Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Iowa City - Press-Citizen Entry Title: George Shillcock, best continuing coverage, Iowa City Press-Citizen Entry Credit: George Shillcock Judge Comment: This entry stood out as the clear winner because the newspaper's coverage of the activist and the issue likely helped to reverse the Board of Supervisors' decision, and it helped get funding for the remaining 319 who did not receive any form of stimulus payment. Good job sticking with the issue and ensuring a fair solution for all impacted.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Ames - Ames Tribune Entry Title: Two Iowa State University students killed by gunman outside of Ames church Entry Credit: Ronna Faaborg, Omar Waheed, Phillip Sitter, Grace Altenhofen Judge Comment: These types of crimes are difficult for communities, and I think this sort of coverage--stories that tell who the victims were, stories that allow the community to grieve together, and stories that show how the system failed to protect Ms. Montang--are crucial to helping the victims' families cope with the tragedy and helping the community heal.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Creston - Creston News Advertiser Entry Title: Cheyenne - Best Continuing Coverage Entry Credit: Cheyenne Roche Judge Comment: Bond referenda can be crucial to a community, and consistent coverage--like this--helps keep a community informed and keeps the issue alive.