First place: Staff, Journal Star

About this entry: “One year after an EF-4 tornado leveled the town of Washington, Ill., a suburb of Peoria, the Journal Star created this 32-page special section showing how the community had rebounded and the work that is still yet to happen.”

Read the special section online here.
Follow the Journal Star on Twitter @pjstar

The Journal Star did a great job of revisiting a major news event and found the perfect balance between then-and-now. Impressive story ideas, design, photos and graphics.

First place: Staff, The Repository

About this entry: The Score special section dives into Stark County sports, giving incredible depth to local sports coverage.

This primer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s enshrinement ceremony is exhaustive yet easily digestible. Readers learn about each inductee regardless of whether they spent 30 seconds or 30 minutes on each spread.

Julie Hatfield, Jenn Schaefer, Northwest Florida Daily News

About this entry: Julie Hatfield and Jenn Schaefer pack compelling visuals and engaging layouts in this special section devoted to beer, brewing and everything in between. With features on local breweries, recipes for cooking with beer, and an interview with a home brewer, this section delves into an exploding industry highly in demand by readers.

Great job thoroughly delving into an exploding industry and capitalizing on a booming field that appeals to readers. Compelling visuals, engaging layouts, all presented in a product that’s definitely worth keeping.