The event also featured their 2017 IAPME Journalism Contest awards ceremony.
Kokomo Tribune won a staff award for Third Place for Best Spot News Coverage.
Kokomo Tribune competed in Division 2, which covers newspapers with daily circulations of 20,000 to 49,999.
The Kokomo Tribune was honored for the entry "Tornadoes Tear through Area." Here are the judges' notes:
"Tornadoes can't be planned for, nor can the damage that ensues. Great job with a ton of coverage for the next day. Nice going."
I contributed the following stories to our coverage:
Here is a cellphone video from that day of the Markland Mall Starbucks being destroyed: (Everyone inside was in the bathroom and survived.)
Aug. 24, 2016, when the tornadoes tore through town, Kokomo Tribune staff had to relocate to Logansport for the day to the Pharos-Tribune offices to complete the paper.
Kokomo convenient store running off generator -- and nothing will stop the production of the newspaper. pic.twitter.com/ZATooYruTy— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) August 25, 2016
Here is the Kokomo Tribune's story on the awards ceremony:
Tribune wins eight awards at contest
Indiana APME newspaper contest winners announced Friday
INDIANAPOLIS — The Kokomo Tribune won eight awards Friday at the Indiana Associated Press Media Editors newspaper contest.
The awards were announced at the annual APME awards banquet Friday in Indianapolis.
Forty newspapers submitted 697 entries in the contest, which featured news, feature, public affairs, investigative, sports and other reporting, as well as photography, video, and digital media. Newspapers entered work published in print or online in 2016, and the contest was judged by AP member editors in various states.
Kokomo Tribune staff were awarded third place in the Best Spot News Coverage category for "Tornadoes Tear through Area."
“Tornados can't be planned for, nor can the damage that ensues,” wrote the judges. “Great job with a ton of coverage for the next day. Nice going.”
Carson Gerber won second place in the Best Feature Writing category for “The Hammer Man.”
“An interesting story,” wrote the judges. “Every town has a ‘Hammer Man’ and the way you tell this particular tale of a collector of oddities is great.”
Lauren Slagter won third place in the Best Enterprise Reporting category for “New Era in Education.”
“Great job of giving your readers an informative look at the current state of education,” wrote the judges.
Cara Ball won first place in the Best Video category for “Cameron’s Story.”
“Revealing and intimate, with an eye for detail on a sensitive story,” wrote the judges.
Photographers Kelly Lafferty Gerber and Tim Bath won two awards each.
In the Best Spot News Photo category, Bath took home first place for “House Fire.”
“Fire photos are ubiquitous and often more smoke than fire,” wrote the judges. “Congratulations on capturing the flames in this one – and the firefighters in action.”
Bath also won second place in the same category for “Honoring Officer Koontz.”
“In a year of tragedies against law enforcement, this photo paints the picture of how difficult the job can be,” wrote the judges. “Great job by the photographer capturing a tasteful, respectful image. Your editor should be proud.”
Lafferty Gerber won second place in the Best Sports Photo category for “Victory and Defeat.”
“Emotion is everything: this is a great shot with both sides of the outcome expertly captured,” wrote the judges.
Lafferty Gerber also won third place in the Best Photo Story category for “August 2016 Tornado.”
“Destruction photos are sure to interest readers, but it's the emotion in the faces captured here that tells the story,” wrote the judges.
The entries were divided into three divisions. The Kokomo Tribune competed in Division II.
The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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You can download the PDF of the winners list here. And here's the longer Associated Press story including all the winners:
Winners Announced in 2016 Indiana APME Contest
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Winners have been announced in the Indiana Associated Press Media Editors (APME) newspaper contest.The awards were announced at the annual APME awards banquet Friday, May 5 in Indianapolis.
Forty newspapers submitted 697 entries in the contest, which featured news, feature, public affairs, investigative, sports and other reporting, as well as photography, video, and digital media. Newspapers entered work published in print or online in 2016, and the contest was judged by AP member editors in various states.
The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.
Winners List in Division III:
Best Spot News Coverage: 1, Jamie Duffy, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "Mother Held in Killing of 2 Kids"; 2, South Bend Tribune, "Record Rainfall, Massive Mess"; 3, Tony Cook, James Briggs, Chelsea Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, "Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Is Donald Trump's VP Pick."
Best Deadline Sports Story: 1, Kyle Neddenriep, The Indianapolis Star, "Fire Destroys Historic Gym, Burns Hole in Small Indiana Community"; 2, Greg Jones, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "Cougars Capture Crown"; 3, Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune, "Celebrating a Special Gift."
Best Feature Writing : 1, Robert King, The Indianapolis Star, "Paula Cooper: The Executioner Within"; 2, Mike Vorel, South Bend Tribune; 3, Joyce Russell, The Times of Northwest Indiana, "Porter County's Godpod Inmates Seek Redemption."
Best Non-Deadline Sports Story: 1, Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, "Exclusive: 2015 Investigation into Player Treatment Contributed to Kevin Wilson's Resignation"; 2, Mike Vorel, South Bend Tribune, "Finding Peace after Shattered Dream"; 3, Kyle Neddenriep, The Indianapolis Star, "The Toughest 16-Year Old You'll Ever Meet."
Best Column: 1, Suzette Hackney, The Indianapolis Star; 2, Virginia Black, South Bend Tribune; 3, Jerry Davich, Crown Point Post-Tribune.
Best Sports Column: 1, Gregg Doyel, The Indianapolis Star; 2, Mike Hutton, Crown Point Post-Tribune; 3, Steve Hanlon, The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Best Business Writing : 1, Tony Cook, The Indianapolis Star, "Carrier Corp."; 2, Erin Blasko, South Bend Tribune, "Tax Breaks Mostly on City's Edges"; 3, Ted Booker, South Bend Tribune, "Can Locked-Out Workers Recoup?."
Best Editorial Writer: 1, Ryan Reynolds, Evansville Courier & Press; 2, Tim Ethridge, Evansville Courier & Press; 3, Tim Harmon, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette.
Best Headline Writing : 1, Jeanette Lach, The Times of Northwest Indiana, "Chivalry, Relaxed, Ross, Hotrod"; 2, Corey McMaken, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "Honk If You're Glad Food Trucks Are Back"; 3, South Bend Tribune, "SBT Headlines."
Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Marisa Kwiatkowski, The Indianapolis Star, "Protecting Vulnerable Adults Is Time-Consuming Job"; 2, Giles Bruce, The Times of Northwest Indiana, "Dealing with Opioid Addiction in the Region"; 3, Erin Blasko, South Bend Tribune, "Tax Breaks Mostly on City's Edges."
Best Illustration or Graphic: 1, John Stump, South Bend Tribune, "A New Tower"; 2, Casey Major, South Bend Tribune, "Studebaker Fountain May Flow Again"; 3, Mike Hartz, Evansville Courier & Press, "Stemming Bee Slough's Stench."
Best Full Page Design: 1, Beatrice Chan, South Bend Tribune; 2, Allison Dale, South Bend Tribune; 3, South Bend Tribune.
Best Video: 1, Kelly Wilkinson, The Indianapolis Star, "A Mother's Grief"; 2, Mykal McEldowney, The Indianapolis Star, "Mickey Deputy's Quest to Be Queen."
Best Multimedia Storytelling: 1, Becky Malewitz, South Bend Tribune, "Cubs Pitchers Take on Senior Living"; 2, Becky Malewitz, South Bend Tribune, "The Bard Behind Bars: Bringing Shakespeare to Prisoners"; 3, Stephen Beard, Justin Mack, Stephanie Wang, The Indianapolis Star, "Surviving Thanksgiving with Family and Friends."
Best Digital Presence: 1, The Indianapolis Star; 2, South Bend Tribune; 3, The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Best Spot News Photo : 1, Jenna Watson, The Indianapolis Star, "Triple Murder"; 2, Alex Slitz, Evansville Courier & Press, "Five Displaced in West Side House Fire"; 3, Samuel Hoffman, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "Running for Cover."
Best Sports Photo : 1, Chad Ryan, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "Carroll Tennis Invitational Finals"; 2, Alex Slitz, Evansville Courier & Press, "State Track Finals"; 3, Robert Scheer, The Indianapolis Star, "Character on the Mound."
Best Feature Photo: 1, Alex Slitz, Evansville Courier & Press, "A Neighborly Stare Down"; 2, Robert Franklin, South Bend Tribune, "Dive!"; 3, Samuel Hoffman, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "No Gym Needed to Get Sweat On."
Best Photo Story: 1, Mykal McEldowney, The Indianapolis Star, "Mickey Deputy's Quest to Be Queen"; 2, Michael Caterina, Robert Franklin, Becky Malewitz, South Bend Tribune, "Berrien County Courthouse Grieves after Double Murder"; 3, Rachel Von, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "Band of Brothers Lays to Rest Homeless Veteran."
Best Public Service : 1, Bob Heisse and Summer Moore, The Times of Northwest Indiana, "Civility Counts"; 2, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette, "We're Hooked on a Killer/Fighting Addiction from Birth"; 3, Mark Alesia, Tim Evans, Marisa Kwiatkowski, The Indianapolis Star, "A Blind Eye to Sex Abuse: How USA Gymnastics Failed to Report Cases."
Best Investigative Reporting : 1, John Tuohy and Tony Cook, The Indianapolis Star, "Left in the Dark Series"; 2, Bill Dolan, The Times of Northwest Indiana, "Union Leader Gets Second OWI Break"; 3, Virginia Black, South Bend Tribune, "Profits over Prisoners?."
General Excellence: 1, The Indianapolis Star; 2, South Bend Tribune; 3, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette.
Winners List in Division II:
Best Spot News Coverage: 1, Douglas Walker and Jordan Kartholl, The (Muncie) Star Press, "Shooting in Muncie"; 2, Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Kristi Redmon Slaying"; 3, Kokomo Tribune, "Tornadoes Tear through Area."
Best Deadline Sports Story: 1, Dakota Crawford, The (Muncie) Star Press, "2,092 and Counting"; 2, Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Heartbreaking Loss Won't Define Griffith"; 3, George Bremer and Staff, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Basketball State Finals."
Best Feature Writing : 1, Navar Watson, Marion Chronicle-Tribune, "Searching for a Father"; 2, Carson Gerber, Kokomo Tribune, "The Hammer Man"; 3, Rebecca Bibbs, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Defeating Dyslexia, Seat Time, ACS."
Best Non-Deadline Sports Story: 1, Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Purdue Swimmer on Top after Anorexia, Injuries"; 2, Jon Blau, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Title IX"; 3, Jonathan Streetman, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Bucket Brigade."
Best Column: 1, Kelly Hawes, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin; 2, Ken de la Bastide, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin; 3, Douglas Walker and Keith Roysdon, The (Muncie) Star Press.
Best Sports Column: 1, Jeff LaFave, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "A Walk in My Father's Size 17 Shoes"; 2, Jeremy Price, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Hoosier Columns"; 3, Reggie Hayes, The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel, "It's a Family Affair/Ali Was Here/DeKalb Football Fights through the Tears."
Best Business Writing : 1, Christopher Stephens, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Ball Game, Happy Trails, Steeled for Success"; 2, Mickey Shuey, Richmond Palladium-Item; 3, Bill Strother, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Room to Grow."
Best Editorial Writer: 1, Robert Zaltsberg, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "That Scent in the Air Carries a Hint of Conflict"; 2, Scott Miley, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Bingo, Tickets to Salvation, Westvale"; 3, Scott Underwood, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Broderick Continues, AHS Coach, First Amendment."
Best Headline Writing : 1, Penny Reid, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times; 2, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin; 3, Lafayette Journal & Courier.
Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Kelly Dickey, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Homeless Kids"; 2, Rebecca Bibbs, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Sundown Towns"; 3, Lauren Slagter, Kokomo Tribune, "New Era in Education."
Best Illustration or Graphic: 1, Heather Bremer, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Picture of Health: Tobacco, Drug and Alcohol rates"; 2, Andrew Scheiderich, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Sold For Sex"; 3, Bill Thornbro, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Celebrate Safely: Fireworks."
Best Full Page Design: 1, Andrea Brunty, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "TGIF"; 2, Andrew Scheiderich, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Sunday"; 3, Andrew Scheiderich, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Enterprise."
Best Video: 1, Cara Ball, Kokomo Tribune, "Cameron's Story"; 2, Chris Howell, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "IU Players Tour Alcatraz"; 3, Heather Bremer, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "The Evolution of Franklin Nunn."
Best Multimedia Storytelling: 1, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Picture of Health"; 2, Heather Bremer and Staff, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "Two Teams. One County. One Goal. Win State"; 3, John Terhune, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Storm Damage."
Best Digital Presence: 1, Lafayette Journal & Courier; 2, Heather Bremer and Staff, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin; 3, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times.
Best Spot News Photo : 1, Tim Bath, Kokomo Tribune, "House Fire"; 2, Tim Bath, Kokomo Tribune, "Honoring Officer Koontz"; 3, Jordan Kartholl, The (Muncie) Star Press, "Standoff to Rescue."
Best Sports Photo : 1, Jordan Kartholl, The (Muncie) Star Press, "Sunny Shot Put"; 2, Kelly Lafferty Gerber, Kokomo Tribune, "Victory and Defeat"; 3, Chris Howell, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Mustang Leap."
Best Feature Photo: 1, Joseph C. Garza, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, "Medals"; 2, Tyler Stewart, Jeffersonville News and Tribune, "Flushed Out"; 3, Jordan Kartholl, The (Muncie) Star Press, "Central Graduation."
Best Photo Story: 1, Chris Howell, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Music Educator"; 2, Jordan Kartholl, The (Muncie) Star Press, "Dogs Rescued"; 3, Kelly Lafferty Gerber, Kokomo Tribune, "August 2016 Tornado."
Best Public Service : 1, Tyler Juranovich and Dave Penticuff, Marion Chronicle-Tribune, "Sunshine on the Growth Council"; 2, Ben Quiggle, The Elkhart Truth, "Cassopolis Street Safety"; 3, Millicent Martin Emery, Richmond Palladium-Item, "12 Months of Giving."
Best Investigative Reporting : 1, Rebecca Bibbs, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin, "State of Crisis"; 2, Joseph Paul, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Crime Shows Troubling Rise in Lafayette"; 3, Lauren Bavis, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times, "Left Behind."
General Excellence: 1, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin; 2, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times; 3, Lafayette Journal & Courier.
Winners List in Division I:
Best Spot News Coverage: 1, Ivy Jacobs, Frank Phillips and Pete Wilson, Brazil Times, "Woman, 2 Children Die in House Fire"; 2, Christina Seiler, The Rochester Sentinel, "Big Fire Burns 3 Structures; Iowan Helps Rescue Couple"; 3, Katie Clontz, The (New Castle) Courier-Times, "Inmates Start Fire at Henry County Jail."
Best Deadline Sports Story: 1, Carey Fox, Brazil Times, "Oh, What a Knight!"; 2, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Bader Earns Medal"; 3, Chris Schanz, Portland Commercial Review, "Regional Champs."
Best Feature Writing : 1, Mark Miller, Bluffton News-Banner, "20 Years Later, His Prayer Is Answered Every Day"; 2, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Will-ing to Serve"; 3, Makenzie Holland, Wabash Plain Dealer, "Life with a Service Dog: Hunter's Story."
Best Non-Deadline Sports Story: 1, Jeremy Hines, The (New Castle) Courier-Times, "Butler Basketball Star Remembers Fallen Teammate"; 2, Chris Schanz, Portland Commercial Review, "Kunkle Strong"; 3, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Sticking with the Game."
Best Column: 1, Steve Garbacz, The (Kendallville) News Sun, "The Garbacz Dump"; 2, Nathan Rubbelke, Portland Commercial Review, "Grandmas Inspired Fighting Spirit/Trump Strikes Different Tone"; 3, Mike Marturello, The (Angola) Herald Republican, "Nice Beat; Show Some Respect; Habitat Build."
Best Sports Column: 1, Val Tsoutsouris, The Rochester Sentinel, "Shafer's Smile Recalled/A Tribute to Scott Bibler"; 2, Chris Schanz, Portland Commercial Review, "Culture Evolving for the Indians/Patriot Defense Getting Praise"; 3, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Players, Coach Reflect on Key Play/Senior Cousins Set Bar High."
Best Business Writing : 1, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "A Second Wind"; 2, Daniel Thompson, Monticello Herald Journal, "Public House Offers Residents Home-Cooked Meal While Out on the Town."
Best Editorial Writer: 1, Gayle Robbins, Vincennes Sun-Commercial, "Dear Mike: Do What's Right for Indiana"; 2, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Grease the Skids for Future Shows/Credit Portland for Positive Change"; 3, Lois Tomaszewski, The Peru Tribune, "Peru's Power Plant/Where Did Pride in Workmanship Go?."
Best Headline Writing : 1, Dave Schultz, Bluffton News-Banner; 2, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review.
Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Jessica Williams, Bluffton News-Banner, "Heroin Must Have an Unbelievable Grip on People"; 2, Caitlin Sievers, Rensselaer Republican, "Beloved Elm Dying"; 3, Steve Garbacz, The (Kendallville) News Sun, "The (Too) Big House."
Best Illustration or Graphic: 1, Kevin Burkett, Logansport Pharos-Tribune, "Indiana History/Pearl Harbor."
Best Full Page Design: 1, Kevin Burkett, Logansport Pharos-Tribune, "Indiana History/Pearl Harbor"; 2, Erin Doucette, The (Kendallville) News Sun, "Star Wars"; 3, Erin Doucette, The (Auburn) Star, "Adult Coloring."
Best Video: 1, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Portland Water Park Tour"; 2, Mike Marturello, The (Angola) Herald Republican, "Lake George Retreat Fire"; 3, Bluffton News-Banner, "Wells County Celebrates Indiana's Bicentennial."
Best Multimedia Storytelling: 1, Bluffton News-Banner, "Wells County Celebrates Indiana's Bicentennial."
Best Digital Presence: 1, Portland Commercial Review; 2, The (Linton) Greene County Daily World.
Best Spot News Photo : 1, Caitlin Sievers, Rensselaer Republican, "Blizzard"; 2, Jessica Williams, Bluffton News-Banner, "850N Fatal Wreck"; 3, Mike Marturello, The (Angola) Herald Republican, "Lake George Retreat Fire."
Best Sports Photo : 1, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Fight to the Finish"; 2, Chris Schanz, Portland Commercial Review, "Forearm to the Face"; 3, Garet Cobb, The (Bedford) Times-Mail, "Celebrate."
Best Feature Photo: 1, Garet Cobb, The (Bedford) Times-Mail, "Wide Eyed"; 2, Glen Werling, Bluffton News-Banner, "The Donut Drops"; 3, Ray Cooney, Portland Commercial Review, "Super Oliver."
Best Public Service : 1, Sabrina Stockrahm, The (Linton) Greene County Daily World, "BPD Focus on Training"; 2, Amy Oberlin, The (Angola) Herald Republican, "Standing Rock"; 3, The (Linton) Greene County Daily World, "Linton Miner Football Special Section."
Best Investigative Reporting : 1, James Sprague, Connersville News-Examiner, "The History of Hoffman"; 2, Caleb Bauer, Portland Commercial Review, "Issues Went Beyond Conflict"; 3, Amy Oberlin, The (Angola) Herald Republican, "Angola High School Speech Coach."
General Excellence: 1, Portland Commercial Review; 2, Bluffton News-Banner; 3, The (Angola) Herald Republican.
Winners List in All Divisions:
Kent Cooper Award: 1, Robert King, The Indianapolis Star, "Paula Cooper: The Executioner Within"; 2, Bob Heisse and Summer Moore, The Times of Northwest Indiana, "Civility Counts"; 3, Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier, "Purdue Swimmer on Top after Anorexia, Injuries."