RALEIGH — The Richmond Observer staff was honored with eight awards Thursday evening by the North Carolina Press Association during the 2020 Winter Convention.
The RO competed against other internet-only publications in the NCPA’s online division, winning first place in General Excellence for Websites.
Sports Editor Kyle Pillar can now add “award-winning journalist” to his resume after bringing home three individual awards, including both first and third place for Sports Feature Writing .
The top prize was for Pillar’s story on Malik Covington, at the time a Washington Street fifth-grader who ran in the final touchdown during the last spring training scrimmage game in May.
“Good lead-in to an inspirational story about a kid having fun and cashing in on a ‘dream,’” judges said in their comments. “Enjoyed the use of multiple sources to tell a heartwarming story.”
Pillar’s third-place feature was an in memoriam piece on former Richmond Senior High School basketball coach Thomas Baucom, who passed away in August.
Pillar also placed second in Sports News Reporting for his story on Ricky Young stepping down as Richmond Senior’s athletic director and baseball coach to take an assistant principal job at Pinecrest.
An entry of photos and video by Managing Editor William R. Toler and contributing photographer Wally Reeves from the inaugural Epicenter Festival snagged third place in the Multimedia Project category.
“Interesting look at the metal culture through a concert,” read a judge’s comment.
Toler’s video skills also earned a second-place win for Best Video — highlights from the annual Special Olympics Torch Run when a dog joined law enforcement officers the second half of the route, ending at Hitchcock Creek.
For writing, Toler earned two other third-place nods for Editorials and Business Writing.
In his winning editorials, Toler urged Richmond County residents to reduce litter, advocated for third parties to be represented on local election boards and praised first responders for undergoing training in how to deal with those with autism.
The winning Business Writing entry was a feature on Over the Rainbow Child Development Center, a 24-hour daycare that opened last January on Biltmore Drive for parents who work overnight.
Toler has been honored with a total of 21 awards from the NCPA and the N.C. Associated Press since he began reporting in Richmond County in 2014.
The North Carolina Press Association is one of the largest in the nation with more than 100 member publications in seven divisions.
