First place: Amy Knapp, The Independent, Massillion, Ohio

Read online: Stump Hill owner fights to have 10 beloved animals returned

Well-written and well-researched stories; good use of detail. Love how she breaks the story into sections like ‘The decision’ and ‘What’s next.’ Like that the reporter also shot video and clearly knew which clips to post.

Second place: Aaron Curtis, Daily Messenger, Canandaigua, New York
Third place: Steven Grazier, The Independent, Massillion, Ohio