Record, Behlen Earn Top Awards From South Texas Press Assoc.

Fayette County Record publisher Regina Keilers, right, holds up the plaque awarded to The Record after they won the Sweepstakes award for placing higher in more categories than any other semiweekly newspaper at the South Texas Press Association’s journalism contest in conjunction with the 95th annual STPA convention in Uvalde over the weekend. Also shown, left, Ken Cooke of the Fredericksburg paper (Sweepstakes winner in the large weekly newspaper category) and Marc Robertson of the Frio Nueces-Current (winner in the small weekly category). The Record’s Andy Behlen with his Journalist of the Year award.

For the second time this year The Fayette County Record has taken home the Sweepstakes Award as the top semiweekly newspaper in a press contest.

On the heels of being named the top semiweekly at the Texas Press Association’s annual convention in Denton last month, the Record won the Sweepstakes award as the top semiweekly newspaper at the 95th annual South Texas Press Association’s annual convention in Uvalde.

Additionally, Record reporter Andy Behlen was named the semiweekly Journalist of the Year by the STPA.

The awards were announced at the Uvalde Civic Center Friday.

Judging was done by The University of Texas Journalism Department and was for work done during the 2020 calendar year.

Points were assigned to each newspaper based on how high they placed in each category and the Record earned seven first place awards en route to amassing 875 points in the sweepstakes category, edging second place El Campo Leader-News (800 points) and third place Uvalde Leader-News (650 points).

Here’s a breakdown of what the Record won by category:

• First Place General Excellence, for a collection of entire editions of the Record

• First Place News Writing, for work done by Andy Behlen

• First Place News Photos, for work by Jeff Wick

• First Place Advertising Design, for work by John Castaneda

• First Place Feature Writing, for work done by Jeff Wick

• First Place Page Design for a collection of work

• First Place Lifestyle Pages, for a collection of designs.

• Second Place in Headline Writing

• Third Place Serious Column Writing, for work done by Jeff Wick

• Third Place Humorous Column Writing for work done by Jeff Wick

• Honorable Mention in Special Section for our Vine & Stein magazine.