Independent staff writer Heather Miller took home the Louisiana Press Association’s first, second and third place honors in investigative reporting at the trade association’s 132nd Annual Convention in Marksville over the weekend. Miller’s “CONVICTed,” a story that examined the federal justice system’s use of questionable and unreliable witnesses against Lafayette businessman Mike Wyatt — in this case accepting the testimony of a local drug kingpin — took top honors. “Busted: Busted In Acadiana,” which led to the arrest of Busted founder Christopher Hebert on one count each of stalking and cyberstalking, won second place, and Miller’s “Need for Speed,” about the speed trap in Washington, La., and how the city illegally kept $200,000 in speeding fines that should have been turned over to the state, was honored with third place.
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| Ind staff writer Heather Miller |
Miller also won first for her feature story “Come Back, Kid,” which chronicled Lafayette resident Brian Murphy’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury; Ind Managing Editor Walter Pierce won first for his news story “Out of Line,” about Broussard’s $800,000 bill for bypassing an LUS water meter over a five-year period; and Editorial Director Leslie Turk’s ongoing coverage of the Lafayette Housing Authority and low-income housing developments earned first place in continuing coverage of a single news event.
The paper won Best Front Page for its “Persons of the Year” cover about the school system’s Gang of Five; photographer Robin May won two firsts: Best Feature Photo and Best Photo Package for “The Business of Pleasure” and “Fresh Start,” respectively. The paper’s restaurant guide won Best Special Section.
Pierce won second place for Best Regular Column and for Best Feature Story. Turk and Miller placed second and third, respectively, for Best News Story.
In advertising honors, the paper’s A-Z summer guide won first, as did its annual Takin’ Care of Business ad feature. Ads for Coccolare Spa and Johnston Street Java won first place, as did the Acadiana Guitar Campaign; Ind graphic designer Nicole Manafi was the creative talent behind all three. The Ind’s Acadiana Center for the Arts ad by online development specialist Michael Lunsford won first in the online advertising category, animated. Lunsford also placed second in that category for an ad for Blue Moon Saloon. His and artist Francis Pavy’s design for the Acadiana365 calendar placed second in Best Web Project.
Graphic designer Hannah Herpin’s ad for Paul’s Jewelry won second for color ad, and graphic designer Jason Roy’s ad for Clerk of Court Louis Perret won second in the non-retail category.
The Independent competes in the Free Circulation and Special Interest Publication division. In all, the paper took home 30 edit and advertising honors, winning General Excellence for the “Busted” and “Hell to Pay” covers.
The Advocate, The Daily Advertiser, The Courier (Houma), Jennings Daily News, The Livingston Parish News (Denham Springs), the Tri-Parish Times (Houma), The West Side Journal, and the Zachary Plainsman News earned Newspaper of the Year honors in their respective divisions. Newspaper of the Year is not awarded in The Ind’s division.
JUNE 17 If anyone ever wonders why Saints fans hate Atlanta with a capital H, here's a good indication. Radio "professionals" at an Atlanta station created an entire segment around making fun of former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is now paralyzed by ALS. Listen, nobody's ever accused DJs of being rocket scientists. But how could someone think it is amusing to pretend to ask a man with a degenerative, fatal disease if he will be alive next week? The DJs have been fired, and are now whining about how gutless their former bosses are. Wow.
JUNE 18 Here's the latest from the Advocate on the fatal hit-and-run accident allegedly involving the president of the Livingston Parish School Board. He's accused by police of hitting a 21-year-old man on a highway early Sunday and driving away. The man died at a hospital later. On Monday, police seized the president's truck and towed it away. But he's available for board meetings: apparently a $500 bond is sufficient for this type of thing over in St. Helena Parish.
JUNE 18 Former broadcast journalist Griffin Scott has posted this plea on his blog for financial assistance from his readers. Scott, who says he was fired after he wrote something fairly innocuous (for Facebook) on his wall, is suing a media giant for his job back. He's framed himself as David going after a bloated media giant, and he's probably not far off.
JUNE 18 Here's a fairly absurd column posted on DIG Magazine about the completely absurd practice of naming killer storms. Tornadoes don't have names. Blizzards don't have names. But hurricanes do, and there's a big process to bestow them, Jacques Cormery writes. He's right about the crazy assemblage of names -- this year, there's everything from Tanya to Humberto -- and his idea that we don't waste good names on killer storms is a good one.
JUNE 17 Political columnist John Maginnis has some advice for Louisiana Republicans: grow up. After the schism that occurred in this past session - fiscal hawks teaming up with Democrats to spank the Republican "majority" and hand Gov. Jindal his, er, aspirations for continued solon control -- they need to figure out how to get along with each other, Maginnis writes.
JUNE 17 Here's the Picayune's obit story for Dorothy 'Miss Dot' Domilise, the lady who made poboys at the uptown restaurant that bears her name. Miss Dot moved to New Orleans during World War II, where she met and married her husband Sam. When she passed away Friday she was 90, and had spent more than 60 of those years working at the restaurant on Annunciation Street.
JUNE 17 This editorial in the Advocate speaks in favor of the consent decrees that have federal judges overseeing police operations and the sheriff's parish prison in New Orleans. Mayor Landrieu and Sheriff Gusman can't get along, so outside forces, like the Inspector General and the judges, are needed to make sure things run right, the editorial opines.
JUNE 18 Here's a post from Manny Schewitz on Forward Progressives that is good for a chuckle. Manny had an epiphany back in November, and is sharing it with us today: he believes that Fox "News" is killing the GOP by pandering to right wing nuts. Now, don't get it twisted: Manny's not broke up about it. He says he enjoys watching the downward spiral with a shot of whiskey and "a schadenfreude chaser."
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