Rocky staffers claim 17 first-place awards in annual contest

Rocky Mountain News

Published March 31, 2007 at midnight

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The Rocky Mountain News won 17 of 33 first-place awards Friday in the annual Colorado Society of Professional Journalists journalism contest.

The honors included top prizes for the Rocky's coverage of the school shooting in Bailey, an investigation into the runways at Denver International Airport and reporting on the opening of a new wing at the Denver Art Museum.

The Rocky won 46 awards. The Denver Post won 16 first-place awards and a total of 49 awards, including best of show for a story on the state juvenile justice system. The Associated Press won two awards.

Denver Business Journal Editor Neil Westergaard won SPJ's Lowell Thomas Award for journalist of the year, and Brad Bradbury, retired publisher of Evergreen Newspapers, won the Keeper of the Flame award for career achievement.

The contest was judged by the San Diego SPJ chapter.

Here are the first-place awards won by the Rocky and presented at a banquet at the University Club:

• News reporting/single story:

First: Staff, "Bailey shooting"

• Investigative:

First: Lou Kilzer, Alan Gathright, "DIA Runways"

• News feature:

First: Jim Sheeler, "Wake of an Indian Warrior" and "Tiny Reminders"

• Reader:

First: Jim Sheeler, "Amputee in it for the long run"

• Personal columns:

First: Mike Littwin

• Editorials:

First: Peter Blake

• Cartoon:

First: Ed Stein

• Political reporting:

First: M.E. Sprengelmeyer, "Big bucks going to little towns"

• Sports columns:

First: Dave Krieger

• Business columns:

First: Rob Reuteman

• Arts and entertainment/ reporting:

First: Mary Voelz Chandler and staff, "Opening week of Denver Art Museum wing"

• Arts and entertainment/criticism:

First: Mary Voelz Chandler

• Food and beverage writing:

First: Jay Dedrick, "Beer and Pizza"

• Spot news photo:

First: Barry Gutierrez, "Terror at school"

• News photography:

First: Todd Heisler, "Finally Home"

• Sports photo:

First: Marc Piscotty, "Short of hope - U.S. claims bronze"

• Online features:

First: Ken Harper, Tim Skillern, Sonya Doctorian, Forrest Stewart, "The Border Within"

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  A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.

• Deadly denial

  

  Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.

• Final Salute

  

  The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.

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• Columbine shootings

  

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• Osveli's journey

  

  Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.

• Wake for an Indian warrior

  

  Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.