First place: Eric Dundon, Hannibal Courier Post

About this entry: Eric Dundon’s editorials divert special attention to both state and local issues, including recent legislation that will limit the ability of the public and the press to seek answers for actions taken by police officers and a lack of good public measures to prevent prescription drug abuse.

Read online: House Bill quashes public, press rights to access, Legislature turn back on local control, Immediate action needed on PDMP

Follow Eric on Twitter @HCP_Editor

These are well written, well researched and well argued editorials on issues of real importance to readers. They are grounded in local experience but far from provincial. Calling out elected officials by name for their bad votes is a nice touch.

Second place: Joyce Pellino Crane, Westford Eagle

About this entry: Joyce Pellino Crane writes about local issues, like the need for measures to be taken to limit cellphone usage by drivers or monitor potential drug abuse by middle school students, and frames them in the context of larger national issues like the Amtrak derailment where a mobile phone is seen as being a potential factor or several Massachusetts teachers who have been found guilty of supplying drugs to their students.

Read online: More affordable housing is needed, Pass pending cellphone law, Bill calls for drug screening for public school students

Follow Joyce on Twitter @JoyPellinoCrane

These editorials do a great job of explaining the nature of a problem, asking the right questions and posing a solution. They show good reporting and an excellent understanding of how broader issues play out in the local community.

Third place: Kathie Ragsdale, The Concord Journal

About this entry: Kathie Ragsdale’s editorials cover issues related to the democratic process, from the local to the national level, whether it be new legislation introduced by state senators to the importance of having a good number of candidates run in the local election.

Read online: Stepping up for ‘the people’, It’s time to step the plate

Follow The Concord Journal @concordjournal

These editorials evoke the best traditions of small-d democratic governance. They stand up for the idea that we deserve a voice in how the public business is done, from the national level to the most local.