Eula Josephine Lagrange Larose
April 28, 2008
Adam "T-Dent" LaCoste
April 30, 2008
The Tri-Parish Times & BusinessNews was named the 2007 Newspaper of the Year by the Louisiana Press Association for weekly newspapers in the state with the highest number of paid subscribers at a ceremony held in Lafayette Saturday.
The Tri-Parish Times competed against 21 other weekly newspapers in the division of newspapers with circulations above 3,001.
“We’re thrilled to be named Newspaper of the Year,” said Publisher Darrin Guidry. “It’s a testament to the commitment and hard work our staff does each week to deliver readers the latest news in the Tri-parish market.”
The newspaper won the editorial sweepstakes by accumulating the most points in individual categories covering news, sports and feature articles, advertising, layout, editorials, special sections and overall qualities.
The Tri-Parish Times won first place in its division for general excellence and first place in the best special section category for its September pullout covering the local oil and gas industry.
The newspaper also won first place for best editorial page, best front page, best news coverage, best overall sports coverage and community service.
Sportswriter Chris Scarnati garnered two individual first-place awards, one for best sports column and the other for best sports story. He also placed second in the best sports column category.
Staff writers Sophia Ruffin and Brian Fontenot won second place for best news story. Fontenot won second place for best continuing coverage of a single news event and managing editor Shell Armstrong took second for best feature photo.
The newspaper took home third place awards for best continuing coverage of a governmental issue (awarded to Mike Brossette) and best sports photo.
Sophia Ruffin and Brad Thibodaux won honorable mentions in the best continuing coverage of a single news event and best sports column categories, respectively.
In the advertising and layout categories, the Tri-Parish Times advertising staff won first place in the black and white in-paper promotion category and layout artist Amber Kurtz won second place for most effective use of graphic design on a single page.
Kurtz won third place – along with Armstrong – for most effective use of graphic design on a single page, as well.
Kurtz took home third place also in the multiple advertiser page category.
Rounding out the awards, the Tri-Parish Times editorial staff and layout artist Liz Daigle won honorable mentions for best headline and best advertising idea or promotion, respectively.
The Tri-Parish Times was the second Houma newspaper to take home the top honor. In its division, cross-town Houma Courier won the title among daily publications its size.
