Saturday, April 25, 1998
The Enquirer's coverage of 1997's spring floods along the Ohio River received top honors in the state in the annual Associated Press Society of Ohio contest Friday.
The Enquirer received three first-place awards, one second-place and one third-place honor for its coverage of the floods in competition among newspapers with circulation above 75,000. In all, the newspaper won 16 awards -- more than any of the other seven newspapers in its category. The total included five first-place honors.
Staff coverage of the floods received top honors in the breaking news category. The newspaper expanded its size and devoted most of its news staff to provide comprehensive coverage of the flooding, labeled "Rivers Unleashed."
In the breaking news category, the newspaper also won third place for staff coverage of the Comair plane crash in Michigan. Other first-place awards won by the Enquirer:
- Cliff Radel in the columns category for"The awe and the agony," published in a special flood section.
- The photo staff in the photo essay category for flood pictures.
- Glenn Hartong, in the general news photos category, for a photo called "Grieving for a fallen officer." Mr. Hartong also won third-place in the spot news category for a flood rescue photo.
- The staff for page one makeup.
Other awards won by the Enquirer:
- Second place in lifestyles: staff for "After-the-flood advice" section.
- Second place in features: Michael Perry for "Professor Prosser."
- Second place in editorials: Peter Bronson for "Separate unequal."
- Second place in editorial cartoons: Jim Borgman.
- Second place in feature photos: Steven M. Herppich for "The final touch" and third place to Saed Hindash for "Fly away hair."
- Third place in columns: Laura Pulfer for "Clara Swart."
- Honorable mention in illustrations: Rob Schuster for "Iceberg."
- Honorable mention for sports photos: Ernest Coleman for "Not falling down on the job."
Among other regional newspapers in the same circulation category, the Cincinnati Post won seven awards and the Dayton Daily News won 10 awards.
The contest attracted 2,740 entries from 73 Ohio newspapers. General excellence awards will be announced in Columbus June 14.
