Members of the Times-Herald news staff received several awards during the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors Association’s annual meeting, held during the weekend in Heber Springs.
Leading the way was Alan Smith, who received two first place awards, for beat reporting and service to the Freedom of Information Act. Both had to do with coverage of the Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission. Judges’ notes on the service to FOI award said, “It’s important for a community newspaper to hold government entities accountable. This story does just this.” On the beat reporting award, comments included, “Good coverage of an issue that ballooned into something that required the attorney general’s ruling. Nice use of FOIA to determine what it cost the taxpayers.”
This is the third time the Times-Herald has won the Service to the FOI category in the past few years.
We were able to travel to Heber Springs and attend the banquet. We had a good time and it was nice to go away on a mini-vacation on the boss' dime! There were some very interesting people there and by interesting, I don't mean really truly interesting--I mean very odd!! If you want to know, just ask one of us about "Cock (and by this we mean head rooster) of the walk" or about "Country gone to City." Overall, it was great and we are so glad we went. I'M SO PROUD OF ALAN!
