The Cincinnati chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists presented its highest honor, the Gerald White Memorial Prize, to Cincinnati Enquirer reporterTom O'Neill at its annual banquet Friday at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

        Mr. O'Neill was honored for his investigative package “Young Blood on the Road,” detailing a rash of fatal crashes by teens.

        Judges praised his enterprise, initiative and depth of research.

O'Neill

        The award is named after the late Gerald White, an investigative reporter for the Enquirer.

        Overall, the Cincinnati SPJ chapter presented awards in 35 daily and nondaily news writing, feature writing, opinion writing, graphics and photography categories. More than 300 entries were submitted by journalists from Northern Kentucky to Dayton, Ohio. The Enquirer collected 24 awards, including six first-place honors. Winners were:

        • Deadline/Spot News, Daily

        Award of Excellence: Staff, for “Grief Pours Forth, Questions Linger.”

        Third Place: Staff, for Ken Griffey Jr. signing.

        • Enterprise/Database Reporting, Daily

        Award of Merit: Mr. O'Neill, “Young Blood on the Road.”

        Honorable Mention: Tim Bonfield, “Nowhere to Turn.”

        • Beat Coverage, Daily

        Award of Merit: Dan Horn.

        Third Place: Mr. Bonfield.

        • Continuing Coverage, Daily

       Honorable Mention, Mr. Horn, Probation Troubles.

        • Sports Coverage

        Third Place, John Erardi.

        • Sports Feature, Daily

        Award of Merit, Mr. Erardi.

        • Opinion Writing, Daily

        Award of Excellence, Cliff Radel.

        Third Place, Patricia Gallagher Newberry.

        • Short Story

        Award of Merit, William A. Weathers, “Hometown Hero.”

        • Personality Profile

        Award of Merit (tie), Janice Morse,“Coroner has High Standards.”

        • Long News Feature

        Award of Excellence, Mr. Horn, “The Test of Her Life.”

        • Short News Feature

        Honorable Mention, Kristina Goetz, “Beyond Coal.”

        • Lifestyle Feature

        Award of Excellence, John Johnston, “HoopDreamers.” Award of Merit, Richelle Thompson, “The State of Matrimony.”

        Third Place, Ms. Thompson, “The Gospel According to Andy Griffith.”

        • Arts and Entertainment Feature

        Third Place, Janelle Gelfand, "Stradivarius? No, it's a Gray.”

        • Arts and Entertainment Criticism

        Third Place, Margaret A. McGurk.

        • Business Coverage

        Award of Excellence, Amy Higgins and Cliff Peale, “The Ivory Towers.”

        • News/Feature Headlines

        Third Place, Jack Cannon, “Scientists: Keep using gray matter as you gray.”

        Honorable Mention, Mr. Cannon, “Bittersweet end: Clifton bakery to close after 73 years.”

        • Editorial Cartoons

        Award of Excellence, Jim Borgman.

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