The Deseret News received two first-place honors in the 1993 Utah-Idaho-Spokane Associated Press Association contest for photos, graphics and reporting by newspapers.
Robert Noyce, who heads the Deseret News art department, swept all three places in the graphics division with his illustrative graphics and layouts on Amelia Earhart, the quincentennial celebration of Columbus Day and heart bypass surgery.Sportswriter Doug Robinson won top honors in the sports columns division, writing about the "March Madness" obsessions of University of Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus. Robinson also received honorable mention in sports features.
Sportswriter Brad Rock received second- and third-place awards in sports features, with second-place honors given for his Sports Extra feature on Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. A feature on the ever-changing unwritten rules and ruses of autograph-seekers who hound NBA players earned Rock his third-place award.
In the series and special projects category, staff writer Brian West took third place for his in-depth "Hospital Held Hostage," a pullout section reviewing the Alta View siege and subsequent court proceedings. And the Deseret News staff received honorable mention in the same category for its News Extra coverage wrapping up the results of the 1993 Utah Legislature, with Political Editor Bob Bernick Jr. and Associate City Editor David Schneider supervising the coordinated effort.
Staff photographer Kristan Jacobsen finished second in the sequence photography category with her photos accompanying a News Extra on Salt Lake City's homeless living in fields and cardboard boxes and along viaduct walls and train yards.
Staff writer Brooke Adams earned a third-place award in investigative reporting for her report on hundreds of Utah County residents who invested in a heat pump and free electricity machine offered by a man who previously had been convicted in other states of defrauding investors in his business.
Executive Sports Editor John Robinson received honorable mention in the spot sports news category for his game story and accompanying column on the BYU football team's loss to Kansas in the 1992 Aloha Bowl. And the Deseret News was awarded an honorable mention in the page design division.
Here are the results of the 68th annual UISAPA contest in Division A for newspapers with circulation above 50,000:
- The William H. Cowles Memorial Awards for Investigative Reporting and Feature Writing (Investigative Reporting): first, Ted Cilwick, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Superfund Superflop"; second, Dan Popkey, The Idaho Statesman, "Trip by Senator"; third, Brooke Adams, Deseret News, "We the People."
- The William H. Cowles Memorial Awards for Investigative Reporting and Feature Writing (feature writing): first, Tom Wharton and Mark Knudsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, "The Great Salt Lake"; second, Eric Sorenson, The Spokesman-Review, "Feeding A Dream"; third, Peggy Fletcher Stack and Peter Scarlet, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Religion." Honorable mention, Christopher Smith, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah Byways."
- Spot news: first, Michael Phillips, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Frantic Driver Tried to Keep Uncle Awake"; second, Jess Walter, The Spokesman-Review, "Bartel Admits Killing"; third, Dawn House, Mike Gorrell, Pat Mellor, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Quake Jars Southern Utah."
- General reporting: first, William Miller and Isamu Jordon, The Spokesman-Review, "Juvenile Justice"; second, Anne Wilson, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Kids Killed by Guns"; third, Andrew Garber, The Idaho Statesman, "The Endangered."
- Columns: first, Cathy Free, The Spokesman-Review, "Children Taught to Hate"; second, Jim Kershner, The Spokesman-Review; third, Judy McConnell Steele, The Idaho Statesman.
- Editorial writing: first, Susan Whaley, The Idaho Statesman, "Severance Lessons"; second, Paul Wetzel, The Salt Lake Tribune; third, Michelle Cole, The Idaho Statesman; honorable mention, Lex Hemphill, The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Spot sports news: first, Phil Smith and Michael Deeds, The Idaho Statesman, "Skip Hall Resigns"; second, The Salt Lake Tribune sports staff, NBA All-Star Weekend-March 21; third, The Salt Lake Tribune sports staff, NBA All-Star Weekend-March 22. Honorable mention, John Robinson, Deseret News, game story and column, BYU's bowl game.
- Sports features: first, John Blanchette, The Spokesman-Review, "Once Again From the Ashes"; second, Brad Rock, Deseret News, "A Matter of Attitude"; third, Brad Rock, Deseret News, "Rules of Autograph Game Have Changed." Honorable mentions, Doug Robinson, Deseret News; Dave Boling, The Spokesman-Review; Becky Paull, The Idaho Statesman.
- Sports column: first, Doug Robinson, Deseret News, "Majerus and March Madness"; second, John Blanchette, The Spokesman-Review, "No Doubt - It's Dan"; third, Rich Landers, The Spokesman Review, "Kelly Creek."
- General excellence (design): winner: The Idaho Statesman
- Series and special projects: first, The Spokesman-Review, "Northwest Passage"; second, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Gambling in Zion"; third, Brian West, Deseret News, "Hospital Held Hostage." Honorable mentions, Deseret News, "It's a Wrap," and The Idaho Statesman, "What If One Percent Passes?"
- Page design: first, John Kafentzis, Kevin Graman and Carol Macpherson, The Spokesman-Review; second, Vince Grippi, The Spokesman-Review; third, John Nelson, The Spokesman-Review; honorable mention, Deseret News staff; Lisa Cowan, The Spokesman-Review.
- Graphics: first, Robert Noyce, Deseret News, "Amelia Earhart"; second, Robert Noyce, Deseret News, "Columbus"; third, Robert Noyce, Deseret News, "Bypass Surgery."
- Spot news photos: first, Steve Griffin, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Trooper Widow Grieves"; second, Colin Mulvany, The Spokesman-Review, "Skinheads Arrested at Weaver Siege"; third, Kevin Clark, The Idaho Statesman, "Raging Fire."
- Sports photos: first, Stuart Wong, The Idaho Statesman, "Kayak"; second, Kevin Clark, The Idaho Statesman, "High School Basketball Dejection"; third, Jeffrey Allred, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Tangled Up."
- Feature photos: first, Christopher Anderson, The Spokesman-Review, "Perot Descends Into Crowd"; second, Anne C. Williams, The Spokesman-Review, "Skinheads Shave in Ruby Creek"; third, Jeffrey Allred, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Visiting Elk."
- Sequence photos: first, Kevin Clark, The Idaho Statesman, "Alternative Music"; second, Kristan Jacobsen, Deseret News, "A Slice of Street Life"; third, Jeffrey Allred, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Hot Air Scare."