The McAlester News-Capital received top honors at the Associated Press/Oklahoma News Executives awards banquet in Oklahoma City on Friday night.
News-Capital Senior Editor James Beaty won the Sweepstakes Award, while the News-Capital also received the General Excellence Award.
Editor Matt Lane won first place honors in Editorial Writing, which included editorials on the importance of open government.
Beaty won the Sweepstakes Award for his series of articles about differences in two separate contracts at City Hall for former McAlester City Manager Susan Monroe, and the stories that revealed Monroe had altered one of the contracts.
“It is no surprise to me that James was recognized by his peers for his incredible ability to get the facts and get the story,” Lane said. “For more than a decade I have had the distinct honor to work alongside James and learn from him. He is an asset to this newspaper and, moreover, to the community he serves.”
Publisher John Tucker congratulated the newspaper’s news staff on the awards they won in the AP/ONE’s Division B category.
“I’m really pleased with our news staff,” Tucker said. “I’ve been in the business for 35 years and this is the best news staff I’ve worked with.”
The General Excellence Award won by the News-Capital takes all of the elements in the newspaper into consideration.
“This honor belongs to the reporters, editors, composing artists, press crew, sales associates and business office staff who labor to bring your newspaper to you, our readers,” Lane said. “It is gratifying to have the excellent work these people do each and every day recognized. I am proud to be a part of this newspaper and am humbled to be able to work with such dedicated people.”
Tucker also congratulated the News-Capital employees on the General Excellence award.
“That’s what a newspaper’s for, to have something for all the readers.”
Beaty also won first place award in the Investigative Reporting category for his articles on the Monroe contract.
He also received first place honors in the Sports Feature category for his articles on the late Douglas Smith, a Crowder teen who had been killed in a baseball accident and the creation of a McAlester baseball field, supplied with defibrillators, in his honor.
News-Capital City Editor Doug Russell won second place honors for investigative reporting for his articles on the bankruptcy of former District 17 state Rep. Mike Mass.
Beaty also won the second place award for Reviews, for his reviews of albums by Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis and Maria Muldaur.
Former City Editor Trevor Dunbar took third place honors in the Public Service Reporting category for his series on how to access public records.
Photographer Kevin Harvison won honorable mention in Spot News Photogrpahy for his photo of tornadic clouds.
Tucker said he will look forward to another year of work by the News-Capital staff and the awards competition next year.
