BDN staffers earn honors in N.E. contest

BANGOR – Bangor Daily News reporters, photographers and designers earned several awards through the New England Associated Press News Executives Association’s annual contest. The awards will be presented at NEAPNEA’s conference on Sept. 2 in Providence, R.I.

Editorial page editor Todd Benoit and assistant editor Susan Young took first and third places, respectively, in the editorial writing category. Benoit’s winning entries were about the quagmire of the state budget, the slow work of the Legislature and Maine’s position in the Base Alignment and Closure Commission hearings. Young’s entries were about expanding the use of the SATs, state legislation that would limit Canadian loggers in the Maine woods, and the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices’ failure to look into an ethics accusation against a legislator.

Nick Sambides, a reporter based in Lincoln, earned third place in the investigative category for a series of stories on the murder of Michael Severance of Lee in Texas, allegedly at his wife’s hand, and the subsequent battle between the grandparents over custody of a young child, Michael’s son.

John Holyoke, who writes a regular outdoors column for the sports section, won a first place in the sports column category. His entries were about enjoying a special camp experience on Munsungan Stream, carrying on a family tradition in the Allagash, and learning how to snowboard.

In the photo division, photographer Kevin Bennett placed second in the feature category for an American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront photo titled “Folk dance.” He also placed third in sports feature for a photo at Wyman’s Boxing Club, a boxing program for youths led by Kenneth Wyman of Stockton Springs.

Photographer John Clarke Russ earned a second place in the portrait or profile category with his photo of gunsmith Carl “Bill” Morrison of Bradford.

Graphics editor Eric Zelz placed second in the illustration category of the design division for an illustration of a Living page story on what businesses such as Netflix have done to home theater capability.