Traverse City Record-Eagle

Record-Eagle Awards

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  • Mike Eckert Record-Eagle/JAN-MICHAEL STUMP

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April 3, 2011

Record-Eagle staffers win Mich. AP writing awards

FROM STAFF REPORTS

It was a compelling chronicle of a dying colleague.

Record-Eagle reporter Lindsay VanHulle followed the final days of fellow Record-Eagle photographer Doug Tesner's life, writing about his futile battle with lung cancer. She told a compassionate story of Tesner's humor, dedication to his profession, love of country and — most deeply — devotion to his wife, Peggy, and their family.

Today, almost a year later, the compilation of VanHulle's work — "LIFE IN FOCUS: A photographer's journey" — is the recipient of a Sweepstakes Award in the annual Michigan Associated Press Editorial Association's newswriting, news photography, graphics and website contest. The package of stories also received a first-place award in the feature writing category.

"Lindsay's award is one of the most meaningful honors among the dozens this newspaper has won in recent years," said Record-Eagle Editor Bill Thomas. "The project was created and overseen by our local news editor, Mike Tyree, and executed masterfully by Lindsay and photographer Jan-Michael Stump. We are indebted to Doug and Peggy for allowing us to tell the story of Doug's struggle."

VanHulle's honors are among six won by Record-Eagle journalists in the AP contest. In addition to VanHulle's Sweepstakes and feature writing designations, the newspaper's awards include a first place, two second places and one third place:

• Sports editor Dennis Chase and sports writer Mike Eckert were first-place winners in the sports enterprise category for their coverage of the ouster of Traverse City St. Francis High School from the Lake Michigan Conference in football.

• Reporters Brian McGillivary, Art Bukowski and Alex Piazza earned a second place in investigative reporting for their work revealing the investigative cover-up of Traverse City police officer Joseph Soffredine's drunken driving traffic accident.

• Thomas won a second place for editorial writing, focusing on the end of combat operations in Iraq and the toll the war has taken on lives and the nation's resources.

• Stump's work with VanHulle on the Tesner stories received a third-place honor in the picture story category.

The Record-Eagle competes in the 15,000 to 50,000 circulation classification.

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