BJ staffers win awards at Press Club of Cleveland

Beacon Journal staff report
The Akron Beacon Journal and Ohio.com won a number of first and second-place awards during Friday's Press Club of Cleveland Excellence in Journalism ceremony.

The Press Club recognized the paper for its layout, its Web site, photography, writing and investigative work.

Several awards went to individuals and the staff involved in the yearlong American Dream project, which explored the economic pressures facing the middle class.

The staff also won first place for multiple-page design for Reclaim the Dream. Executive news editor Mark Turner directed the layout, with the assistance of photo and graphics director Kim Barth. Turner, Barth and photographer Ed Suba Jr. also placed second in the same category for the layout of an installment for the same project, Middle Class Health Care.

Betty Lin-Fisher placed first for business columns for her Reclaim the Dream series challenging readers to manage their finances better.

The staff won a second place for public service for the yearlong American Dream project.

Turner also won first place for front-page news design for all daily and nondaily newspapers.

The Beacon Journal's online news service. Ohio.com, won first place for Web site design. The site also won second place for newspaper Web design.

Food writer Lisa Abraham took first and second place for separate lifestyle columns.

Reporter Phil Trexler received first place for breaking news on consecutive days for his coverage of the Bobby Cutts murder trial.

Staff writer Rick Armon received a first-place general news award for Losing Our Home, about the process of foreclosure.

Pop culture writer Rich Heldenfels won first place in reviews and criticism for his Other Side of Polansky Case. He also won second place, Best in Ohio, for reviews and criticism.

Former Beacon Journal columnist David Giffels won first place, Best in Ohio, for his body of essays.

Reporter and columnist Dennis Willard placed second in Best in Ohio, column writing, for his column, Squirrel Ferrets Out Partisan Publicity.

Other awards went to:
• Copy editor Elissa Murray, second place, Best in Ohio, for a collection of headlines: ''Sun sets on college bar,'' ''Going to mall? Don't forget Mom,'' ''Mars bites into Hershey's,'' ''Price of recyclables is down in the dumps'' and ''Bah, humbug! Internet Scrooges try to spoil holidays.''
• Copy editor David Scott, second for single newspaper headline: ''Billy goat's owner is still on the lam.''
• Willard and reporter Stephanie Warsmith, second, investigative, Ohio State ticket scandal.
• Photographer Mike Cardew, second, sports action, Sole sister; second, portrait/personality, Freedom.
• Suba, second, sports feature, game winner; second, general feature, A Mother's Love.
• Former Beacon Journal health writer Tracy Wheeler, second place for medical and health writing, Stem Cells Mature.