Citizen Times journalists honored by NC Press Association, SPJ for outstanding work

Staff Reports
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Citizen Times Investigations Editor Karen Chávez and Investigative Reporter Joel Burgess were honored Aug. 25 for outstanding journalism at the N.C. Press Association Convention and Awards Banquet in Raleigh.
Citizen Times Investigations Editor Karen Chávez and Investigative Reporter Joel Burgess were honored Aug. 25 for outstanding journalism at the N.C. Press Association Convention and Awards Banquet in Raleigh.

RALEIGH - The Asheville Citizen Times and its affiliated Western North Carolina newspapers were honored Aug. 25 with six awards during the 149th North Carolina Press Association annual convention in Raleigh.

NCPA members were honored for excellence in news and advertising coverage. The peer-reviewed contest is one of the largest in the nation with over 4,000 entries submitted by more than 125 newspapers and news organizations, according to the NCPA.

Citizen Times Investigations Editor Karen Chávez won two first-place awards and Investigative Reporter Joel Burgess took home a second-place award. Michael VanGorder and Marilyn Parnell won a first-place award in the advertising division for “Western North Carolina High School Football.”

Black Mountain News and (Madison County) News-Record & Sentinel also each won an advertising award.

"The NCPA awards and Karen's recent SPJ award signify that our decision to chart a course for investigations even while we're making hard staffing decisions was the absolute best decision," said Executive Editor Jewell Walston, who has been the newspaper's leader the past two years.

"And that we have two well-respected journalists, veterans, to boot, representing our paper with dogged work says we'll be on this right path for years to come. Congratulations to them both."

The Citizen Times competes in a division with the largest daily newspapers in the state, including the Charlotte Observer, Raleigh News & Observer, and Wilmington Star-News.

Chávez, who has worked as a reporter and editor for the Citizen Times for 22 years, won a first place in General News Reporting for her series on Asheville School sexual assaults.

Read the latest: More Asheville School alumni claim sexual abuse as SBI investigation enters 2nd year

Asheville School, a private boarding high school in West Asheville founded in 1900, is under investigation by the N.C. SBI for claims of sexual abuse of students and cover-up by faculty and administration.
Asheville School, a private boarding high school in West Asheville founded in 1900, is under investigation by the N.C. SBI for claims of sexual abuse of students and cover-up by faculty and administration.

Her coverage began in fall 2020 when a teenage girl reported to Asheville police that she had been sexually assaulted as a freshman on the campus of Asheville School, one of the most expensive private prep schools in the country. Chávez’s dogged reporting followed the school’s questionable Title IX investigation, subsequent lawsuits filed by alumni for sexual abuse and cover-up by the school, and the current investigation of Asheville School by the SBI ordered by the attorney general.

Read Asheville School sexual assault series:

Teen says sex assault happened at elite Asheville School

Asheville School Title IX sexual assault investigation had 'indelible taint,' says alumni group

5th sexual abuse lawsuit filed against Asheville School; former teacher says he's innocent

Asheville School alumni to pull support if amends aren't made in alleged sexual assaults

Asheville School now under criminal investigation by SBI for allegations of sexual assault

Chávez also won first place in City, County Government Reporting for her series chronicling the removal from office of Greg Newman, who had been the district attorney for Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties for eight years. His mishandling of child rape and other sexual assault cases, lying to victims and judges, a stayed law license suspension by the N.C. Bar and other malfeasance led to his being the first district attorney in WNC removed for “willful misconduct in office” and “conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the office into disrepute” under an obscure state law.

Former District Attorney Greg Newman listens to testimony from Superior Court judge Athena Brooks on Monday, April 12, 2021. Newman was subsequently removed from office for willful misconduct in office and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Former District Attorney Greg Newman listens to testimony from Superior Court judge Athena Brooks on Monday, April 12, 2021. Newman was subsequently removed from office for willful misconduct in office and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The Greg Newman series also earned Chávez a second place in Deadline Reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2022 Green Eyeshade Awards, which honors the best reporting in 11 Southern states.

Read: Henderson County District Attorney Greg Newman removed from office

DA Newman: Efforts to remove him from office might 'impact' Asheville School sex assault case

Child rape survivor claims she is revictimized when Henderson DA lied, dropped charges

Families of alleged rape, murder victims try to remove DA Greg Newman for 'unrepentant misconduct'

Greg Newman removal hearing closing remarks: DA showed 'willful misconduct,' poor character

District Attorney Greg Newman removed from office; only 3rd removal in NC history

Burgess, who has covered government, politics and investigations for the Citizen Times for 15 years, won second place in Business Writing for “Asheville's COVID-19 economy.” He took an in-depth look at three companies to show how COVID-19 shutdowns affected the Asheville area economy in uneven ways: bringing ruin to some, stalling the plans of others and opening a few doors to unparalleled success.

Read: Asheville’s COVID-19 economy

In March 2020, many Asheville restaurants, like Curate, pictured, shut down as COVID began to spread. Curate has since reopened.
In March 2020, many Asheville restaurants, like Curate, pictured, shut down as COVID began to spread. Curate has since reopened.

Check out more award-winning, in-depth, accountability journalism, photos and video from all Citizen Times journalists at citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Citizen Times journalists honored by NC Press Association