'Black Snow' leads way as Palm Beach Post staffers receive honors for their work in 2021
Journalists from The Palm Beach Post have recently won about a dozen awards on the national, regional and state levels for their work in 2021.
Several went to The Post's and ProPublica's series on sugar cane burning, already a Pulitzer finalist, and its effects on residents in the Glades region in western Palm Beach County. Recently, the series won a National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence award, announced Aug. 9.
"Black Snow" by former Post investigative reporter Lulu Ramadan and Maya Miller, Ash Ngu and Nadia Sussman of ProPublica also won two Green Eyeshade awards — first place for Public Service in Daily Journalism and third place for investigative reporting among large daily newspapers. Journalism from 11 states in the southern U.S. vie for Green Eyeshade Awards.
Read the investigation: Here are the first 2 parts of the Black Snow sugar cane burning series, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
Also: Sugar cane fire pollution kills up to three South Floridians yearly, study finds
Glades residents left behind: Nikki Fried’s ‘changes’ to cane burning served only Big Sugar
The Post took eight awards, announced Saturday, in the Sunshine State contest. Half were either first place or special awards.
Black Snow won the prestigious James Batten Award for Public Service.
Jane Musgrave wins 2 top awards — for legal, COVID coverage
Staff writer Jane Musgrave won first place in the Sunshine State awards for superior coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Palm Beach County.
More of Musgrave's work in 2021
Conspiracy charges. Executive promises. How a Jupiter company is involved in a federal probe
Ivermectin: Judge rejects husband's attempt to force hospital to use ivermectin to treat COVID
The veteran courts reporter also has been honored by The Florida Bar, which awarded her first place in the print category of the Parker Thomson awards for outstanding legal journalism. She won for her coverage of a husband trying to force a hospital into giving his dying wife ivermectin, a drug unapproved to treat COVID, and a judge caught between law and medicine.
Tony Doris, now editorial page editor of The Post, won first place for environment, science and technology beat reporting for his story, "Top Florida wildlife official wants to fill, build on lagoon where turtles, manatees roam."
More of Doris' work
Impact: Many want State Wildlife chair to resign or stop plans to fill his land off Singer Island
More impact: Wildlife chief says he'll drop lagoon development plan and will sell Singer Island land
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Staff writer Hal Habib, a veteran reporter in The Post's sports department, won first place for sports beat reporting.
More of Habib's work:
Black players Dolphins: One year in Miami: The story of the first Black players on the Dolphins
Dick Stockton retiring: Boca Raton's retiring sportscaster Dick Stockton shined by letting games be the real stars
Deshaun Watson: Don't touch the guy: Habib: With fallout of sexual assault right up the road, Dolphins must hit pause on Watson
Former Post investigative reporter John Pacenti and current investigative editor Holly Baltz were finalists in the Excellence in Social Justice Reporting category for their story about a Palm Beach County OB/GYN who over a 33-year career had seriously injured 14 patients, including six who died, and the medical disciplinary system in Florida that allowed this to go on. Those who were hurt or killed were chiefly mothers and children under his care. Twice he botched circumcisions. Many of these patients were on Medicaid.
Staff writer Mike Diamond took third place in the Data Reporting category for his story "Dangerous Lags in Emergency Response Times."
Editorial writer Douglas Lyons took third place for Editorial Writing and Sonja Isger also finished third in Education Beat Reporting.
Holly Baltz is the investigations and schools editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@pbpost.com. Support local investigative journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 'Black Snow' leads way as Post staffers honored for their work in 2021
