News

Lightning receives NCPA awards

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By Bill Moss, Published: March 10, 2015

The Hendersonville Lightning received nine awards in the 2014 North Carolina Press Association news and editorial contest, including first place honors for news features, profiles, editorials and columns.

The awards were presented last week at the annual winter meeting of the Press Association in Chapel Hill. The awards and judges' comments were:
• News features, first place, Bill Moss: "Behind-the-scenes talks result in a joint deal for health building," an in-depth story about how officials negotiated a five-party agreement to build the Wingate-BRCC-Pardee health center. The story "made a confusing land deal easy to follow," judges said.
• Profiles, first place, Bill Moss: "Apodaca keeps up the banter while he relishes role in Senate." The profile of state Sen. Tom Apodaca had a "wonderful lede which sets the tone for this masterful profile."
• Editorials, first place, Bill Moss: "Friend of the press is friend of the public," "GOP tax cut raises wages," "Striking a blow against mediocrity." "An eloquent series of editorials that shows respect for those who disagree but still takes strong positions on behalf of the public."
• Columns, first place, Bill Moss: "Why we made the Lightning," "Vietnam comes to the Flat Rock stage," "Make the Apple Festival a little hoppier."
• Profiles, second place, Bill Moss: "Kirby brings stability to Pardee." "A fine profile of a hospital CEO that keeps the reader's interest and offers an insight into the subject's thinking and his handling of a sensitive job."
• News coverage, second place, Bill Moss: "Malpractice trial expected to be lengthy and dramatic."
• Special sections, second place, Denise Ward, Bill Moss: 2014 Apple Festival Guide. "It's obvious a lot of hard work and thought went into this special section."
• Special sections, third place, Denise Ward, Bill Moss: Primary Election Guide 2014.
• News enterprise, third place, "Tree to Table," the newspaper's chronicle of the apple growing season of an Edneyville farm family.
Advertising awards were:
• Special sections, second place, Denise Ward and Paula Roberts: 2014 Apple Festival Guide.
• Real estate ads, third place, Denise Ward: "Our clients say it best."
• Home furnishings, third place, Denise Ward and Paula Roberts: "Looking for the bed of your dreams?"
"We were pleased that the contest judges recognized work that covered some of the most important news stories in depth," said Moss, the founder and editor of the Lightning. "We set out three years ago to produce quality journalism for an amazing community that deserves quality journalism. We're always happy when our peers validate that mission. We'll keep it up."