Island Packet staff wins 26 SC Press Association awards — plus President’s Cup for 4th 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 fourth year in a row — and the sixth time in the last seven years.
In addition to the President’s Cup, current and former staff members at the Packet received 26 awards, including five first-place honors, for their work in 2022.
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 AWARDS
Enterprise Reporting: Sarah Haselhorst with Sammy Fretwell from The State for “Oyster shells sell for top dollar as biologists scramble to protect shellfish beds”
In-depth Reporting: Jake Shore and Kacen Bayless for Murdaugh family crime coverage
Lifestyle Feature Writing: Sarah Claire McDonald for “Sweetgrass baskets: A dying art form and the Hilton Head artisans who refuse to see it go”
News Feature Writing: Karl Puckett for “Built on backs of slaves: New mapping shows clearer picture of SC’s historic rice fields”
Profile Feature Writing: Sofia Sanchez for “Hilton Head foster mom celebrates caring for 100 babies in over 30 years”
SECOND-PLACE AWARDS
Beat Reporting: Sarah Haselhorst for these three stories related to climate and the environment:
- “Is Parris Island doomed? Some say yes as waters rise, but the Marines fight to defend it“
- “A USC lab was built on a Beaufort County barrier island decades ago. Now it’s in the water”
- “Flooding plagues Beaufort County neighborhood as finger-pointing prolongs solution”
Community Service: David Lauderdale for the “Lowcountry Swamped” series:
- Developers won’t stop until we’re another Atlanta
- How to keep cookie-cutter growth from killing SC’s golden goose
- Stop the rape of the Lowcountry by voting ‘yes’ on greenspace referendum
E.A. Ramsaur Award for Editorial Writing: David Lauderdale for these three editorials:
- “Cruel eviction of low-income Hilton Head workers hits a hornet’s nest: The church”
- “Murdaugh jailhouse calls show SC legal system has no smell test, or is that also for sale?”
- “Don’t hide evidence in Murdaugh murder case if you want public trust in justice”
Enterprise Reporting: Jake Shore for “Feud involving lawyer Lin Wood raises ethics questions about Yemassee police chief”
Food Writing: Karl Puckett for “Lowcountry boil is ‘king’ in Beaufort. Meet the cook tasked with preparing it for 2,500”
Government Beat Reporting: Karl Puckett for these three stories:
- “Without explanation, this Beaufort board closed a public meeting. What was going on?”
- “Taxpayers helped send employees’ kids to camp — and Beaufort County tried to ‘disguise’ it”
- “The wife of Beaufort’s development director works for a developer. Is that a conflict?”
Health Beat Reporting: Sarah Haselhorst for these three stories:
- “For decades, Wally Sumner has been Alljoy’s backbone. Now he needs a helping hand”
- “Watch the teeth! Hands-on shark research in Lowcountry may one day help cure human illnesses”
- “Marine recruits taken to hospital with heat-related symptoms as heat index soars to 106”
Lifestyle Feature Writing: Mary Dimitrov for “There’s a ghost here: 140-year-old Port Royal building has more than just history”
Short Story: Sebastian Lee for “Large alligator climbs 10 steps to greet Hilton Head couple at their front door”
Sports Enterprise Reporting: Mary Dimitrov for these stories:
- “From a stadium of 14,000 to one of 1,000. Why did former Purdue coach choose USC Beaufort?”
- “At Purdue, basketball coach made $632,926. Here’s how much she will make at USC Beaufort”
THIRD-PLACE AWARDS
Breaking News Reporting: Staff for coverage of a Marine fighter jet crash:
- “Fighter jet crashes on former SC governor’s family property in Beaufort County; pilots OK”
- “What we know and what we don’t know about the Beaufort County jet fighter crash”
- “Video shows military jet on fire before it crashes in Beaufort Co.”
- “Oak trees ‘fried’: Cleanup at Beaufort fighter jet crash site called an ‘extreme operation’”
- “Jet fighter was nearing end of service prior to Beaufort crash. Marines seek public’s help”
General Excellence: Staff
General News Photo: Drew Martin for a photo of a building being torn down and removed from Pritchards Island
Government Beat Reporting: Sam Ogozalek for these three stories:
- “1 bridge or 2? Beaufort County, Hilton Head officials seemingly at impasse over US 278 plan”
- “5 takeaways from Hilton Head’s proposed $119M budget. How your taxes are spent”
- “Jury awards $50M to Bluffton mayor in defamation suit against longtime local critic”
Growth and Development Beat Reporting: Blake Douglas for these three stories:
- “Rents are higher and rising faster on Hilton Head than in other coastal cities. Here’s why”
- “After 40 years, rising housing costs finally push this Hilton Head islander to the mainland”
- “300 face eviction on Hilton Head as Chimney Cove apartments for sale, many are stranded”
Lifestyle Feature Writing: Sarah Claire McDonald for “What’s it mean to be a coastal grandmother in SC? Whether you’re 22 or 73 you might be one”
News Feature Writing: Sofia Sanchez for “Finally home: Family reunited with man’s ashes 15 years after his death on Hilton Head”
News Video: Drew Martin for a video about murder charges against Alex Murdaugh
Obituary: David Lauderdale for “Sea Pines hospitality icon ‘Happy’ Mitchell dies after setting gold standard on Hilton Head”
Personality Photograph or Portrait: Karl Puckett for a photo of Bam Robinson of Sheldon and his truck decorated with Christmas lights
Sports Feature Story: Sarah Claire McDonald for “Dylan Frittelli hit one of the best shots ever at the RBC Heritage. He was penalized for it”
