Carmage Walls Commentary Prize

31 entries received in the "under 50,000" circulation bracket

Posted

Thirty-one entries have been received in the smaller circulation bracket (under 50,000) for this year's Carmage Walls Commentary Prize. 

First- and second-place honors will be awarded. Judges also may designate several entries for honorable mention.

Winning entries will be announced at the Annual Meeting, Sept. 10-12 in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

SNPA members are invited to comment at the end of this article on the entries.  Which entries do you feel are the strongest ... and why?

Click on the links below to access entry materials:

Entry #1: Keith Albertson — The Times, Gainesville, Ga.

Entry #2: Keith Albertson — The Times, Gainesville, Ga.

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    • Stamping out support
    • Connecting the dots
    • Merely out of sight

Entry #3: Robin Blackburn — New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, New Braunfels, Texas

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  • David's Law just might save young lives

Entry #4: Dawn Burleigh — The Orange Leader, Orange, Texas

Entry #5: Ruben Cantu — Del Rio News-Herald, Del Rio, Texas

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    • City manager strengthened after political battle

Entry #6: Cliff Cumber — Bristol Herald Courier, Bristol, Va.

Entry #7: Bob Davis — The Anniston Star, Anniston, Ala.

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    • Keep the decision-making down home in Alabama
    • Alabama's governor/doctor hasn't cured state's ills
    • Alabama's lesson, learned the hard way
    • Alabama's pollution-for-cash insanity
    • Maybe we should blame a goat for the legislature's dysfunction
    • Alabama reality carries a sting

Entry #8: Randy Essex — Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Glenwood Springs, Colo.

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    • CMC's board shouldn't muzzle its members
    • Livestream CMC trustee meetings, drop censure
    • CMC trustees withdraw censure of Denomy (supplemental news article to show results)

Entry #9: Randy Essex — Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Glenwood Springs, Colo.

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    • Principles aside, we want to be winners
    • Let's get fear in perspective
    • Happy birthday, you great country, you
    • Birthday wish: Let's work constructively together
    • What we know better than to say
    • We're Americans and neighbors; let's act like it

Entry #10: Jeff Fowler and Travis Webb — Seguin Gazette, Seguin, Texas

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    • Lack of public comment shameful
    • All of SISD's funds belong to the public
    • End to KWED deal a win for Seguin
    • Seguin ISD school board making 'trouble right here in River City'
    • New scoreboard shows misguided priorities at SISD
    • Stay informed: Make sure to attend meeting

Entry #11: Corey Friedman — The Wilson Times, Wilson, N.C.

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    • 'Bathroom bill' a toothless law that puzzles police
    • No HB2 repeal means no end to toilet politics
    • HB2 questions linger at start of new school year
    • Play possum to replace HB2
    • Horner paves path for moderates to lead way on HB2
    • If HB2 can't be enforced, why have it?

Entry #12: Corey Friedman — The Wilson Times, Wilson, N.C.

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    • Bulson brought discretion to school discipline
    • Discipline dispute shows need for surveillance video
    • Congress, USDA hold keys to help curb child hunger
    • Don't punish kids when parents fail to pay for lunches
    • Wilson schools steal academic MVPs' honors
    • Schools, deputies working together to curb threats

Entry #13: Michael Gorman and Keith Magill — The Courier, Houma, La.

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    • Attention, sheriff: This is America
    • What's up with the muzzles?
    • Ironies abound in fight over website

Entry #14: James A. Haught — Charleston Gazette-Mail, Charleston, W.Va.

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    • Human decency moves civilization forward
    • How Democrats and Republicans switched beliefs
    • White evangelists are fading, powerful, baffling
    • Many struggles won religious freedom
    • Where is American religion heading?
    • 'White privilege' makes some uncomfortable

Entry #15: James A. Haught and Dawn Miller — Gazette Opinion Page of the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Charleston, W.Va.

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    • Legislature: Sorry session
    • Closed minds: Not open for business
    • Dismal: GOP results
    • Prejudice: Endless attacks
    • Dismal: Sorry legislature
    • Open to all: Tolerant spirit

Entry #16: Angie Muhs and Kate Schott — The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill.

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    • Enough
    • Stopgap necessary, but not cause for celebration
    • Fall veto session leaves Illinois worse than before
    • Happy holidays not in store for Illinois as budget impasse looms
    • Budget options would help Illinois determine best path forward
    • Missing: Efforts at budget compromise

Entry #17: Dink NeSmith — The Press-Sentinel, Jesup, Ga.

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    • Toxic coal ash contradicts Bill Gates' public-health initiatives
    • Commissioners need to take good look in 'The Glass'
    • Money is root of our dangerous landfill mess
    • Who killed the proposed coal-ash bills in 2017?
    • America is watching what's happening in Wayne County
    • Here's to Republic and a giant step in right direction

Entry #18: Kevin Post — The Press of Atlantic City, Pleasantville, N.J.

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    • Reneging on deals makes needed compromise tough
    • With A.C. rescue finally enacted, reorganizing city can begin
    • Much to like, more to dislike in Atlantic City 5-year plan
    • Throw away key to increasing A.C. hotel-room tax
    • Borgata settlement a good start to fixing Atlantic City finances
    • Atlantic City finally gets fiscal discipline, thanks to the state

Entry #19: John Railey and Mick Scott — Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, N.C.

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    • Can state leaders really lack their own analysis of HB2 costs?
    • Judge's questions lay bare the lunacy of HB2
    • The new form of madness
    • Laughing to keep from crying
    • Repeal, repeal, repeal
    • With HB2 gone, let's move on

Entry #20: John Railey and Mick Scott — Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, N.C.

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    • Kalvin Michael Smith will cry when freedom comes
    • The fight for justice for Kalvin Smith continues
    • Smith is finally free to work for his exoneration
    • Painful ordeal endures for Kalvin Michael Smith, Jill Marker

Entry #21: Jim Rainey and Michael James — The Tuscaloosa News, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

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    • Continue the effort to end 'dark money'
    • Time for governor to put shovel down
    • A blatant disregard for truth, integrity
    • Bentley exhibits disregard for voters
    • Bentley should put state first and resign
    • Bentley's downfall difficult to fathom

Entry #22: Michael A. Smith — The Galveston County Daily News, Galveston, Texas

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    • Commissioners are stalling on tighter game-room rules
    • Game room charges spin up interesting numbers
    • Only the legislature could create such absurdity
    • Video slots situation weirder than we knew
    • Court's game room inaction smelling sinister
    • County plays wait, wait, hurry with game room rules

Entry #23: Miles Smith — New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, New Braunfels, Texas

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    • Be a superhero for a day by taking a few laps

Entry #24: Clay Thorp — New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, New Braunfels, Texas

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    • Selecting new health director is important

Entry #25: Clay Thorp and Miles Smith — New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, New Braunfels, Texas

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    • Bathroom bill could impact our wallets

Entry #26: Bobby Tingle — The Orange Leader, Orange, Texas

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    • Insanity in government taxing, spending

Entry #27: Dwayne Yancey — The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Va.

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    • A tourism roadmap
    • Clifton Forge's makeover
    • Insurmountable?
    • How we won the CIAA
    • A gentle challenge
    • A visionary in Wise

Entry #28: Dwayne Yancey — The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Va.

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    • How to fix the coalfields (part 1)
    • How to fix the coalfields (part 2)
    • Dead buzzards
    • Empty words
    • Who will help Wise?
    • A rural agenda

Entry #29: Dwayne Yancey — The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Va.

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    • A dangerous bill
    • We're behind Latvia
    • Haves vs. the have-nots

Entry #30: Dwayne Yancey — The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Va.

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    • Our civic story
    • Cathedral builders
    • The '90s matter now
    • Six signs of success (part 1)
    • Six signs, continued (part 2)
    • Want to run for office?

Entry #31: Dwayne Yancey — The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Va.

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    • Trump backhands Appalachia
    • Inexplicable
    • Broken promise
    • Derailed
    • Grounded
    • They don't get it
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