280 Living wins 9 1st-place Alabama Press Association awards in 2024

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280 Living captured nine first-place awards in the Alabama Press Association’s 2024 Media Awards competition, which culminated with a banquet at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach on Saturday.

Sports Editor Kyle Parmley won first place for best sports feature with a story about Briarwood Christian School’s Emmi Claire Willoughby, who served as an assistant to the football team’s athletic trainers.

280 Living also won best niche publication for the Under the Lights high school football preview magazine shepherded by Parmley. Jon Anderson won first place for headlines with a headline on a story about Briarwood student Elaina Burt, who was Miss Jefferson County’s Outstanding Teen and went on to become Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen last year.

280 Living also won six advertising awards. The Under the Lights football magazine won for best niche publication for advertising, and the paper also won the best regularly scheduled special advertising section for its “Women in Business” section.

Graphic designer Ted Perry won first place for best single color ad over ½ page with an ad for WDI Enterprises’ custom renovation and construction business and best use of humor for an ad with Realtor Joe Falconer.

Graphic designer Emily Vandermey won for best advertising campaign for a campaign with Ritch’s Pharmacy and best in-paper promotion of the newspaper for a promotion for 280 Living’s Home and Garden special section.

280 Living, which was under the direction of Community Editor Leah Ingram Eagle last year, also won eight second-place awards and seven third-place awards in the 2024 competition, which involved work published in 2023. 280 Living competes in the Alabama Press Association’s Division E, which includes associate member newspapers and free circulation products.

Starnes Media publications, which in 2023 included 280 Living, Hoover Sun, Vestavia Voice, The Homewood Star, Village Living and Cahaba Sun, won a total of 57 awards in this year’s APA competition.

The Redstone Rocket in Huntsville won the general excellence award for Division E, while The Birmingham Times won third place. The Redstone Rocket also won the advertising sweepstakes award.

The Alabama Press Association has four other divisions that are divided based on their number of paid subscribers.

Other first-place winners in the general excellence category were The Anniston Star, The Cullman Times, Shelby County Reporter and The Observer (in Opelika). Other advertising sweepstakes winners were The Outlook (in Alexander City), Shelby County Reporter and The Observer.

Here’s a complete list of awards won by 280 Living this year:

280 LIVING

First-place awards:

  • Best sports feature: “One of one: Briarwood senior forges unique, necessary path” by Kyle Parmley
  • Best niche publication: “Under the Lights” football magazine
  • Best headline: “Flying high: Briarwood student soars with epilepsy awareness efforts” by Jon Anderson
  • Best advertising campaign: Ritch’s Pharmacy by Emily Vandermey
  • Best regularly scheduled special advertising section: Women in Business
  • Best in-paper promotion of newspaper: Home and garden by Emily VanderMey
  • Best niche publication for advertising: “Under the Lights” high school football magazine
  • Best single color ad over ½ page: “We’ll do it” by Ted Perry
  • Best use of humor: Joe Falconer “Steer” Realtor by Ted Perry

Second-place awards:

  • Advertising sweepstakes
  • Local News coverage
  • Sports coverage
  • Sports news in-depth coverage: High school football preview
  • Human interest column: “Role reversal” by Alana Smith
  • Photo essay: “Celebrating the 2023 grade” by Erin Nelson Sweeney
  • Single color ad 1/2 page and under: Apricot Lane by Ted Perry
  • Original/creative idea: Pet Vet Express/Animal Hospital of the Hills by Ted Perry

Third-place awards:

  • Education coverage
  • Spot news story: “Two SCSO deputies shot while responding to welfare check in Meadowbrook” by Leah Eagle
  • In-depth news coverage:”Cahaba Valley Fire District approves 2 of 4 measures” by Leah Eagle
  • Sports feature: “Lions seniors remembered for on-court production, off-court relationship” by Kyle Parmley
  • Local sports column: “Let them celebrate” by Kyle Parmley
  • Sports photo: “One of one, Emmi Claire Willoughby” by Erin Nelson Sweeney
  • Production and Printing

Here are awards from other publications by Starnes Media:

HOOVER SUN

First-place awards:

  • Story of the year and best feature story: “Food for our journey: Nonprofit fills gaps to nourish stomachs, spirits, souls” by Jon Anderson
  • Freedom of Information-First Amendment award: “The Hoover Channel” by Jon Anderson
  • Best layout and design
  • Best economic news coverage
  • Best sports photo: “Making plays” by Erin Nelson Sweeney
  • Best use of social media: “Hero Doughnuts opens in Hoover” by Erin Nelson Sweeney
  • Best podcast series: “Under the Lights” by Kyle Parmley and Gary Lloyd
  • Best use of video shorter than 2 minutes: Spain Park Class of 2023 graduation cap toss by Jon Anderson

Second-place awards:

  • General Excellence
  • In-depth news coverage: “Hoover crime trends” by Jon Anderson
  • Education coverage
  • Lifestyle/family pages
  • Newspaper website
  • Business story or column: “Hoover real estate spotlight” by Jon Anderson
  • Sports single-event story: “Bucs cap magical day” by Kyle Parmley
  • Headline: “Food for our Journey: Nonprofit fills gaps to nourish stomachs, spirits, souls” by Jon Anderson
  • Online breaking news coverage: “Hoover school board to meet Thursday about potential superintendent search” by Jon Anderson
  • Production and printing

Third-place awards:

  • Business story or column: “Sweet elegance: Award-winning bakery expands to Ross Bridge” by Jon Anderson
  • Sports single-event story: “Never gets old: Lady Bucs accomplish mission, win 3rd straight title” by Kyle Parmley

VESTAVIA VOICE

First-place awards:

  • Best in-depth news coverage: “New growth: Vision coming into focus for lower section of US 31” by Loyd McIntosh
  • Best sports single-event story: “Long time coming” by Kyle Parmley

Second-place award:

  • Sports feature story: “Balancing father and coach” by Kyle Parmley

VILLAGE LIVING

First-place award:

  • Best news feature: “Parallel lives of service: 2 West Point graduates, residents reflect on military service” by Leah Eagle

Third-place awards:

  • Sports coverage
  • Sports news in-depth coverage: High school football preview by Kyle Parmley
  • Human interest column: “In a world that’s hurting, you need stubborn hope” by Kari Kampakis
  • Creative use of multimedia: Jemison Park trail renovations by Erin Nelson Sweeney

THE HOMEWOOD STAR

First-place award:

  • Best public service: In deep water: Study pinpoints stormwater focus areas” by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Second-place award:

  • News feature story: “Ukrainian soldiers learn new sports, activities at Lakeshore” by Neal Embry and Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Third-place award:

  • Feature photo: “Ukranian soldier rehab” by Erin Nelson Sweeney

CAHABA SUN

First-place award:

  • Human interest column: “Payphoning it forward” by Gary Lloyd