13 entries received in the "over 50,000" circulation bracket

Thirteen entries have been received in the larger circulation bracket (over 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: David Barham and Paul Greenberg - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Ark.

• view entry
  
  • One star recruits
  • Reputations
  • The world watches
  • Beat the clock
  • To sue or not to sue?
  • Postmortem

Entry #2: Ray Carter - The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Okla.

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  • Disconnect seen between superintendent, lawmakers
  • Reading law producing notable improvement
  • Sometimes, Oklahoma schools' problems can be self-inflicted
  • Oklahoma's reporting requirements about unsavory teachers need to be strengthened
  • Data show Oklahoma's A-F school grades have a positive effect
  • Racial targets in proposed Oklahoma school grades overhaul merit concern

Entry #3: Brian Colligan - The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

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  • Mitchell case needs state inquiry
  • Doubts surrounding death are jail's fault
  • Did watchdog fail in Mitchell case?
  • Finding the path forward on mental health
  • Widening cover-up in Mitchell's death

Entry #4: Clint Cooper - Chattanooga Times Free Press, Chattanooga, Tenn.

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  • Banner and Banner Education
  • Hamilton County School Board needs clear focus
  • Build new Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts
  • Convincing remains for school funders
  • Balanced budget was good move
  • For students, why us versus them?

Entry #5: Todd Culbertson - Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Va.

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  • Library of Virginia educates citizens
  • Smithsonian recognizes African American history
  • Farmville prepares for Kaine-Pence debate
  • What Richmond should do about its Confederate statues
  • Reconciliation depends on acknowledging the truth about slavery
  • Angry white males won't open their eyes to truth

Entry #6: Wayne Greene and Mike Jones - Tulsa World, Tulsa, Okla.

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  • Let's vote
  • Cheers!
  • SQ 792
  • Vote 'yes' on SQ 792
  • Warm beer is dead
  • No more blues on Sunday?

Entry #7: Sharon Grigsby - The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas

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  • Letter to judges
  • Dog chaos turns deadly
  • Shelter needs new boss
  • Absence of accountability
  • It's time to fix dog problem
  • Two dogged leaders
  • Donation to help spay/neuter Southern Dallas dogs could change lives

Entry #8: Sharon Grigsby, Michael Lindenberger and James Ragland - The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas

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  • Letter to judges
  • Dallas unites in horror, in grief
  • This city, our city ...
  • Words of truth, pain, hope
  • Hail to the chief's wisdom
  • Healing racial wounds
  • The public deserves answers

Entry #9: Michael Lindenberger, Sharon Grigsby, Jacquielynn Floyd, J.R. Lott and Mike Hashimoto - The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas

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  • OK, now can we talk about gun violence?
  • Where to begin
  • Australia shows large-scale change is possible
  • Grave statistics: guns in America
  • Let's treat gun violence as public health issue it is
  • It's already too late for gun control to work
  • How's that gun control working?

Entry #10: Danny Heitman - The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.

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  • Letter to judges
  • A death on video becomes a tragic loop
  • Coward assassin doesn't speak for La.
  • In crisis, Baton Rouge mayor needs to be visible
  • Time to hail heroes, advance healing
  • Montrell Jackson's call for connection
  • Matthew Gerald's call to service

Entry #11: Scott Kent - Daytona Beach News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla.

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  • Don't give up on homeless solution
  • Homeless solutions suffer from gridlock
  • New homeless plan a worthy framework
  • Ball in county's court
  • County makes progress on homelessness

Entry #12: Richard Parker - The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas

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  • Falling into mediocrity
  • Texas loses under Trump trade plan
  • U.S. braces for Trump's trade war
  • Perry will face the hot seat
  • Texas stands to lose the most in opening days of presidency
  • Our future's already here

Entry #13: Pam Sohn - Chattanooga Times Free Press, Chattanooga, Tenn.

• view entry
  • Fixing Chattanooga – One conversation at a time
  • Bianca Horton and daughter Zoey demand respect
  • In Chattanooga, who are the innocents in gang violence?
  • A perfect portrait of justice's revolving door
  • Taking aim at gangs is more than policing