N&O and its community newspapers win 39 NC press awards

The News & Observer and its community newspapers won 39 awards from the North Carolina Press Association in its annual competition for state newspapers.

Reporter Mandy Locke and photojournalist Travis Long received the Public Service Award for “Deadly Force,” a series about law enforcement in Harnett County.

Reporter Jane Stancill won the Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education.

Mark Schultz, editor of the Chapel Hill News and The Durham News, was named Community Newspaper Winner of the Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year Award.

Other 1st place awards went to:

▪ Barry Saunders for serious columns.

▪ Anne Blythe for election/political reporting.

▪ the staff for general excellence for newspaper websites.

▪ Jill Knight for best video.

▪ Schultz for general news photography in The Durham News.

▪ Schultz for feature photography in The Durham News.

▪ Aaron Moody for best video in the Eastern Wake News.

▪ the staff of the North Raleigh News for general excellence for newspaper websites.

2nd place awards were presented to:

▪ the staff for general excellence.

▪ Joseph Neff, Ames Alexander and Craig Jarvis for investigative reporting.

▪ John Murawski for business writing.

▪ Andrew Carter for sports feature writing.

▪ Luke DeCock for sports enterprise writing.

▪ Ned Barnett, Jim Jenkins and Burgetta Wheeler for editorial page.

▪ the staff for special section for Year in Pictures.

▪ Walter magazine for best niche publication.

▪ Tammy Grubb for election/political reporting in the Chapel Hill News.

▪ Grubb for city/county reporting in the Chapel Hill News.

▪ the staff of the Chapel Hill News for news coverage.

▪ Clay Best for sports coverage in the Clayton News-Star

▪ Schultz for feature writing in The Durham News.

▪ Jessika Morgan for sports feature writing in the North Raleigh News.

3rd place awards went to:

▪ the staff for online breaking news coverage.

▪ Josh Shaffer and Thomasi McDonald for news feature writing.

▪ Dan Kane for investigative reporting.

▪ Chuck Liddy for feature photography.

▪ DeCock for sports columns.

▪ the staff for sports coverage.

▪ Paul A. Specht for city/county government reporting.

▪ Ray Black III for sports photography in The Cary News.

▪ Schultz for feature photography in the Chapel Hill News.

▪ Scott Bolejack and staff of the Clayton News-Star for editorial page.

▪ Ryan Wilusz for sports feature writing in The Durham News.

▪ Best for sports news reporting in the Garner-Cleveland Record.

▪ Morgan for sports columns in the North Raleigh News.

▪ Morgan for sports enterprise writing in the North Raleigh News.

The awards were presented at a ceremony Thursday night in downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 5:10 PM with the headline "N&O and its community newspapers win 39 NC press awards."