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Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
American-Statesman takes top Texas honors for feature writing, sports photography
The Austin American-Statesman won first place in feature reporting and sports photography in the Texas Managing Editors annual Excellence in Journalism competition. Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski took the top honor in feature writing for his story on an Austin man who FBI agents accused of conning people out of millions. Photojournalist Aaron E. Martinez won first place in sports photography for a photo of a University of Texas softball player celebrating after scoring a key run. Statesman journalists were also recognized for general column writing, editorial writing, video, comment and criticism, sports feature writing, news photography and photojournalism. Sports reporter David Eckert won second place in the Star Sports Reporter of the Year category, and photojournalist Jay Janner won third place for Star Photojournalist of the Year. Plohetski's reporting walked readers through a chilling plan in which Saint Jovite Youngblood, a 51-year-old husband and father living in a 4,000-square-foot home in Manor, just east of Austin, scammed at least 20 people in Austin and across the nation out of millions of dollars, with some victims believing their safety depended on high-dollar payoffs. Austin real estate developer Eric Perardi in June 2022 received an urgent call from Youngblood, whom he had known for five years. Youngblood requested an in-person meeting to go over some troubling news: Los Zetas, a Mexican drug cartel, had put out a hit on Perardi and his children — they could be kidnapped and killed as soon as that summer day. "They believe I had all this money from projects I've done," Perardi recalled telling Youngblood. He also said the cartel knew that Perardi had a multimillion-dollar life insurance policy. Federal documents, however, laid out the case as an epic fraud. A magistrate judge called the crimes "the most massive pattern of intimidation of threats and violence and death I have ever seen." The victims were old and young, wealthy and middle-class: a manager and bartender at a golf course; a seatmate on a Vegas-bound flight; a fellow estate sale customer; and a man who sold exotic fish for Youngblood's aquarium. The Texas Managing Editor's contest judges said Plohetski's story was an "excellent telling of a great cautionary tale, written with empathy but also a swift-moving sense of narrative." Plohetski's feature writing award was in the circulation category for Texas' largest newspapers. For Martinez's celebratory photo, the judges said they "loved the emotions from the player after scoring a key run, very nice clean simple frame." Column writing: Bridget Grumet earned second place. Editorial writing: American-Statesman editorial board earned second place. Video: Mikala Compton earned second place. Comment and criticism: Deborah Sengupta-Stith earned third place. Sports feature: Statesman earned an honorable mention. News photography: Statesman earned an honorable mention. Photojournalism: Statesman earned an honorable mention. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: American-Statesman takes top Texas honor for feature writing
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
5 Palm Beach Post staffers win first place awards in Florida Press Club competition
Five staffers at The Palm Beach Post won first place awards at the Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism competition announced Feb. 1. The Palm Beach Post's first-place winning entries included work by Frank Cerabino for commentary writing (Class A-B), Katherine Kokal for education writing (Class A-B); Kimberly Miller for environmental writing (Class A); Wayne Washington for minority-news coverage (Class A); and Tom D'Angelo for sports writing (Class A). Cerabino won the commentary category on the strength of his columns about the ancestry of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the surgeon general going "AntiChrist" on the COVID vaccine and new teachings on slavery. Frank Cerabino: DeSantis' own immigration story conflicts with his opposition to "birthright citizenship" Katherine Kokal's entries for the education beat award included the FHSAA removing menstrual questions on form after talking to DeSantis' office, the FHSAA board OKing form asking athletes for sex at birth and the schools chief apologizing for pulling AP Psych, says he can't risk teachers being arrested. Kimberly Miller took first place in the environmental writing category with these stories: the weather patterns that caused a tornado in Palm Beach Gardens, oddball weather patterns that are worrisome this hurricane season and Rare Super El Niño possible this dry season. Wayne Washington took the top prize for reporting on minority news coverage with stories about honoring rapper Kodak Black sparks tiff between Palm Beach County commission candidates and the revival of the Sunset Lounge, West Palm Beach's 1920s era dinner club. Tom D'Angelo's sports writing included Brooks Koepka taking shots at LIV teammate Matthew Wood, Bernhard Langer and retiring from golf and Cognizant expected to become new title sponsor for old Honda Classic. Post staff writer Mike Diamond won a second place award for government news (Class A). Third place winners at The Post in the Class A category include photo journalist Thomas Cordy in the feature photo essay category and Hannah Phillips for public safety writing. Two Palm Beach Daily News writers also won top writing awards. Staff writer Darrell Hofheinz, who regularly covers real estate and business, took home three first place honors in the statewide contest for community news writing, general news writing and business writing in the Class B circulation category. M.M. Cloutier, a freelance writer who frequently contributes stories to the Daily News about island restaurants, hotels and history, won the first-place award in the Class B category for 'serious features.' The press club is marking its 75th anniversary this year, having been founded as the Florida Women's Press Club. Since the 1950s, the press club has honored journalists with prizes in photography, writing and design. The latest awards were presented Feb. 1 during a dinner at a Hilton hotel in Ocala. Eligible entries were published or produced in Florida or transmitted from the state by a wire service between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024. The contest was open to traditional print media as well as online outlets. The full list of winners is available at This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 5 Palm Beach Post staffers earn first place Florida Press Club awards
