DAR staff earns state honors

Staff at the Daily American Republic were recognized for excellence in journalism Thursday during the 154th annual Missouri Press Association convention, which was held virtually this year.

The awards cover submissions to the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest for the 2019 calendar year.

“The DAR’s newsroom doesn’t write stories, take pictures or cover games to earn awards. They do what they do because they love community journalism, and they want what’s best for Poplar Bluff, Butler County and the surrounding counties. They are longtime members of the community and want our area to prosper,” said publisher Chris Pruett.

A sports page showing East Carter High School's emotional fourth place showing at the state tournament was one of three to earn honorable mentions as "Best Sports Pages."

The awards, Pruett said, are “proof of how much they care. The awards range from stories about the military, other feature stories and sports coverage. That pretty much runs the gamut of what we do on a daily basis.”

Then Associate Editor Donna Farley earned second place in the “Best Military Story” category for her feature story on Randall Merimee, a young Vietnam veteran, blind in one eye, who survived a harrowing attack when most of his unit did not.

“One of the best parts of my job is being able to meet people like Randall Merimee and tell their stories,” said Farley, who is now editor. “Mr. Merimee was 17 and blind in one eye when he was drafted in 1968. He was the youngest of six brothers to serve and the only one to see combat.”

Donna Farley's story of a local Vietnam veteran, who was blind in one eye, earned second-place honors in the Better Newspaper Contest's "Best Military Story" category.

Farley recalled it “wasn’t easy for Mr. Merimee to share his story, but talking about his experiences was important to him.”

The story appeared in a February 2019 special project recognizing veterans during National Salute to Veteran Patients Week.

“I take seriously the trust that people place in us when they share their memories and lives with us. I’m grateful for the opportunity we have to help our community record its past, stay informed about its present and recognize all of the good people that are part of that,” Farley said.

The Difference Makers campaign and its corresponding special section, introduced by the Daily American Republic in 2019, also was recognized by the Missouri Press Association, taking third place in the “Best News or Feature Special Section” category.

The special section from August 2019 featured stories and photographs about the program’s top 10 finalists, as nominated by their peers.

The Difference Makers section was produced by newsroom staff, along with members of the graphic design department and others.

“The Difference Makers project was touched by every member of our staff in some way and is an example of the hard work our team does every day,” said Farley. “It is also a project that has become close to all of our hearts, because it shines a light on the best of our community.”

The DAR sports department earned honorable mentions in the “Best Sports Pages” category for three events in 2019.

Garnering the honors were pages and stories from Jan. 30 about the final game for the Three Rivers College men’s basketball team at the Bess Activity Center, an Oct. 17 report on the Neelyville and East Carter girls softball teams advancing to the district final game and a Nov. 2 story about the East Carter softball team earning an emotional fourth place showing at the state tournament.

“Credit needs to go to Scott Borkgren, Kyle Smith and Nate Fields. They were the sports staff for much of that year and worked hard during a time of change to provide the sports coverage honored by this award,” said Sports Editor Brian Rosener.

Smith and Borkgren remain at the company, while Fields left to pursue a master’s degree.

“I’m happy for our newsroom for being recognized, but I’m more proud of what they do on a daily basis,” said Pruett. “They work with a daily deadline and start each day with a clean canvas and then paint a picture that ends up in the hands of our readers. That’s a pretty rewarding day, and we do it 250 times a year.”