Daily Journal brings home statewide awards

The Daily Journal won top honors for a story about a boxing program to help people with Parkinson’s Disease and a sports photo in a statewide journalism contest.

Journalists won first, second and third place honors in the competition against newspapers of similar size across the state.

The awards were announced Friday at the annual Indiana The Associated Press Media Editors Association dinner in Indianapolis. Stories were published in 2014.

Reporter Ryan Trares won first place in the feature writing category for a story about Rock Steady Boxing, a boxing fitness program that is designed to help patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Photographer Scott Roberson won first place in the sports photo category for a shot of a diver in action.

Other awards given to Daily Journal staff were:

Sports editor Rick Morwick won second place in the sports column writing category.

Reporter Steve Garbacz won second place in the nondeadline news reporting category for his coverage of hearings to determine if convicted murderer Michael Dean Overstreet was competent for execution.

Graphic artist and page designer Anna Perlich won second place for use of graphics.

Daily Journal staff won second place for editorial writing.

Daily Journal staff won third place in deadline news reporting for stories about last year’s tragedy at the dam in Edinburgh that killed two Franklin Community High School students and severely injured another.

Daily Journal staff also won third place in the nondeadline news reporting category for stories about GoodSports, a proposed sports facility and hotel in Greenwood whose plans to come to the city never came to be.

Daily Journal staff won third place in the category for page one makeup.