Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, left, and his Democratic challenger, Lucas Kunce, faceoff on Aug. 15, 2024, at the Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. The photo was awarded second place for “best news photograph” by the Missouri Press Association (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).
The Missouri Independent’s staff won 28 awards Saturday — including 10 first place honors — in the annual Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.
The awards were handed out at the association’s annual convention, which this year was held in Wildwood.
The Independent swept the “investigative reporting” category, with first place going to Allison Kite for her coverage of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ use of a nonprofit to pay for Chiefs tickets, hotel stays, flights and dinners. Among the revelations in Kite’s reporting, which was based on public records and documents provided by a whistleblower, was that one of the mayor’s trips to the Super Bowl was bankrolled by a politically-connected trade group.
Second place went to Clara Bates for her months-long investigation into the conviction of Kurtis Watkins. Bates revealed that the officer whose testimony led to Watkins’ 25 year sentence had a history of racist social media posts and a mistaken identification of another Black man that led to his death in custody — facts that were not provided to Watkins’ attorneys.
Third place went to Annelise Hanshaw for a series of stories documenting Republican efforts in Missouri to outlaw gender-affirming care in the state. Among the revelations in her reporting were records showing the attorney general was targeting therapists and social workers across the state who work with transgender minors.
Bates and Hanshaw shared first place for “best multimedia reporting” for a video accompanying the Kurtis Watkins reporting.
Rebecca Rivas’ reporting on a Missouri cannabis leader facing accusations of using “predatory” contacts to win microbusiness licenses won first place for “best business story.” That story also won first place for “best news story.”
Rudi Keller placed second in the “best business story” category for his coverage of the battle over pharmacy legislation pitting some of the biggest players in health care against each other. Anna Spoerre and Bates took third place for their story on Missouri day care centers being forced to close as state subsidy payments remain backlogged due to glitches in a new system.
Keller won first place for “breaking news” with his story about escalating GOP warfare in the Senate leading to the suggested expulsion of a Republican member. Spoerre won third place in the breaking news category for her story on voters approving a constitutional amendment overturning Missouri’s abortion ban.
For “best election story,” Keller took home first place and second place for stories on the campaign for U.S. Senate and Missouri governor.
Spoerre won first place for “best story about religion” for her coverage of the tactics of anti-abortion activists seeking to block Missouri’s abortion-rights amendment. Hanshaw won second place in the religion category for stories on alleged abuse at Kanakuk Ministries.
Hanshaw also won first place for “best story about education” for her reporting on the lack of public enforcement policies for Missouri’s transgender athlete ban.
Bridgette Dunlap won second place for “best columnist.”
The Independent also took home awards for “best feature story,” “best news or feature series,” “best news photograph,” “best story about rural or agriculture life,” “best story about history,” “best story about the outdoors’ and “best reporting using the Sunshine Law.”
