Island Packet staff wins 33 SC Press Association awards — plus President’s Cup for 3rd year
The Island Packet has won the President’s Cup for being the outstanding mid-sized daily newspaper in the South Carolina Press Association awards for the third year in a row — and the fifth time in the last six years.
In addition to the President’s Cup, current and former staff members at the Packet received 33 awards, including 14 first-place honors, for their work in 2021. Judges praised stories including coverage of the Murdaugh family shootings and resulting criminal cases, a series that showed how a ticket for driving without a license changed the course of a man’s life, and other reports and columns that captured the essence of Beaufort County culture and history.
The newspaper’s work was entered alongside other medium-size daily newspapers and websites across South Carolina.
Here is a breakdown of the winning stories:
First-place wins
Informational Graphic: Lucas Smolcic Larson for a chart showing changing student demographics in Hilton Head schools with this story:
The story of ‘La Isla’: How Hispanic students became the face of Hilton Head
Obituary: Katherine Kokal for ‘So many carrots. So many kisses’: Beloved Hilton Head Clydesdale horse, Harley, dies at 17
Faith Beat Reporting: Karl Puckett for these three stories:
She once left the Catholic church. Now Beaufort woman cares for 175-year-old St. Peter’s
Beaufort woman copied the Bible by hand. Here’s what we can learn from her
Baptist church in Beaufort has ‘incredible story.’ Its plans for a $87,500 windfall
Digital Project and Enterprise Reporting: Katherine Kokal, Jake Shore and Drew Martin for the following three stories. This series also won third-place honors in the category Series of Articles.
A traffic stop 21 years ago took an SC man’s driver’s license. His life went with it
Fines. Fees. Jail. Black drivers at high risk as license suspensions triple over 10 years
Will SC man get his license back after 21 years? An inside look at a day in traffic court
Breaking News Reporting: Kacen Bayless, Jake Shore, Lana Ferguson and The State’s John Monk for coverage of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh’s fatal shooting, including these three stories:
Tragedy for SC powerhouse legal family: Paul Murdaugh, mother found shot to death
‘Well-lived and well-loved.’ Paul, Maggie Murdaugh honored at emotional funeral service
Hundreds attend funeral for Murdaughs before it ends swiftly due to rain
Reporting in Depth: Kacen Bayless, Jake Shore, Lana Ferguson and John Monk for coverage in the aftermath of Alex Murdaugh’s shooting, including the following five stories. This series also won second-place honors in the Breaking News Reporting category.
Alex Murdaugh, dad and husband of murder victims, shot in head in Hampton Co., lawyer says
SLED charges man with assisted suicide in Alex Murdaugh shooting for $10M insurance payout
‘Looks like a set up.’ 911 calls from Alex Murdaugh shooting in SC released by SLED
Hampton law firm says Alex Murdaugh misappropriated money, was forced to resign
Report saying Alex Murdaugh had no ‘visible injury’ likely an error, SC sheriff says
Government Beat Reporting: Kacen Bayless for these three stories:
‘No super secret search here.’ Bluffton quietly hired a firm to start town manager search
Fallout from Trump rally ensnares musician, Bluffton council member in local drama
Beaufort County Chair quietly gave employee a $10K raise, angering some on council
Business Beat Reporting: Katherine Kokal for these three stories:
Community mourns after Coligny gas station closes. What’s next for ‘majestic place’
Legendary Hilton Head corner fruit stand is back on US 278. Why it disappeared
100+ photos once adorned bar dubbed ‘Hilton Head’s living room.’ How they made it home
Education Beat Reporting: Rachel Jones for these three stories:
Bluffton school let an asthmatic employee work remotely during COVID. Until it didn’t
The family plan: Visit Hilton Head for 2 weeks and return to China. Then came COVID
‘We adopted each other’: After foster care, Hilton Head grad finds a mom and a major
News Feature Writing: Kacen Bayless for this story:
Stephen Smith was killed six years ago, and the case went cold. His mom finally has hope
Food Writing: David Lauderdale for this story:
It’s over: Sweet Hilton Head song of the Old Fort Pub is now history
Column Writing: David Lauderdale for these three columns:
Lessons in patience and faith: A father’s influence on how Hilton Head turned out
Best advice after Bluffton teen shooting: ‘Today, I will take back my community’
Come sit a spell on the Lowcountry’s front porch. Appreciate the scenery, silhouettes
Spot Sports Story: Karl Puckett for this story:
A world away, family watches Beaufort weightlifter’s Olympic debut. ‘Still a champion’
Second-place wins
E.A. Ramsaur Award for Editorial Writing: David Lauderdale for these three editorials:
Murdaugh madness shines light on unequal justice in South Carolina
Justice is going to have to be blind to the Murdaugh spin machine and power plays
Murdaugh case shows there’s a need to kick legislator-lawyers out of courtroom
Health Beat Reporting: Sam Ogozalek for these three stories:155 fully vaccinated people in SC got COVID-19 in extremely rare ‘breakthrough’ cases
I’ve covered COVID-19 for almost a year. Here’s what it was like to get a vaccine
Public Service: Staff coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, masks and vaccine information
Food Writing: Katherine Kokal for this story:
‘Nothing like the love of homemade cookies’: Hilton Head’s Cookie Lady is back and baking
Humor Column Writing: David Lauderdale for these columns:
$1,000 to take a job? Small town Bluffton has now seen it all
Herding sea gulls: The nightmares and beauty of retirement on Hilton Head Island
The real reason the Atlanta Braves won the World Series when no one thought they would
Feature Video: Jake Shore and Cameron Clark for this video
Volunteers use recycled oysters to build new reef near Shelter Cove Marina
Best Website: islandpacket.com
Third-place wins
Innovation: Lucas Smolcic Larson and Chiara Eisner for this five-story project published in both English and Spanish in a partnership with local Spanish-language publication La Isla:
The story of ‘La Isla’: How Hispanic students became the face of Hilton Head
Why are ‘Dreamers’ who call South Carolina home leaving? ‘It’s like a toxic relationship’
‘Whatever it takes.’ This school teaches SC a lesson on helping Hispanic students succeed
‘I saw him shine.’ How SC’s Lowcountry has evolved, through the eyes of immigrant moms
To give kids a better chance, some Hispanic families skirt enrollment rules on Hilton Head
Obituary: Lana Ferguson for this story:
Pillars of Ridgeland community married 65 years died within 24 hours of each other
Investigative Reporting: Lucas Smolcic Larson for this story:
At least 253 people have died in SC jails since 2009. ‘Why was nobody looking?’
Beat Reporting: Kate Hidalgo Bellows a coverage of workforce issues including:
A long road home: As housing program stagnates, Hilton Head workers bear consequences
‘A little ray of hope’: In South Carolina, the push to vaccinate farm workers begins
Hilton Head’s largest employers say they’re hiring. Why aren’t people applying?
Public Service: Lucas Smolcic Larson and Kacen Bayless for this series that exposed problems in first-responders’ pay, hours and training:
Long hours. Low pay. Forced overtime. Is Beaufort Co. EMS ‘struggling to tread water’?
Beaufort firefighters expelled from EMT course after cheating probe. What happened?
A ‘short-term fix’: Beaufort County EMS to bump pay for 48-hour ambulance shifts
Sports Feature Story: Katherine Kokal for this story:
This Hilton Head teen is a wrestling champ competing against the boys. She’s 18-0
Sports Column Writing: David Lauderdale for these three columns:
Are we burying a way of life with this Hilton Head Island surfing legend?
The Hilton Head boys (and girl) of summer: Where are they 20 years later?
RBC Heritage blasts into the future in a quieter Harbour Town on Hilton Head
Feature Video: Drew Martin for this video:
Removing Beaufort’s Confederate memorials would ‘serve no purpose for history’
General Excellence: The Island Packet staff
Newspaper’s Use of Social Media: The Island Packet staff
