2000 Better Newspaper Contest — Community Service

Daily Division
1.    Plainview Daily Herald “Our Community Celebration of Year 2000” — This is the best 2000 campaign I have seen.
2.    The Galveston County Daily News “Hollywood Hotel” — Excellent coverage that also makes a case for informed readers.
3.    Kerrville Daily Times “Bond Election” — Excellent coverage and editorial support.
4.    Odessa American “Jobs”— Not only was the want-ad idea a good and practical one, but your continuing coverage of the drive was very good and, I hope, contributed to the success.

Semiweekly Division
1.    Bowie County Citizens-Tribune “The F3 Tornado — Very impressive effort by a small staff. This was easily the best entry in class. Paper documented tornado’s devastation in comprehensive detail. Abundance of photos create thorough record of the storm. Reporters did good job of covering full range of storm’s impact, from damage to recovery, and everything in between. Reader is left with same reaction that FEMA official had, “This is a gusty little town.” Good luck!
2.    Moore County News-Press “Community College Project” — Congratulations on rolling up sleeves and pitching in to support plan to bring college campus to your town. There are times when papers need to step forward to support projects deemed beneficial to the community. The News-Press seized the opportunity and performed at high level for its community.
3.    The Angleton Times “Helping Our Own” — Way to step up to the plate and lend a hand during a time of crisis. Special section was a great reader service. I’m impressed with all the adverising. Someone did a great job of selling businesses on opportunity to reach out to the displaced workers. You made the best of a tough situation.
4.    Beeville Bee-Picayune “City’s first homicide of 1999” — Thorough jobs following tough story from start to finish.

Weekly Division
1.    The Bulletin & Bullard Weekly News “Red, White and Blue Day” — While this may not have been a “big” project in terms of some other entries, this project really shows the impact of a small weekly — your ideas, your participation, your promotion all coming to a successful end and really thanks only to the newspaper. Small project, maybe, big impact thanks to a weekly newspaper, yes! Congratulations!
2.    Pleasanton Express “Our Heroes” — I’m sure most of your readers were as impress as I was in reviewing “Farewell” efforts to your “Heroes.” This most certainly was not a project for financial gain and you went the “extra mile” to do the job properly. Who else would have done it? We thus can be thankful for newspapers. Thank you for this salute.
3.    Park Cities People, Dallas, “Teenage drinking” — What “soul-searching” you must have done many times in connection with this topic. And what you did probably didn’t make the best of friends. You are to be commended for your effort, your follow-through and most certainly your efforts must have made a “dent” among teens, as well as parents.
4.    Martin County Messenger “Hospital” — Having been on a hospital board nearly 30 years, with a doctor once trying to remove me from that board, I can well relate to what you have gone through in a different set of circumstances. You did a fine job of following through of every avenue necessary, and I hope your readers appreciate you and your efforts.