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Coloradoan wins CPA, CAPER awards

Staff report

The Coloradoan was honored with the Friend of the First Amendment award by the Colorado Press Association over the weekend during the state’s annual news association gathering in Lakewood.

Planning Editor Jennifer Hefty (right) accepted the Rising Star award during the Colorado Press Association on Friday, April 21. Executive Editor Lauren Gustus presented the award at the annual news conference in Lakewood.

Jeff Roberts, director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, presented the award to the Coloradoan for its efforts to create more access to open records via an update to the Colorado Open Records Act.

For roughly the last year, the news organization has worked with a coalition of stakeholders to create a law that would enable the public to access records in a digital format. Today’s standard is that a public record is serviced in printed form.

Sen. John Kefalas of Fort Collins introduced legislation to create digital access to records during the 2017 Legislature. It passed the Senate and will be heard in a House committee Monday.

“Records belong to the public, not government and not journalists,” Coloradoan Executive Editor Lauren Gustus said as she accepted on behalf of the Coloradoan.

Jennifer Hefty, planning editor at the Coloradoan, was also honored as the year’s Rising Star by the Colorado Press Association.

The Coloradoan won 59 awards from both the Colorado Press Association (CPA) and the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters (CAPER) contests.

General Excellence, the award that goes to the news organization with the most individual honors with first places being weighted, went to the Coloradoan from both CAPER and CPA in its midsized division. The Coloradoan was also honored by the CPA for general editorial and online excellence.

CAPER

(Weekly circulation of 100,000 to 299,999)

First place, feature story, Jason Pohl, 24 Hours of chaos

First place, business story, Pat Ferrier, Fort Collins’ affordable neighborhoods disappear

First place, investigative reporting, Nick Coltrain, CSU salary equity

First place, beat reporting, Jason Pohl, Nick Coltrain and Sarah Kyle, Mental health in Northern Colorado

First place, editorials, Lauren Gustus and Rebecca Powell

First place, series, staff, Mental health in Northern Colorado

First place, online breaking news, staff, Caucus mania

First place, online special package, Jason Pohl, Mollie Muchna and Spencer Elliott, Refugee crisis kills thousands

First place, informational graphic, Take Uda, Big jobs, big money

First place, sports column, Matthew Stephens

First place, sports story, Matthew Stephens and Chelsae Ketchum, Playing high

First place, best website, staff

First place, general excellence, staff

Second place, feature story, Erin Udell, Debbie Duz Donuts

Second place, photography portfolio, Valerie Mosley

Second place, environmental story, Jacy Marmaduke, Flint-level lead numbers found in water at 4 area sites

Second place, online special package, Erin Udell, The Tim Masters story

Second place, public service, Sarah Jane Kyle and Erika Moore, First Class Scholars Program

Second place, informational graphic, Luis Solano Ortega, All-Hughes Stadium team

Second place, headline writing, Design Studio

Third place, sports story, Kevin Lytle, Late nights, high costs

Third place, investigative reporting, Jacy Marmaduke, Contractor to pay thousands for Big Thompson River fish kill

Third place, business story, Pet Ferrier, ColoradoCare: What it means to you

CPA

First place, Best Restaurant Or Dining Ad, Smokin Fins, Greg Gasper and Paul Lukes

First place, Best Newspaper/House Ad Promotion, High School Sports Awards, Erika Moore

First place, Best Story/Picture Combination, Six Months of Struggle, Sarah Kyle and Valerie Mosley

First place, Best Series, Transient concerns hit fever pitch in Fort Collins, Sarah Kyle, Jason Pohl, Valerie Mosley and Nick Coltrain

First place, Best Editorial Special Section - Newsprint, Remembering Hughes, Matt Stephens, Luis Solano Ortega, Kevin Duggan, Erin Udell, Stephen Meyers, Kevin Lytle, Kelly Lyell and Jennifer Hefty

First place, Best Serious Column Writing, Matt Stephens

First place, Best Feature Story, Guy's Story, Sarah Kyle

First place, Public Service, Mental Health in Northern Colorado, Jason Pohl, Sarah Kyle, Miles Blumhardt, Valerie Mosley, Nick Coltrain, Mollie Muchna and Miles Blumhardt

First place, Best Sports Story, Fort Collins football teams face late nights, high costs, Kevin Lytle and Austin Humphreys

First place, Best Environmental Story, Flint-level lead numbers found in water at 4 area sites, Jacy Marmaduke

First place, Best Editorial Special Section - Glossy or Magazine, Mind + Body: Spring Issue, Kristin Deily, Erika Moore and Stephen Meyers

First place, Best News Story, No room: PSD schools filled beyond capacity, Sarah Kyle and Alicia Stice

First place, Best Deadline News Reporting, Caucus mania!, Eric Larsen, Nick Coltrain, Valerie Mosley, Adrian Garcia, Austin Humphries and Jennifer Hefty

First place, Best Health Enterprise/Health Feature Story, What drives Larimer County youths to suicide?, Sarah Kyle

First place, Breaking News Video, 1 dead, 2 in custody following Tuesday stabbing, Johnny Hart

First place, Use of Social Media in Breaking News, Donald Trump makes local campaign stops, Jason Pohl, Nick Coltrain, Cassa Niedringhaus, Matt Stephens, Austin Humphries, Spencer Elliott, Jennifer Hefty and Valerie Mosley

First place, Best Multimedia, Losing Ari, Jason Pohl, Valerie Mosley, Mollie Muchna and Johnny Hart

First place, Online Breaking News, Caucus mania!, Nick Coltrain, Adrian Garcia, Austin Humphries, Valerie Mosley and Eric Larsen

First place, Best Use of Multimedia Advertising, Red Wing Shoes, Greg Gasper and Gannett Imaging and Design Center

Second place, Best Medium Space Ad, Western State Bank, Mary Heine and Gannett Imaging and Design Center

Second place, Best Newspaper/House Ad Promotion, Coloradoan Food Truck Festival series, Holly Engelman and Erika Moore

Second place, Best Advertising Special Section, Eat+Drink Magazine, Jacob Laxen, Kristin Deily and Erika Moore

Second place, Best Story/Picture Combination, Tire Valley, Nick Coltrain

Second place, Best Education Story, What drives Larimer County youths to suicide?, Sarah Kyle

Second place, Best Investigative Story Package, CSU Salary Equity, Nick Coltrain

Second place, Best Sports Story, How Rams chase greatness behind closed doors, Kelly Lyell

Second place, Best Editorial Special Section - Glossy or Magazine, Mind + Body: The Gray Issue, Mollie Muchna and Erika Moore

Second place: Best News Story, Losing Ari, Jason Pohl and Valerie Mosley

Second place, Best Website-Daily, coloradoan.com, Jennifer Hefty, Alexandra Smith, Spencer Elliott, Chris Abshire, Johnny  Hart, Rebecca Powell, Cassa Niedringhaus and Jason Pohl

Second place, Best Use of Multimedia Advertising, Fox Acres, Susan Giglio and Gannett Imaging and Design Center

Second place, Best Cover Design, Fort Collins in Focus, Suzanne Palma

Kefalas' open records bill passes Senate