The Southeast Missourian collected 21 awards in the Missouri Press Association's recent 2021 Better Newspaper Contest, with recognitions for the newspaper's design, writing, reporting, sports coverage and photography.

The Missourian's awards, including several first-place honors, were presented Sept. 25 during the Missouri Press Association's 155th annual convention in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

The Missourian earned first-place recognition among all mid-size daily newspapers in the state for its front page design entry titled "Pandemic Polaroids," published June 14, 2020, which contest judges said was "too good not to recognize as the first-place winner."

In the general excellence category, the Missourian took third-place honors among all newspapers in its category. The Missourian also received second-place recognition for its front page layout as well as honorable mentions for its overall design and for Flourish Magazine in the contest's alternative publications category.

Former Missourian photojournalist Ben Matthews was recognized with a first-place award for an entry titled "Empty on Easter" about the impact COVID-19 had on church services. "Worshipping during the pandemic calls for innovation," contest judges noted in their comments on the entry. "Great info and photos."

Matthews also received honorable mention in the category of best feature photograph for an entry titled "Praying for All," which contest judges said "should be an 'anthem' photo for the pandemic period when church attendance was not possible."

Jacob Wiegand, who was also a Missourian photojournalist during the 2020 contest period, received first-place recognition for his entry titled "Bringing Veterans Together." Wiegand also placed second in the contest for a photo package called "Slices of Life", second place recognition for a religion story titled "Looking at religion during the COVID-19 pandemic" and honorable mention for a photo illustration titled "Until We Meet Again."

Missourian business editor Jay Wolz received a first-place award in the category of rural life and agriculture writing for his coverage of the federal lawsuit brought by a Southeast Missouri farmer whose peach orchards were damaged by dicamba herbicide. "Very informative," remarked the contest judges, who said Wolz did "a good job explaining the case and the verdict."

Wolz was also recognized with a third-place entry in the category of education writing for an entry titled "Injustice or Honor?" which the judges said was a well-written story on a difficult topic, "giving both sides of an argument" and "Helping readers make their own decisions."

His story about a greenhouse in Cape Girardeau County cultivating medical marijuana received a third-place recognition in the health writing category and his feature about the Rock 'N' Roll Drive-In, published shortly before the venue reopened in October 2020, received an honorable mention in the category of business stories. "Well written and entertaining," the judges said. "It really engages the readers."

Jeff Long, who is succeeding Wolz as the Missourian's business writer, received second-place recognition in the news story category for his reporting last year on an $8 million settlement between David Robinson and the City of Sikeston, Missouri, in connection with Robinson's 18-year incarceration following a murder conviction that was eventually dropped. "Difficult subject handled very well," the judges wrote of Long's coverage.

Missourian editor Rick Fahr was recognized with second-place honors in the category of military stories for his feature about Dr. Mike Stevenson and his service in the U.S. Army, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard.

Fahr also received a third-place award for his coverage of rural life in a feature about a turkey farmer in Farrar, Missouri, and an honorable mention in the government coverage category for his story about 8th District U.S. Rep. Jason Smith defense of his vote on COVID-19 relief legislation.

Jon K. Rust, publisher of the Southeast Missourian and co-president of Rust Communications, was recognized with a third-place award for a column he wrote that contest judges said captured "the crazy times of 2020 from the everyman point of view."

Finally, former Missourian sports reporter and photographer Tony Capobianco received an honorable mention in the sports photography category for a swimming photo one judge said was so good, "you can almost hear the water splashing."