UPDATE: Vindicator honored with top state awards

COLUMBUS — Editor Todd Franko, Art Director Robert McFerren and recently retired Editorial Page Editor Dennis Mangan all won first place awards today for Division IV in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors competition.

Also, the staff shared a first place in community service for its ongoing fracking coverage and the newspaper won second place in overall general excellence.

Franko and the online team shared a first place for best use of multimedia for coverage of the "Greatest Golfer of the Valley." McFerren won first place for best informational graphic for the "Titanic" coverage and Mangan won first place for best editorial writer.

In other Vindy honors, Photographer Robert Yosay won a second place for best photographer, McFerren also won second place for for best graphic artist, Reporter Elise Franco won second place for best breaking news coverage, Reporter Ashley Luthern won second place for best enterprising reporting and Reporter Robert Guttersohn won second place for best investigative reporting.

Also, Sports Reporter Joe Scalzo took third place for best sports writer and Photographer William Lewis won third place for best spot news photo.

During the ceremony in Columbus, the newspaper and its online endeavors were honored among newspapers with daily circulation of 25,000 to 74,999