Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Mason City - Globe Gazette Entry Title: Kirk Apartments fire Entry Credit: Robin McClelland Judge Comment: A lot of writers would have reported on the fire itself and then moved on to something else, but this series seems to recognize the significance beyond that: A number of families, many probably already struggling, now find themselves having to rebuild, and how the community is responding.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Keokuk - Daily Gate City Entry Title: Keokuk Area Hospital Closure Entry Credit: Joe Benedict, Erika Barrett Judge Comment: Good reporting on not just the initial news of the closing, but on the issues that surround the closing: what it means to the community, etc.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Washington - Southeast Iowa Union Washington Eveni Entry Title: Proposed book ban at Kalona Public Library Entry Credit: Kalen McCain Judge Comment: Balance is an important part of a hot-button issue like this, and series plays things straight down the middle while also helping the reader understand why they should care beyond just one particular book.
