NEAPNEA 2012 writing contest winners

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Class I

First; Republican-American, Waterbury, Conn.; Tracey O'Shaughnessy; Not just naked

Second; The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass.; Al Alexander; You'll enjoy the shade of the tree of life

Third; The Providence (R.I.) Journal; Rick Massimo; Out of despair, hope for others

Class II

First; Concord (N.H.) Monitor; Sarah Earle; Breathless spirals

Second; Daily Hampshire Gazette; Steve Pfarrer; In the trenches

Third; The Salem (Mass.) News; Will Broaddus; Still Movies

Class III

First; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Ross Edwards; Bold 'L.A. Noire' values story over action

Second; Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.; Alex Hanson; Faces of War

Third; Gloucester (Mass.) Daily Times; Gail McCarthy; An artistic alchemy arises from trash and tape

BEAT REPORTING

Class I

First; The Providence (R.I.) Journal; Jennifer D. Jordan; Education

Second; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; John Richardson; Health Care

Third; The Hartford (Conn.) Courant; Jon Lender; Top UConn Cops' Pay Doubled; Prison Nurses Get OT Bonanza; Exec Who's Rarely There Draws Big Pay

Class II

First; The Day, New London, Conn.; Rick Koster; Music

Second; The Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.; Steve DeCosta; Casinos and gaming

Third; Concord (N.H.) Monitor; Sarah Palermo; Education

Class III

First; Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.; Chris Fleisher; Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Second; Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.; Mark Davis; Crime

Third; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Alana Melanson; Ashburnham/LancasterWestminster

BEST HEADLINE

Class I

First; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Bob Dixon; Maine warmer for plants, but let's not go bananas

Second; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Brian Robitaille; Much ado-dle-doo about noisy birds

Third; The Providence (R.I.) Journal; Peter Donahue ; Watching Will and Kate tie the Windsor knot

Class II

First; Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.; Julie Lipkin; Wellfleet is runnin' from Dunkin'

Second; The Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.; Kellen Riell; Lawn-scare specialists

Third; The Sun Chronicle, Attleboro, Mass.; Andrew Bryce; Fare and loathing

Class III

First; Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.; Joe Applegate; A Recession Four Stories Deep

Second; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Dan Phelps; B - LIEVE IT

BUSINESS/CONSUMER NEWS

Class I

First; The Providence (R.I.) Journal; Staff; Reinvent Rhode Island

Second; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Tom Bell; So you want to be a lobsterman

Third; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Ed Murphy; Racing Toward Uncertainty

Class II

First; The Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.; Steve Urbon; Making a Name

Second; The Day, New London, Conn.; Lee Howard; A new mission for Pfizer

Third; The Day, New London, Conn.; Lee Howard; Unemployed reach end of benefits

Class III

First; Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.; Chris Fleisher; Giving License To Profit

Second; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Michael Hartwell; Beware of phone-y charges

Third; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Michael Hartwell; Beermaking melds art, science

CONTINUING COVERAGE

Class I

First; The Hartford (Conn.) Courant; Staff; October Snowstorm

Second; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Edward Murphy; Portland Fireboat Accident

Third; Republican-American, Waterbury, Conn.; Michael Puffer, Penelope Overton; School leaders dismiss rumors on high scores

Class II

First; Concord (N.H.) Monitor; Annmarie Timmins; Northern Pass

Second; Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.; George Brennan; Abuse at Camp Good News

Third; The Advocate, Stamford, Conn.; Kate King, Maggie Gordon, Jeff Morganteen; A tragic Christmas fire

Class III

First; Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.; Alex Hanson; Tropical Storm Irene Damage

Second; Brattleboro (Vt.) Reformer; Staff; Tropical Storm Irene ravages Windham County

Third; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Michael Hartwell; Fitchburg Election

DEADLINE NEWS COVERAGE

Class I

First; The Republican, Springfield, Mass.; Staff; Twister

Second; Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Mass.; Staff; Storm damage

Third; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Ann Kim; Missing woman's body found in pond

Class II

First; The Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.; Staff ; Weakened Tropical Storm Irene

Second; The Salem (Mass.) News; Paul Leighton; Firefighter dies in blaze

Third; The Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.; Curt Brown, Anika Clark; Police: Elderly rider raped

Class III

First; Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.; Staff; Special Edition: Tropical Storm Irene

Second; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Michael Hartwell, Nick Mallard; Early snowstorm

Third; The Herald News, Fall River, Mass.; Derek Vital; Burned to the ground

DEADLINE SPORTS COVERAGE

Class I

First; The Providence (R.I.) Journal; Paul Kenyon; 2nd-round match was anything but par for the course

Second; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Glenn Jordan; Freeport's Zolla lives out dream

Third; Portland (Maine) Press Herald; Glenn Jordan; Despite spasms, Maine's Samuelson wins her age group.

Class II

First; Concord (N.H.) Monitor; Gavin Faretra; Yankees draft senior pitcher

Second; The Sun Chronicle, Attleboro, Mass.; Mark Farinella; Just another Saturday until that phone call; Delayed gratification

Third; The Day, New London, Conn.; Vickie Fulkerson; John Kelley, running legend, dies at 80

Class III

First; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Chad Garner; Leominster Division 1 Champs; Leominster earns Super Bowl glory; O'Connor has the 'heart of a lion'

Second; Bennington (Vt.) Banner; Austin Danforth; Rice upsets Bulldogs on PKs

EDITORIAL

Class I

First; New Haven (Conn.) Register; Charles Kochakian; Put DeLauro's bill in the diaper pail; No surprise CL & P's Butler has resigned; East Haven needs U.S. oversight

Second; The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass.; John Murphy; Handling of O'Connell case increasingly troubling; Stop letting thugs terrorize elderly tenants; South Shore character is worth your investment

Third; The Sun, Lowell, Mass.; Tom Zuppa; Editorials

Class II

First; Concord (N.H.) Monitor; Ralph Jimenez; Councilor Patten should step down; No pride in taxing state's hospital beds; Jury in genocide trial has a tough job

Second; The Day, New London, Conn.; Paul Choiniere; Choiniere editorials

Third; Concord (N.H.) Monitor; Felice Belman; A historic vote to embrace equality; In Allenstown, no comment from selectmen; Empty prison?

Class III

First; Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.; Charles St. Amand; Government lends hand...to your purse; Close Registry's VIP office; Do we take care of our own?