Carmage Walls Commentary Prize

Carmage Walls Nominations: "under 50,000" circulation

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This annual award, to be presented during the joint SNPA-Inland Annual Convention, Oct. 6-8 in Chicago, Ill., recognizes outstanding commentary on local issues. It encourages thoughtful, courageous and constructive editorial page leadership on issues specifically relevant to each newspaper's primary readership.

The prize was named for the late Benjamin Carmage Walls whose newspaper career spanned seven decades. Walls primarily owned community newspapers and advocated strong, courageous and positive editorial page leadership.

These are the 12 finalists in the smaller circulation bracket (under 50,000) for this year's Carmage Walls Commentary Prize. 

First- and second-place honors will be awarded. Judges also may designate several entries for honorable mention.

Winning entries will be announced at the Joint SNPA-Inland Annual Meeting, Oct. 6-8 in Chicago. 

Click on the links below to access entry materials:

Entry #1: David Bloom - The Baytown Sun, Baytown, Texas

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    • Superintendent future in limbo
    • Save the superintendent, oust the board
    • GC board: Let people speak
    • A spurious way to conduct public business
    • Get to work Goose Creek

Entry #2: Klark Byrd - The Paris News, Paris, Texas

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    • Don't let the sun set on Texas
    • Texans deserve access to info
    • Time to fight for your rights

Entry #3: Mike Clark - The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Fla.

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    • Groveland Four deserve full pardon for unjust convictions

Entry #4: Chris Cobler - Victoria Advocate, Victoria, Texas

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    • U.S. steeped in open government tradition
    • Let's stop revolving door in D.C.
    • Judge sinks Calhoun port's legal arguments
    • Public asset shouldn't be used for private gain
    • Sunshine required to expose shadow government
    • Port puts on show at public's expense

Entry #5: Eric Fleischauer - The Decatur Daily, Decatur, Ala.

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    • Sheriff's secrecy an affront to public
    • Promising start for new Morgan sheriff

Entry #6: Eric Fleischauer - The Decatur Daily, Decatur, Ala.

Entry #7: Jeffery Gerritt - Palestine Herald-Press, Palestine, Texas

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    • Unlock jailhouse doors
    • State created jail standards -- now enforce them
    • What are they hiding?
    • Sheriff should release medical records to Newsome's family
    • Permit clergy in execution chamber

Entry #8: Michael Gorman - The Courier (Houma, La.) and the Daily Comet (Thibodaux, La.)

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    • Are we serving the students or the politicians?
    • Change could be coming, like it or not
    • Here's a chance to have your say
    • The numbers tell a promising tale
    • Tuesday held lessons for those who will listen
    • Picture this: fewer people spending your money

Entry #9: Franklin Harris - The Decatur Daily, Decatur, Ala.

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    • Incarceration doesn't come cheap
    • Alabama must address its prisons
    • State receives ultimatum on prisons
    • Prison reform must go further

Entry #10: William H. (Dink) NeSmith Jr. - The Press-Sentinel, Jesup, Ga.

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    • Hurricane Florence proved storm's predictions
    • We must continue standing up for Wayne County
    • Keep lumps of coal (ash) out of their stockings
    • Chickens coming home to roost' on toxic coal ash
    • Arm-twisting nothing new under Gold Dome
    • Every day should be Earth Day

Entry #11: Jon K. Rust - Southeast Missourian, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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    • Is it racist to vote against school bond issue? No, but it would be short-sighted
    • Here are some of the questions about school bond issue, but in the end it's rather simple: Yes vote is good for Cape

Entry #12: Dwayne Yancey - The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Va.

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    • Our outdated schools
    • Stanley's school plan
    • The spirit of 1949
    • Virginia's oldest schools
    • Why the silence?
    • Time to name names
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