The Grenada Star represented Grenada County well earning nearly two dozen awards including one of the Mississippi Press Association’s top accolades for journalism during the 157th Annual Meeting in Flowood last weekend.
In addition to winning 22 individual and staff awards,The Star placed second in General Excellence in Division C, the largest weekly newspaper category in the state, for its overall performance in the contest.
“I am so proud of our staff for the hard work and dedication each one of them put forth to help produce a quality community newspaper that not only we, but our readers and advertisers, can be proud of,” Editor and Publisher Adam Prestridge said. “There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that doesn’t get noticed in bylines and photo credits. Last weekend was proof that hard work does pay off.”
Prestridge claimed one of the MPA’s top awards as the recipient of the Bill Minor Prize for Investigative Reporting among all weekly newspapers. His stories “City letter causes contention” and “Council minutes prove Fortune 500 visit” earned him the accolade.
“Excellent piece demonstrating the power of local journalism and covering government meetings,” the judges wrote. “Purposeful, sourced and unbiased. Very well done!”
Prestridge’s work focused on the city of Grenada’s haphazard efforts courting — and ultimately turning away — a household name brand company looking to locate in a city-owned building in the city’s Industrial Park, spend millions of dollars in improvements, renovations and expansions as well as hire up to 300 employees at its peak. His winning selection placed first in In Depth or Investigative Coverage category, qualifying him for the Bill Minor Prize.
The MPA described Prestridge’s piece in a press release as “the City of Grenada’s haphazard efforts courting — and ultimately turning away — a Fortune 500 industry.
In 2003, donors established the Bill Minor Journalism Prize to honor the late Mr. Minor’s long career. Recipients of the General News and Investigative Reporting prizes are selected from the First Place winners in Categories 1 and 3. The four winners of the Minor Prize are also presented with a generous cash prize.
“The MPA expresses its appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Tim Medley of Jackson, the benefactors of this prize,” MPA Executive Director Layne Bruce wrote. “In 2021, the Medleys endowed the MPA Education Foundation with $150,000 to continue the prize fund in perpetuity. We are deeply grateful for this generous contribution in support of excellence in reporting by MPA member journalists.”
For the second consecutive year, The Star earned first place for Community Service Award among weekly newspapers for its sponsorship of a local food drive. The “How Much CAN You Save?” circulation promotion challenged readers to donate non-perishable food items for tiered discounts on a one-year subscription. The Star delivered more than 400 food items to the Grenada Soup Kitchen and Grenada Food Pantry.
“Wonderful community project to feed the needy,” the judge wrote.
The Grenada Star also brought home first-place honors for Best Design in Class C.
“Excellent use of art and graphics, really draws the eye,” the judge wrote. “Headlines are precise and clear with enough variation to make sure each stands out announcing each separate piece of the page. Well organized throughout making it easy for a reader to follow. Very clean and tidy design, makes it easier on the eye for the reader.”
FIRST PLACE - BEST DESIGN
In addition, The Star placed second for Sports Page and third for Lifestyles Page and Best Website — www.grenadastar.com — among all weekly newspapers. The Star’s Profile 2022: 24 Hours in Grenada County also placed second in the Special Section category.
For his video of the fire that destroyed Catfish Corner, which accompanied The Star’s story “Blaze destroys iconic Catfish Corner eatery” online, Prestridge placed second among all state publications. The Star’s live steaming coverage of Grenada City Council Meetings won third place in the Best Use of Social Media category.
Click HERE to view video.
Prestridge swept the General News Photo category, winning first, second and third places. His first-place photo was of a cowering dog in a cage at the Grenada Animal Shelter that accompanied his story “Animal shelter fiasco.”
“Exactly what a news photo should do — this paints a vivid picture of the problem,” the judge wrote. “Excellent photo!”
FIRST PLACE - GENERAL NEWS PHOTO
Prestridge’s second-place photo “Rock-and-Road” was a standalone of rip rap work along Grenada Lake on Graysport Crossing Road in Gore Springs. The photo of archeologists carefully uncovering a skeleton exposed by a downed tree in historic Yellow Fever Cemetery that accompanied his story “History Uprooted” claimed third place. “History Uprooted” also won third place for Best Headline and Best Lede, the opening sentence or paragraph to the story.
Prestridge’s lede for his story “Turning the Page” covering Grenada Upper Elementary School’s holiday family literacy event earned him a second-place award.
Sports Editor Chuck Hathcock won third place for Game Story for “North State Champs” for his coverage of Kirk Academy’s girls basketball team’s win over North Delta.
Prestridge won third place for his feature story “Peacocks Prosper” and honorable mention for “History Uprooted.”
Former Star staff reporter Mandy Ayers won first place in the Spot News Photo category for “GFD battles big blazes Friday, Saturday” featuring a house fire on Elm Street.
“Very dramatic photo,” the judge wrote. “The photographer must have arrived within minutes to catch the fire at this point. Nice work.”
FIRST PLACE - SPOT NEWS PHOTO
Ayers also won first place for Best Photo Series for “Dream Painting,” a feature story on popular watercolor painter Wyatt Waters, who was commissioned to paint the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church in Downtown Grenada.
“Lovely photos in dark lighting,” the judge wrote.
FIRST PLACE - PHOTO SERIES
Prestridge won third place in the Personality Portrait category for his portrait of Grenada businessman Will White, which was featured in Grenada Magazine, along with a history of the multiple companies he owns and operates.
Prestridge won honorable mention for News Package for his coverage of the Milwaukee Tool groundbreaking, which included an artist rendering of the state-of-the-art facility and a timeline of events leading up to the monumental day.
Thirty-nine newsrooms entered more than 1,500 entries into 35 categories during this year’s contest. It was judged this spring by volunteers from the Arkansas Press Association.
“We are so proud of all winners in the contest,” MPA President Stephanie Patton, editor and publisher of “The Leland Progress,” said. “Recognition of their hard work honors the impact they make in the communities they serve.”
