Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 8, 1994                   TAG: 9405080036
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: E5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NEWSPAPER'S TOP WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS HONORED WITH ANNUAL LANDMARK AWARDS

The in-house competition, named for the Norfolk-based corporation that owns the newspaper, recognized the range of journalism.

Laura Williamson, who has been with the newspaper for a year and now covers health as her regular beat, won first place in the reporting category for articles she wrote while covering education.

Her reporting and determination to get to the bottom of a consulting contract planned as part of School Superintendent Frank Tota's retirement package was classic muckraking, said Sacramento Bee Executive Editor Gregory Favre, who judged the news writing category.

Laurence Hammack, who covers Roanoke courts, took second place.

Beth Macy won the top award for feature writing for the third year in a row. From poke salad to memories of her grandmother's house, her pieces are real, touching and evocative, said Ralph Frattura and Scott Lebar, judges of the contest.

Melissa DeVaughn was runner-up for a dedication to storytelling, said the judges.

Outdoor writer Bill Cochran, a 29-year veteran with the newspaper, won top honors for sports reporting. Larry Panteges, deputy sports editor at the Akron Beacon-Journal, called Cochran's writing techniques entertaining, poignant and informative.

Doug Doughty won second place for versatility in beat reporting, enterprise journalism and feature writing.

In photography, first-place winner Gene Dalton was recognized for excellent composition and use of light.

Each picture added information and viewing pleasure while progressing through the story, said Cheryl Magazine, judge of the photography awards and assistant managing editor of photo and graphics at the Hartford Courant.

Second-place winner Keith Graham was commended for a wide range of photojournalism.

Jim Pelfrey won first place for copy editing, which includes headline-writing, designing layout, and editing stories.

David Herd won second place.

Winners received $1,000; runners-up, $500.