• S.C. Press Association — 2014 Single Sports Page Design, Morning News, Florence S.C., placed first.
• S.C. Press Association — 2014 Sports Page Design Portfolio, Morning News, Florence S.C., placed second.
• S.C. Press Association — 2014 Singe Sports Page Design, Morning News, Florence S.C., placed third.
▪ S.C. Press Association – 2011 Page Design Portfolio – The Hartsville Messenger, S.C., first place, in two-three times a week division
▪ S.C. Press Association – 2012 Single Page Design (small weekly), The Lake City News & Post, Lake City S.C., placed second, small weekly division.
▪ S.C. Press Association – 2012 Best Front Page Design Portfolio, The Hartsville Messenger, Hartsville, S.C., placed first, two-to-three-times-weekly division.
▪ S.C. Press Association – 2012 Single Front Page Design, The Hartsville Messenger, Hartsville, S.C., placed third, two-to-three-times-weekly division.
▪ S.C. Press Association – 2011 Single Page Design, Morning News, Florence, S.C., placed second, mid-sized daily division
▪ S.C. Press Association – 2011 Page One Design, Morning News, Florence, S.C., placed third, mid-sized daily division
▪ S.C. Press Association – 2006 Journalist of the Year for work done at The News & Reporter including coverage of a double murder trial that gained national attention and of the sport of “Hog-Dogging.”
▪ S.C. Press Association – Newspaper General Excellence – The People-Sentinel won the Large Weekly Divisions in 1998 and 2003. Placed second in 2002, received honorable mention in 2004.
▪ S.C. Press Association – Newspaper General Excellence – The Allendale County Citizen Leader won the Small Weekly Division in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
▪ S.C. Press Association – Newspaper General Excellence – The News & Reporter, placed third in Two and Three times Weekly Division.
▪ S.C. Press Association – Harris Award for Editorial Writing All Weekly Division – won in 1999 for editorials written for The People-Sentinel, in 2002 for editorials written for The Citizen Leader, and in 2005, 2006 and 2010 for editorials written for The News & Reporter.
▪ S.C. Press Association – Montgomery Freedom Information Award
The Citizen Leader – 2001, for vigorous defense of Freedom of Information in Allendale County
The People-Sentinel – 2000, shared this award with another weekly, winning over all other South Carolina newspapers, including dailies, for vigorous defense of Freedom of Information in Barnwell County
The Cheraw Chronicle – 1999, shared this award with another CNI weekly, awarded for challenging a judge’s decision to close a courtroom to the public. Covered the trial as a reporter and had to lodge an objection to the closure with no notice and was kicked out. Two years later, the Supreme Court overturned the judge’s decision.
▪ S.C. Press Association – Enterprise Reporting – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2010, 2008 & 2007 at The News & Reporter
▪ S.C. Press Association – Profile Feature Writing – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2010 & 2007
▪ S.C. Press Association – Business Reporting – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2007 & 2008
▪ S.C. Press Association – Page One Design – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2010
▪ S.C. Press Association – General News Photo – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2009
S.C. Press Association – Spot News Reporting – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2008
▪ S.C. Press Association – Reporting in depth – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2007
▪ S.C. Press Association – Beat Reporting – Two to Three Times Weekly Division, placed first, 2006 for coverage of criminal court.
▪ S.C. Press Association – Enterprise Reporting – Small Weekly Division, placed first 2002, The Citizen Leader
▪ S.C. Press Association – Best General Page Design – Large Weekly Division, placed first 2002 for The People-Sentinel
▪ S.C. Press Association – Series of Articles – Large Weekly Division, placed first, for coverage of the Moving Wall in The People-Sentinel
▪ S.C. Press Association – Informational Graphics Portfolio – All Weeklies Division, placed first 2001 at The People-Sentinel
▪ S.C. Press Association – Best Spot News Reporting – Small Weekly Division, placed first 1999, award shared with three other reporters for coverage of a courthouse fire The Citizen Leader
▪ S.C. Press Association – Best Humor Column – All Weekly Division, placed first at The Cheraw Chronicle
▪ S.C. Press Association – Best News Photograph – Large Weekly Division, placed first at The Cheraw Chronicle
Received 16 other individual awards in the S.C. Press Association contests, placing second and third or receiving honorable mentions. All but one were for work at non-dailies. Received second place in Reporting in Depth in the medium daily newspaper category for a freelance piece written for The Herald in Rock Hill awarded March 2005.
▪ Landmark Community Newspapers Inc. Newspaper contest -- Excellence in Feature Writing -- Placed first in 2010.
▪ CNI Better Newspapers Contest – Best Editorial – Placed first in 2001 for The People-Sentinel, and in 1999 for The Allendale County Citizen Leader. Received two honorable mentions in 1999. Placed second in 2004.
▪ CNI Better Newspapers Contest – Best Overall Design – 2000 Placed first for The Citizen-Leader’s design.
▪ CNI Better Newspapers Contest – Best News Story – Placed first 2000 at The People-Sentinel.
▪ CNI Better Newspapers Contest – Best Front Page Design – Placed first and third 2000. The front page of The Citizen Leader came in first and the front page of The People-Sentinel came in third.
Between 1997 and 2004 received three other individual awards in the CNI Better Newspapers Contests placing second and third.
Also received 12 awards in Landmark Community Newspapers, Inc., contest, including two first places.
In all, during my 17-year professional journalism career, my papers and I have received more than 92 awards —35 individual first place honors and eight first place or top honors for the newspapers.
