Sentinel wins 10 awards in Kentucky Press Association contest

Feb. 1—When the Kentucky Press Association awards for 2022 were announced Friday evening, the Sentinel Echo fared well — earning 10 awards.

Staff Writer Nita Johnson won a first place award in the Breaking News category. The entry chosen was Johnson's story on the Laurel County School District establishing their own police department.

The saga of city tourism commission's funds and unauthorized expenditures by London Mayor Troy Rudder was the entry for the Best Ongoing/Extended Coverage category which earned Johnson a 3rd place award.

The judges wrote: "The Sentinel-Echo performed the public service that makes the press most important watchdog of elected officials. The staff was able to pull back the covers of secrecy and potential criminal activities of London's troubled city council and tourism board. The volume coverage and details leaves no stone unturned and should empower the public — and law enforcement — to respond accordingly and demand transparency and accountable along with resignations and both ethical and criminal charges."

That entry included the audit report of city government and city tourism, which cited numerous discrepancies including nepotism, bonuses for city employees prohibited under state law, use of city property for personal business, lack of a uniform pay scale and pay grade for city employees and unauthorized expenditures of tourism funds by the mayor. That audit report was named in a complaint to the City Ethics Board which first ruled the complaint out of its jurisdiction. That decision was later recanted but the complaint was dismissed for lacking in the basis of evidence for the complaint.

Johnson also received a 2nd place award for Best Enterprise or Analytical Story for the teacher tenure case of former South Laurel High art teacher Roger Smith. Smith lost in local courts but appealed the case to the Kentucky Supreme Court, which ruled in Smith's favor on the basis of establishing tenure.

The judges wrote: "Nita Johnson provided her audience with a careful review of the legal case of South Laurel High School art teacher Roger Smith. It has been a complicated case to cover, given the different rulings by judges. Johnson's story provided her readers with a recap and update of the key decisions and recognizing that the case has statewide implications."

Two photos were also recognized as award-winning quality by Johnson, who won 2nd place in the Best Feature Picture of a boy's facial expression during a limbo contest at Red White & Boom. A 3rd place award in the Best General News came from a photo of a young boy's expression after discovering his entry into the Egg Drop contest at the World Chicken Festival had survived the 30-foot drop onto the pavement.

"There isn't a journalist anywhere who's more dedicated to their community than Nita Johnson," Editor Janie Slaven said. "She sets a high bar not only for keeping local officials honest but also for her commitment to highlighting community functions that give Laurel County citizens an opportunity to shine."

Nighttime Editor Brad Hall also won several awards in the 2022 KPA contest. Hall, who designs pages for both the Sentinel Echo and Times Tribune, received the 1st and 2nd place award for Best Headline Writer. The 1st place award entry featured front page stories about local people assisting eastern Kentucky flood victims — including a story about the Sentinel Echo's Media Specialist Jessie Eldridge taking in her grandmother whose home was flooded. Hall's crafty headline writing took the 2nd place award for "The Road to Recovery" headline.

Hall also took a 2nd place award for Best Front Page with judges commenting: "Your front page has a good mix of local news, hard news and school. You have a good use of your space with what's inside teasers. Good use of pull out quotes."

"Brad's eye for graphic design is unmatched," Slaven said. "When paired with his clever wordplay in headlines, his work is key to showcasing the Sentinel's coverage — making it the epitome of a community newspaper."

The Sentinel Echo staff also won a 3rd place award for Best Special Section/Best Sports Special Section for their 2022 Unsung Heroes issue, which the judges called a "Wonderful magazine!"

"During a year of numerous staff changes, Nita Johnson and Brad Hall continue to be institutions at the Sentinel-Echo," Publisher Mark Walker said. "I'm very proud of their hard work and dedication. Nita has always done a great job keeping the community informed when it comes to local government. Brad's keen eye and design skills offer our readers an enjoyable experience. We are lucky to have them."

The magazine featured not only the talents of Johnson and Hall but also those of former staffers Jarrod Mills, Emily Adams-Bentley and editor Erin Cox.

The Times Tribune won several awards as well, starting with 2nd place for Best Special Section for its Thank a Farmer magazine — which included a story on London native David Wesley and his gardening and vineyard produce.

The Times Tribune also won 3rd place in General Excellence with Hall winning a 1st place, two 2nd place and one 3rd place award. Slaven also won a 2nd place award for Best Breaking News Coverage.

Several former Sentinel Echo and Times Tribune employees also won awards from their current newspaper employment. Former Sports Editor/Editor Denis House won two 1st place awards for his work as Editor/Reporter at the Lebanon Enterprise. Peter Zubaty, former sports writer for the Sentinel Echo, won numerous awards for the Kentucky Standard, while former graphic designer/advertising specialist James Marcum, now publisher and designer for the Jackson County Sun, took home several awards.

Cole Parke, who interned for The Sentinel Echo/Times Tribune last summer, won a 1st place award for the Kentucky Kernel and also shared in the Times' staff award for "Thank a Farmer." Former Times Tribune sports editor and Sentinel Echo editor Mike Moore won a 2nd place award for the Berea Citizen. Timothy Wyatt, formerly with the Times Tribune and now with the Corbin News Journal, received numerous awards including a 1st place for his story ledes.

This year's KPA contest was judged by the Oklahoma Press Association. The judging varies from state to state each year with industry professionals judging the entries.