The Sun-Sentinel has won 19 journalism awards for news coverage, including first place in the highly coveted “General Excellence” category, in the Mississippi Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest Editorial Division.
The awards, for work published in 2019, were announced live during a July 10 MPA presentation via Zoom.
Contest entries were judged by newspaper professionals from the Alabama Press Association.
The Sun-Sentinel won top honors for overall excellence in its audience class, Weekly Division F. The Conservative of Carrollton took second place while The Clarksdale Press Register finished third.
“We are very gratified to receive this honor,” said Sun-Sentinel Editor and Publisher Clay McFerrin. “Competition is always strong, and this year was no exception. It was nice to see two of our sister publications from the Emmerich Newspapers family place second and third in general excellence in our division.”
In February, The Sun-Sentinel won first place for overall Advertising Excellence, for advertising service provided to customers. The General Excellence honor completes the sweep of top awards available in Weekly Division F.
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Clay McFerrin received four first-place plaques for:
» Best Sports News Story, about Webb native Bruce Sanders’ achievements at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games
» Best Sports Feature, for an account of how the Tallahatchie Delta Youth League Inc. was carrying on a proud local youth athletics tradition
Judges commented, “This was a wonderful piece about a true community effort and its success,” adding, “It provided a public service...”
» Best Sports Feature Photo, for a picture of 4-H archers taking aim during a district Shooting Sports competition near Charleston
» Best News Package, for a story, photographs and cutlines about a May 2019 shooting that left one man dead and four people injured
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Sun-Sentinel Office Manager Krista McFerrin won a second-place award for Best Lifestyles Page or Section, for a series of “Tallahatchie Life & Style” page designs.
She and Clay McFerrin won a third-place award for Best Pictorial Series, for a two-page spread of photos from the 45th annual Charleston Day reunion, which was held Labor Day weekend in Charleston.
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Clay McFerrin also won the following awards:
» Second place, Best Business News Story, for a piece about the Natural Resources Conservation Service partnering with Tallahatchie County on flood control projects valued at $1.4 million
» Second place, Best Feature Story, for a Christmastime spread about the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s donation of gifts to a Charleston woman and her family
» Second place, Best News Package, for a story and photo spread about a February 2019 widespread flooding event in Tallahatchie County that dumped a foot or more of water in some areas of the county
» Second place, Best Personality Portrait, for a photo of local artist Joe Wrenn cutting a rug on the dance floor
» Second place, Best Editorial Page, for a series of opinion page designs
» Second place, Best Editorials, for a selection of opinion pieces
» Second place, Best Sports Page or Section
» Second place, Best Lede
» Third place, Best Business News Story, about implementation of Tallahatchie County’s new E-911 addressing system
» Third place, Best Sports News Story, about Charleston High School’s DeAntre Prince signing a football scholarship with Ole Miss
» Third place, Best Sports Feature Story, for a writeup about the football exploits of Fred Hervey
» Third place, Best Game Story, for an account of the CHS football team’s 40-6 win over Coahoma County
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Combined with 15 earlier awards for advertising excellence, the latest honors bring to 34, the total number of MPA awards presented to The Sun-Sentinel this year.
