The Times earns national, state awards for its work in 2022

Beaver County Times
·4 min read

HOPEWELL TWP. – The Times has again been honored for its journalistic achievements, earning four national and five statewide awards, as well as being a finalist for seven regional recognitions, for its work in 2022.

"It is incredibly satisfying for the staff that has worked so hard this last year through much adversity to see their efforts be appreciated on such a scale," Times editor Patrick O'Shea said.

"These awards reflect the incredible stories we told of people and places in the Beaver Valley," he said. "They honor not just this staff, but the community as a whole."

The Times' national honors kicked off this spring when former staff writer Noah Hiles' profile of Moon Area High School track star Mia Cochran, in which Hiles conducted his interviews while trying to keep up with her while running around the track, earned a fourth-place award in Division C Long Feature of the Associated Press Sports Editors competition. He earned two first-place votes in this extremely competitive division.

Hiles' also was one of three honored in the national Best of Gannett 2022 competition, for best sports story in Division IV, again for his story on Cochran. Organizers said, "In this innovative piece, Noah Hiles took a different tack to getting the story on a local track star who is notoriously reticent to speak with reporters. Noah trained himself and then conducted his interviews with one of the fastest young women in the nation while running aside her. This was the first chance most people got to see the real Mia Cochran for 'an insightful portrait into the complexities of a misunderstood student-athlete,' judges said."

Also taking home the prize in the Best of Gannett contest was Chrissy Suttles, who earned first place in Division IV for local reporting for "With Pa. plastics plant poised to open, residents decide: Stay or go?," which looked at the impacts of the chemicals plant finally opening after a 10-year journey. Judges said, "This comprehensive package was visually stunning and beautifully written and photographed. The work examined the possible financial, environmental and social impact of the facility opening in a small western Pennsylvania community along the Ohio River. It became the most successful story of the year for the Beaver County Times website. Judges said this work alone was worth the price of a subscription for a full year."

Earning the top prize in Division IV for investigative reporting in the Best of Gannett contest was Garret Roberts and former staff writer Dani Fitzgerald for "One Pill Can Kill.," a look at the deadly issue of fentanyl being combined with other drugs without the users knowing it. Judges said, "This article, which first appeared in January 2022, was one of the first to talk about the issue of fentanyl unsuspectedly being used as filler in many illegal pills, leading to thousands of overdose deaths. This topic is everywhere now and this story, which focused on the impact on two families from this tragic situation, spread quickly and was used throughout the USAT Network. After this story, state and federal officials began to pay more attention to the issue and released warnings. Great work by reporters Dani Fitzgerald and Garret Roberts."

Current and former Times staff members placed or won top honors in multiple competitions this year.
Current and former Times staff members placed or won top honors in multiple competitions this year.

On the state level, The Times has received the following nods in Division II of the Keystone Media Awards:

  • Investigative Reporting - Second Place - 'One Pill Can Kill': Two local families share the unexpected loss of their sons - Garret Roberts, Dani Fitzgerald

  • Enterprise Reporting - First Place - With Pa. plastics plant poised to open, residents decide: Stay or go? - Chrissy Suttles

  • Breaking News - Second Place - Western Pa. reacts to Roe v. Wade decision - Chrissy Suttles

  • Column - Second Place - Patrick O'Shea

  • Lifestyle/Entertainment Beat - First Place - Community Life - Scott Tady

The Times also was a seven-time finalist in the most recent Western Pennsylvania Press Club Golden Quills awards for Division II. Those honored were:

  • Excellence in Written Journalism - Enterprise/Investigative - With Pa. Plastics Plant Poised to Open, Residents Decide: Stay or Go? Chrissy Suttles

  • Public Affairs/Politics/ Government - Who's in Charge? Role of Mayor Challenged in Rochester - Garret Roberts

  • Medical/Health - ‘One Pill Can Kill’: Two Local Families Share the Unexpected Loss of Their Sons - Dani Fitzgerald and Garret Roberts

  • Science/Environment - With Pa. Plastics Plant Poised to Open, Residents Decide: Stay or Go? - Chrissy Suttles

  • History/Culture - World War II Veteran Shares Experience in Segregated Army, Move to Aliquippa for Opportunities - Garret Roberts

  • Lifestyle - Our Towns: Bridgewater Hopes to Become a ‘Destination Location’ for Western PA Nightlife - Parth Upadhyaya

  • Excellence in Audio Journalism - Sports - Beaver County Times' Sports Feature Series By Noah Hiles

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: The Times honored with national, state awards for its work in 2022