Vindy staffers win AP awards

Two Vindicator writers won first-place awards in a statewide competition while others also were honored. The Vindicator competed in Division IV for newspapers in Ohio with daily circulation of 25,000 to 74,999.

Joe Scalzo, a Vindicator sportswriter, was named “Best Sports Writer” and “Best Sports Feature Writer” by the Associated Press Society of Ohio.

Bertram DeSouza, a Vindicator editorial writer, was named “Best Columnist.”

The Vindicator competed in a division with newspapers with a daily circulation between 25,000 and 74,999. Nominees for awards were announced previously, but the winners were announced at a ceremony in Columbus Sunday.

John Cruz, a Vindicator graphic artist, was honored twice. He won third place in the “Best Graphic Artist” competition and second place for “Best Informational Graphic” for work he performed to detail a highway truck crash.

William D. Lewis, a staff photographer, won third place in “Best Spot News Photo” for a photograph of a firefighter.

Jeanne Starmack, a staff writer, received honorable mention in the “Best News Writer” competition, in which she submitted a variety of news stories from 2007.

Vindy.com, the newspaper’s Web site, won third place in the “Best Web Site” competition.

Seventy-one daily newspapers submitted 3,215 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics, photos, design and videography from 2007.

Entries in Division IV were judged by editors from the the Erie (Pa.) Times-News.

The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,500 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States. Members of AP include 88 daily newspapers in Ohio.