Texas writers among Carmage Walls Commentary Award winners

Among the Walls Commentary Awards winners  are (from left) Dion Lefler, opinion editor of The Wichita Eagle, Wichita, Kansas; Nedra Rhone, lifestyle columnist of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia; Lissa Walls Cribb, CEO of Southern Newspapers; and Greg Weatherbee, publisher of The Lufkin Daily News.

America’s Newspapers recognized excellence in editorial writing and column writing at its Senior Leadership Conference. The Carmage Walls Commentary Awards honoring the memory of her father were presented by Lissa Walls Cribb, CEO of Southern Newspapers.

EDITORIALS - under 35,000 circulation

First place, Dave Stafford, opinion page editor, The Republic, Columbus, Indiana; second place, Byron Tate, editor, Pine Bluff (Arkansas) Commercial; and third place, Rebecca Pierce, executive editor, Traverse City (Michigan) Record-Eagle.

Finalists were Dave Coffey, editorial page editor, The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Josh Edwards, editor, The Daily Sentinel, Nacogdoches; and Blake Fontenay, columnist, TC Palm / Treasure Coast Newspapers, Fort Pierce, Florida.

EDITORIALS - over 35,000 circulation

First place, Dion Lefler, opinion editor, The Wichita (Kansas) Eagle; second place, Lucy Young-Oda, editorial page editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser; and third place, Nick Hrkman, community impact editor, Dayton (Ohio) Daily News.

Finalist was David Barham, editorial page editor, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Arkansas.

COLUMNS - under 35,000 circulation

First place, Dion Lefler, opinion editor, The Wichita (Kansas) Eagle; second place, Greg Weatherbee, publisher of The Lufkin Daily News; and third place, Charita Goshay, columnist, The Canton (Ohio) Repository.

Finalists were Yvonne Mintz, editor and publisher, The Facts, Clute, and  Steve Stewart, publisher, The Smithfield (Virginia) Times.

COLUMNS - over 35,000 circulation

First place, Nedra Rhone, lifestyle columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; second place, Suzette Hackney, national columnist, USA Today, Washington, D.C.; and third place, Rex Nelson, senior editor, The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Finalists were Bridget Grumet, metro columnist, Austin American-Statesman, and Carlton Winfrey, editorial writer/columnist, The Seattle (Washington) Times.