Henrico Citizen earns 2 awards in annual Virginia Press Association contest
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The Henrico Citizen earned two awards for news coverage during the Virginia Press Association’s annual conference May 6 at the Hilton Short Pump.
Competing in the online division, the Citizen earned awards in the VPA’s 2022 News and Advertising Contest for photography and reporting.
Citizen freelance photographer Dave Pearson earned a first-place award in sports news photography for a picture of a Highland Springs High School football player stretching to make a catch during a game against rival Varina High School.
Citizen Publisher Tom Lappas earned a second-place award in the government writing category for a package of three articles, including coverage that:
• found federal officials had known about the presence of dangerous chemicals known as PFAS in Eastern Henrico waterways four years before local and state officials found out;
• explained why two environmental groups that sued Henrico County alleging Clean Water Act violations had challenged a judge’s ruling in the case;
• detailed the county’s plans to return excess tax revenue from higher-than-expected vehicle personal property tax bills to taxpayers.
Judges wrote that Lappas’ coverage of the PFAS issue and environmental lawsuit showed “excellent use of public records.”
Since its inception in 2001, the Citizen has earned a total of 252 awards for news coverage and advertising design from the Virginia Press Association, Virginia Professional Communicators and National Federation of Press Women.
