Chronicle Media staff hold the five first-place awards staffers won in the Illinois Press Association’s annual contest. Staff members are (from left) Andrew Morys, chief revenue officer; Tim Alexander, free-lance writer; Brandon Bressner, chief executive officer; Jack McCarthy, suburban editor; Kevin Beese, staff writer; and Rick Hibbert, publisher.

Chronicle Media staff members collected 21 awards, including five first-place finishes, at the Illinois Press Association’s annual convention held Thursday at the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino in East Peoria.

The Chronicle’s 13 papers fall under three different contest categories based on circulation.

Staff Writer Kevin Beese earned eight awards, including three first-place honors.

Beese’s first-place finishes were in:

• News Reporting – Single Story for his coverage of the sentencing in a fatal Wheaton accident. One judge’s comments were “This story was gripping. You captured all of the mother’s emotions, but still managed to explain the side of the defense. My heart goes out to the mother and what she must be feeling. I thank you for following this story all the way to the courts.”
• Business/Economic Reporting (in Division A) for his story on a St. Charles teen who created a haunted house business in West Chicago. One judge’s comments were: “I thoroughly enjoyed this submission. Great writing, really descriptive. Loved the story of a young kid setting goals and achieving them through adversity. Thank you for including multiple voices in the story. Would have liked to seen an exterior shot of that haunted old building,”
• Feature Writing for his story on youth being adopted from the foster care system. Judges’ comments were: “A beautiful story of unselfish love. With so many children in the foster care system, it highlights a true need. Well-written.”

Suburban Editor Jack McCarthy captured five awards, including two first-place finishes.

McCarthy’s first-place honors were for:

• Business/Economic Reporting (in Division B) for his story on Aurora’s plans to build a 4,000-seat performance center. Judges’ comments were “Strong background and easy to understand. Well done explaining the impact it would have on readers.”
• Single Page Design for his work when Naperville Ribfest shut down. One judge’s comments were: “I love the bold heading with a strong subhead and the way you married the image cutout with the text. Really strong design. I think anyone reading the paper would stop on this page and read the story.”

Other awards won be Chronicle Media staff members were:

Second

• Government Beat Reporting to Beese for his stories on the proposed parking expansion at Cosley Zoo in Wheaton
• Business/Economic Reporting (in Division A) to Lynne Conner for her story on the Capri Restaurant in Rockford being rebuilt after a fire.
• General News Photo to Beese for his image of the father of a victim in the 2019 mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora looking at a 2024 tribute to his son
• Sports Photo to Bill Dwyer for an image following Northern Illinois University’s upset football win over Notre Dame
• Distinguished Coverage of Diversity to Beese for his preview coverage of a tribute to gays in Gospel music

Third

• Photo Series (in Division C) to Karie Angell Luc for her images from the NASCAR Chicago Street Race
• Photo Series (in Division A) to Dwyer for images of NIU’s victory at Notre Dame
• Single Page Design (in Division C) to McCarthy for his layout of Lollapalooza photos and coverage
• Feature Writing to Conner for her story on a exhibit at Rockford Boylan Catholic High School honoring the legacy of Virgil Abloh, an international fashion designer and graduate who died of a rare form of cancer in 2021. He was name one of Time Magazine’s most influential people in the world for 2018
• Business/Economic Reporting to McCarthy for his coverage of Ribfest being shut down
• DuPage County Chronicle for finishing with the third most points in the Division A sweepstakes

Fourth

• News Reporting – Series to Conner for her stories on opposition to a proposed solar farm in Winnebago County
• Distinguished Coverage of Diversity to Beese for his story of underprivileged youth learning about science, technology, engineering and mathematics at an Oakbrook Terrace golf shop
• Headline Writing to Beese for his titles to various stories
• Business/Economic Reporting to McCarthy for his story on big crowds at the debut of Oswego’s Barnes and Noble bookstore
• Story/Series – Agricultural Story to Tim Alexander for his coverage of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance seeking to bring conservation and agriculture together to preserve ecosystems

“I’m so proud of all the award winners from Chronicle Media,” said Rick Hibbert, publisher. “I am blessed to be associated with such talented individuals. Chronicle Media’s success is the result of the contributions of Kevin Beese, Jack McCarthy, Tim Alexander, Bill Dwyer, Karie Angell Luc, and Lynne Conner.”