story with Sheriff (Jerry) Harbstreit and he thought it would be nice to do something for Zane." And do something he did. Harbstreit was so inspired by Zane's bravery, he honored Zane with a plaque in recognition of friendship and leading to the finest act of bravery. "These little kids are heroes," said Harbstreit, speaking to standing-room only audience, his voice raw with emotion. "I love these little boys like they are my own family." Normally, the outgoing one of the two boys, Zane was stricken with emotion as Harbstreit told those in attendance what the fifth grader had done for his friend. "Zane isn't usually shy," said Hamilton, as Zane sat covering his face with his hands. "He really loves his friend. They have an amazing friendship." In fact, Zane cares so deeply about his friend, that just the other day Hamilton said he came from school For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on "Contests." Jenny Peter-McNeece Vincennes Sun-Commercial With a steady head – even at 90 years old – Ruel Rinehart can still give one of the best haircuts in town. Especially when you consider it's only $6. "A lot of people are having a tough time out there," Rinehart said over the hum of his clippers, the late morning sun beaming in through the windows of his small barber shop off the alley behind his house at 826 Seminary St. "A lot of people live off Social Security or disability or something like that. I feel sorry for them. "And I don't do this to make money," he said, his eyes focused on cutting the short, dark hair of one of his few female clients. "I just like the people." Rinehart is a vanishing breed. He still gives cheap haircuts to loyal clients who never need to bother with making appointments. A small red and white barber's pole marks the spot for two small parking places. If they're both full, come back another time, he says. Rinehart rises each morning, dresses, puts a pot of something delicious on the stove, and heads out to unlock the door to his shop, ready and waiting for whomever might come by in need of a trim and a shave. "The conversation is great, but it always smells wonderful in here," said his client as she rushed out the door. "He's always cooking up something delicious." "It's goulash today," he said with a smile and a sweep of his broom. Rinehart, a Vincennes native, entered barber school in Indianapolis upon returning from service in the U.S. Air Force during World War II: he'd served three years in England and another six months in Germany after D-Day. The son of a painter, Rinehart desired another trade, something else to occupy his time and provide for his wife, Betty Lou Robinson, and their two daughters. "I'm not sure why I chose to be a barber," he said matter-of-factly. "I guess I just thought it would be fun. "I thought about enrolling in beauty school, too. It was on another floor of the building I went to barber school in. But it was more expensive, took more time, and I had a wife and baby to get home and take care of." His first job as a barber was at the Grand Hotel at the corner of Third and Busseron streets where Old National Bank now stands. Giving 50-cent haircuts in late 1940s, he had a front- row seat to what many call Vincennes' most glorious years. "Downtown back then was booming," he said giving the word extra emphasis. "And the Grand Hotel was the place to be – doctors, lawyers, all kinds of For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on "Contests."