Las Cruces – Sherry Robinson, of Albuquerque, won first place for overall excellence in the 2013 New Mexico Press Women Communications Contest. The award for overall excellence goes to the entrant with the highest point score for achievement in individual categories.
Margaret Cheasebro, of Aztec, won second place, and Leota Harriman, of Edgewood, won third.
In first place for overall excellence by organization, also determined by points, is The Independent, of Edgewood. New Mexico In Depth, an online news site, won second. Rio Grande Books took third.
Awards were presented April 27 at the annual NMPW conference in Las Cruces.
The NMPW contest is the broadest of any media competition and includes print (writing, editing, design), photography, radio, television, electronic communications, advertising, public relations, speech, and books.
Nonmembers may enter, and the organization welcomes men as members. First-place entries go on to competition with the National Federation of Press Women.
Here are the winners in individual categories:
News story, newspaper: 2nd place, Lindsey Anderson, Las Cruces Sun-News.
Continuing coverage or unfolding news: 2nd place, Leota Harriman and Ellen Burgess, The Independent; 3rd place, Mary Alice Murphy, Silver City, Grant County News Beat.
Investigative Reporting: 1st place, Sherry Robinson, Gallup Independent; 3rd place, Laura Paskus, New Mexico In Depth.
Enterprise Reporting: 1st place, Diane Schmidt, Gallup Independent; 2nd and 3rd place, Lindsey Anderson, New Mexico in Depth.
Special Series: 1st place, Heath Haussamen, Trip Jennings, Deborah Busemeyer, Diana Alba Soular, Robert Nott, New Mexico in Depth; 2nd place, Bud Russo, Las Cruces, Southwest Senior.
Editorial/ Opinion, newspaper: 1st and 2nd place, Leota Harriman, The Independent.
Editorial/ Opinion, online publication: 1st place, Heath Haussamen, New Mexico In Depth; 2nd place, Trip Jennings, New Mexico n Depth.
Feature story, newspaper: 1st place, Peter St. Cyr, Santa Fe Reporter; 3rd place, Sharon Steely, Taos News.
Feature story, magazine: 1st and 2nd place, Lyn Bleiler-Strong, Taos, Santa Fe Trend Art & Architecture Magazine; 3rd place, Claudette Sutton, Santa Fe, Tumbleweeds; honorable mention, Loretta Hall, USA Today Special Edition NASA’s Future in Space; honorable mention, Jessica Savage, Las Cruces magazine.
Feature story in an online publication: 1st place, Loretta Hall, RocketSTEM; 2nd place, Benito Aragon, New Mexico Mercury; 2nd place, V. B. Price, New Mexico Mercury; 3rd place, Chris Burroughs, CNM.
Personality profile: 1st place, Peter St. Cyr, Santa Fe Reporter; 2nd place, Sherry Robinson, UNM Mirage; 3rd place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living; honorable mention, Daniella Wiedel, Las Cruces Sun-News.
Specialty articles, agriculture: 1st place, Bud Russo, Las Cruces, Southwest Senior.
Specialty articles, arts and entertainment: 1st place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living.
Specialty articles, business: 1st place, Sherry Robinson, Gallup Independent.
Specialty articles, education: 1st place, Margaret Cheasebro; 2nd place, Majestic Living; Chris Burroughs, CNM.
Specialty articles, environmental: 1st place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living.
Specialty articles, history: 1st place, Sherry Robinson, Wild West and New Mexico News Services; 2nd place, Bud Russo, Southwest Senior; 3rd place, Jerry Ueckert, The Independent.
Specialty articles, science or technology: 2nd place, Karen Wentworth, UNM.
Specialty articles, sports: 1st place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living and Four Corners Sports.
Specialty articles, travel: 1st place, Bud Russo, Southwest Senior.
Columns, humorous: honorable mention, Wendel Sloan, Portales News Tribune.
Columns, general: 1st place, Claudette Sutton, Santa Fe, Tumbleweeds.
Columns, informational: 3rd place, Sherri Burr, Albuquerque, Southwest Sage.
Columns, personal opinion: 1st place, Merilee Dannemann, Albuquerque, New Mexico News Services; 2nd and 3rd place, Sherry Robinson, New Mexico News Services; honorable mention, Diane Schmidt.
Headlines: 1st place, Claudette Sutton, Steve Harrington, Shirl Harrington, Tumbleweeds.
Sections or Supplements: 1st place, Leota Harriman, The Independent.
Publications regularly edited by entrant: 1st place, Melissa Stroud, Sandia Prep; 2nd place, Claudette Sutton, Tumbleweeds; 3rd place, Ruth Friesen, Wagon Tracks; and honorable mention, Spanish Traces.
Single photograph, news or feature photo: 1st place, Julie Carter; 2nd place, Marjorie Fiske, The Independent; 3rd place, Roger Holden; honorable mention; Leota Harriman – all of The Independent.
Single photograph, sports: 1st place, Carlton Kenway; 2nd place, Brenda Tapia – both of The Independent.
Single photograph, general photo: 1st place, Carlton Kenway, The Independent; 2nd and 3rd place, Ruth Friesen, Spanish Traces.
Photo essay: 1st place, Andi Murphy, New Mexico In Depth; 2nd place, Mary Alice Murphy, Grant County News Beat.
On-the-scene report, radio: 1st place, Laura Paskus, KUNM.
Interview, radio or television: 1st and 3rd place, Leora Zeitlin, KRGW; 2nd place, Sherri Burr, UPublic TV.
Talk Show, radio or television: 1st place, Gail Rubin, Toginet; 2nd place, Sherri Burr, UPublic TV.
Writing for the Web: 1st place, Wendel Sloan, ENMU
Website editing: 1st place, Karen Wentworth, Carolyn Gonzales, Steve Carr, Mara Kerkez, UNM; 2nd place, Wendel Sloan, ENMU, and Mary Alice Murphy, The Grant County Beat; 3rd place, Angela Plusquellic, LCF Research website for the New Mexico Health Information Collaborative.
Blogs, nonprofit, government, or educational: 1st place, Mariah Nissen, Lorena Hughes Stephanie Nakleh.
Blogs, personal: 1st place, Merilee Dannemann; 2nd place, Mandi Kane; 3rd place, Lauren Camp.
Advertising campaigns built around one subject (print, online, or combination): 2nd place, Sharon Steely, UNM.
Advertising posters, billboards, and banners: 2nd place, Sharon Steely, UNM
Radio advertising: 2nd place, Wendel Sloan, ENMU
Marketing program or campaign for new or existing service or product: 2nd place, Scott Alley, New Mexico State Fair.
Speech: 1st place, Loretta Hall, “Pre-OSHA Space Research in New Mexico,” New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers.
Novels: 1st place, Elaine Hampton, Solar Noon; 2nd place, Anne Hillerman, Spider Woman’s Daughter.
Nonfiction books, biography or autobiography: 1st place, Elaine Hampton, Anay’s Will to Learn; 2nd place, Gale O’Brien, Transformation; 3rd place, Elizabeth Raby, Ransomed Voices.
Nonfiction books, history: 1st place, Sherry Robinson, I Fought a Good Fight: A History of the Lipan Apaches; 2nd place, Don Bullis, Unsolved; 3rd place, Gary Herron, Duke City Diamonds; honorable mention, Richard Melzer and John Taylor, Murdery, Mystery and Mayhem in the Rio Abajo.
Nonfiction books, general: 1st place, Janet Yagoda Shagam, An Unintended Journey; 2nd place, Sally Ooms, Finding Home; 3rd place, Gary Herron, Duke City Diamonds; honorable mention, Paul Rhetts, Voices of New Mexico, Too.
Young-adult books, nonfiction: 3rd place, Sharleen Daugherty, Young Voices of Silver City.
Short Stories, collection: 1st place, Paul Rhetts, Voices of New Mexico, Too; 3rd place, Sharleen Daugherty, Young Voices of Silver City.
Creative Verse, single poem: 1st place, Lauren Camp; 3rd place and honorable mention, Ruth Friesen.
Creative Verse, book of poetry: 1st place, Lauren Camp, The Dailiness; 2nd place, Robyn Hunt, The Shape of Caught Water.
Essay, chapter, or section in a book: 2nd place, Sherri Burr, “Lunch with Max Evans” in SWW Anthology.