RICHMOND– The Richmond News received first-place awards in national, multi-state and state competitions for 2019, in addition to being named the No. 1 small newspaper in Missouri on Saturday for the second year in a row.

The Richmond News is the sister newspaper of the Excelsior Springs Standard.

NNA

The National Newspaper Association bestowed the Best Editorial Pages award upon The Richmond News from among all U.S. weekly newspapers with 6,000 or less circulation.

“(This entry offers) two strong editorials on taxing online sales and favoring food stamps (that are) opposed by some who benefit from (other) government programs. This entry merits first place for its two-page illustrated presentation on timely defense of the First Amendment Freedom of the Press. Letters provoke leadership on timely issues,” the judges’ stated.

Editor-in-chief Jack C. “Miles” Ventimiglia writes the editorials and designs the editorial pages for The Richmond News and Excelsior Springs Standard.

SPJ

Competing for a Society of Professional Journalists’ Diamond Award in a seven-state contest – Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas – Ventimiglia took first place for Best Editorial for “Clay County right to recall.” The editorial urged giving Clay Countians the right to recall elected county officials, something now written in the Clay County Constitution plan that goes to voters Nov. 3.

MSTA

The Missouri State Teachers Association granted a first-place award to Ventimiglia for education feature writing for a story written this year, “Blood & Fire,” about a fire prevention program at the Excelsior Springs Career Center.

MPA

The Missouri Press Association’s Gold Cup Award went to The Richmond News for the second straight year during the MPA’s online awards program online.

The newspaper’s news team received a newsroom-record 20 first-place awards in the annual statewide contest against newspapers in the same circulation class.

Former Assistant Editor Teresa Shaw took first in the breaking news category for her timely story, “Henrietta outs mayor,” about the mayor’s impeachment.

Jack M., Jack C. and Grace Anna Ventimiglia shared a first-place award for their video work, “Flood story,” covering the flood of 2019.

Jack M. Ventimiglia also took first for best outdoors story, an in-depth look at brain disease in deer.

Jack C. Ventimiglia took the Tilghman Cloud Memorial Editorial Award for editorial writing and won other first-place awards for best serious column, sports column on allowing women to play noncontact professional sports with men, news story on domestic abuse, feature story on a Vietnam War memorial, sports feature story, news series on area flooding, government coverage on suing drug makers, rural life, health, education and for history, based on his look at Black soldiers in World War I. In non-writing categories, he captured firsts for page design, information graphic, photo illustration, community service and editorial cartoon.

Regarding the feature, “Not just heroes,” about remembering those killed in the Vietnam War, the judges stated: “This story is a work of art, from its beautiful beginning to its haunting end. I like – no, love – the writer’s cadence, his rhythmic pacing that mimics the seemingly chronic endlessness of war, as soldiers and sailors die. In the hands of a less-skilled writer, this pace would be an ordinary recounting of a military display. But the writer is a master, with the experience and heart to understand how a display of photos of fallen service people can touch their comrades, and how hearing their names, accompanied by a tolling bell, can hit home so deeply. The writer’s observations – one source under an American flag, another under a gray sky – add to the story’s mood and appeal. Some stories about loss can be beautiful, and this is one.”

Shawn Roney captured second-place honors for sports column writing and for sports pages.

Publisher Brian Rice took second for his editorial cartoon, “Revenge.”

Shaw received a third-place award for a health story, “Teachers to the rescue,” and an honorable mention for best news photo of Henrietta’s ousted mayor.

MPAME

The Missouri Press Advertising and Marketing Executives presented 13 awards for advertising excellence to The Richmond News, with Karen Payne either single-handedly or in collaboration with others figuring in each award.

MPAME presented the awards during an online program.

Payne captured first-place awards for best full-page ad, best special section and most creative use of color.

Payne took seconds for best ad smaller than a quarter page and shared a secondplace award with Sharon Donat and Jack C. Ventimiglia for best newspaperproduced event.

Payne took thirds for best ad smaller than a quarter page and best signature page, and shared third with Donat, Shaw and Gannon Boone for best special section.

Payne took honorable mentions for best ad designer; best ad smaller than a quarter page and best full-page ad; and shared the award for best signature page with Shaw.