Three Richmond Times-Dispatch reporters were honored Wednesday with a first-place award in the Associated Press Sports Editors annual contest for sports journalism.
The award was given to David Teel, Mike Barber and Eric Kolenich for their coverage of last year’s shooting at UVa that killed three football players.
A panel of six judges, representing sports editors from across the country, voted The Times-Dispatch’s coverage to be the top “event coverage” of the year among mid-sized papers. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch was second, the Kansas City Star third.
“This is quite the honor for our talented reporters and The Times-Dispatch,” said Chris Coates, executive editor of The Times-Dispatch.
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“The work by Eric, David and Mike about the tragedy in Charlottesville was powerful and comprehensive. We’re proud that their journalism is being recognized at the national level.”
Teel, a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, wrote about the importance of community and fellowship in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Barber, who lives in Charlottesville, reflected on the parallels between November’s events and a similar tragedy he covered at Virginia Tech earlier in his career.
Kolenich provided readers with up-to-the-minute news and information from the scene throughout the day.
Recognize these places? 26 photos from The Times-Dispatch archives
In June 1946, 3,000 Shriners staged a parade downtown as part of the 60th anniversary celebration for Richmond’s ACCA Temple. Nearly 300 candidates for admission to the temple were present for induction rites at the event. Here, the Richmond Guard of Honor marched in the parade.
In September 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt, acting as the first woman delegate to the United Nations, spoke to an estimated 5,000 people at the Mosque (now Altria Theater) in Richmond. Her talk covered the work of the U.N., and she took hundreds of questions from the audience.
This February 1940 image shows the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new state library on Capitol Street near the Executive Mansion. The art-deco building was the library’s third location – it moved to its fourth and current site, at 800 E. Broad St., in 1997.
In February 1944, a group of Lakeside air raid wardens rolled bandages for the Red Cross at the Hatcher Memorial Church on Dumbarton Road in Henrico County. During World War II, the sight of women in overalls doing what traditionally had been men’s jobs had grown familiar. And while the reverse was less common, the military’s need for surgical dressings prompted these men to help answer the call. They had taken first-aid courses, too.
In March 1946, British wartime leader Winston Churchill’s trip to America included an address to the General Assembly. He waved to a crowd that waited in the rain to see him as his motorcade came through Capitol Square in Richmond.
This April 1946 image shows members of the Girl Reserve Club at Maggie Walker High School in Richmond. Club activities included drama, knitting, glass painting, embroidery and sewing. From left were Laura Belle Manning, Marie Spurlock, Eloise Taylor and Gladys Claxton.
In January 1948, a worker cleared snow from the Capitol Square walkways in downtown Richmond. The George Washington Equestrian Monument is in the background.
In March 1949, high water on Dock Street in downtown Richmond followed a brief flood that caused no damage. The James River crested at 13.1 feet during the afternoon but receded by 5 feet within hours.
On Oct. 12, 1958, just before 2 p.m., a rare triple railroad crossing was organized in Richmond. Officials of the Southern, Seaboard, and Chesapeake and Ohio railroads arranged for trains to cross simultaneously -- a staging they had done previously in 1911, 1926 and 1949. The event lured local and out-of-town rail enthusiasts.
In October 1954, Hurricane Hazel swept through Richmond and left its mark on the old Trinity Methodist Church on Church Hill. The steeple of the church, which by then was occupied by New Light Baptist Church, lost its top 25 feet. Despite pre-storm efforts to raise funds to restore the nearly 90-year-old spire, the hurricane damage was insurmountable, and the entire steeple was removed in 1955.
In January 1956, Virginia Union University basketball players listened to coach Tom Harris. From left are Junius Pretty, Steve Gwin, Carl Smith, Carl Draper and Ronald Bressant.
In January 1958, U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts was in Richmond to speak to the Woman’s Club about foreign policy with Russia. Douglas Southall Freeman’s widow, Inez, was president of the club and had a chance to visit with Kennedy.
In May 1952, Richmond police Sgt. R.J. Primm made final adjustments to the pocketbook of policewoman Thelma Wilkinson, who was preparing for her first shift. The pocketbook was an important piece of the uniform, as it concealed a first-aid kit.
This February 1953 image shows East Main Street near 10th Street in downtown Richmond, with Rao’s Restaurant on the corner at left.
In May 1950, Willie Bradby (left) and Pamunkey Chief Tecumseh Deerfoot Cook checked a shad net on their reservation in King William County. The tribe had a profitable year from fishing, so it made a donation to the Richmond Memorial Hospital building fund in memory of tribe member Charles Bush, who had been killed in World War II. The chief noted that sick tribe members were treated at Richmond hospitals, so the Pamunkey wanted to help the construction effort.
In April 1963, Laura Vietor was recognized for her longtime nursing work at Sheltering Arms Hospital in Richmond. She was awarded the Elizabeth D. Gibble Volunteer of the Year Award for her many years of service, which included full-time volunteer nursing even after retiring at age 65.
In November 1961, Gov.-elect Albertis S. Harrison Jr. sat with wife Lacey (right) and daughter Toni. In a profile about the rising first family of Virginia, the three shared that they enjoyed playing bridge together, and Toni said she liked playing golf with her father while quizzing him about political affairs.
04-11-1965: New Ancarrow Ramp--Newton Ancarrow opened his boat launching facility on the James River at the foot of Maury St. this week as white perch and hickory shad anglers sought a Richmond access to the river. The 250-foot launching ramp is 42 feet wide. It is lighted and will be open 24 hours per day.
In March 1966, mailroom workers prepared bundles of papers for the delivery trucks at Richmond Newspapers Inc. on Grace Street downtown. Today, the Richmond Times-Dispatch pressroom and mailroom are located in Hanover County.
In May 1967, Old City Hall in Richmond was the backdrop for the ceremonial groundbreaking for a new City Hall building. The Gothic Revival structure at 10th and Broad streets was completed in the 1890s. The new, 21-story building was completed in 1971 and was Richmond’s tallest building for several years.
In January 1966, Richmond Airport featured a new white fence that stretched 5,000 feet along U.S. Route 60 at the airport’s entrance in Henrico County. The $3,000 project was aimed at roadside beautification and runway security: The fence was expected to discourage spectators from walking across the airfield to watch takeoffs and landings.
Rev. Goodwin Douglas marches at Farmville. He is pastor of Beulah A.M.E. Church.
Tennis star Arthur Ashe Jr. admired his Eastern Grass Court Championship trophy at his home on Aug. 10, 1964. He was the sixth-ranked amateur in the nation that year and beat established players such as Dennis Ralston and Clark Graebner en route to the title.
In August 1969, Main Street Station in downtown Richmond sparkled in the floodwaters left by Hurricane Camille. The James River peaked at 28.6 feet in the storm.
In July 1948, Vincent K. Bass said goodbye to “Old 912,” an electric trolley car that had been in service in Richmond for nearly 40 years. Bass, a streetcar conductor for 42 years, was reluctantly learning to drive a bus – the following year, the city introduced a bus system to replace the streetcars. A contractor purchased this streetcar; the owner said he might use some of it for storage or as bunking quarters for some employees.
In November 1951, the Virginia Teachers Association, an organization of black educators, held its annual convention at Virginia Union University in Richmond. Exhibits included one promoting the “Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial.” To help fund the purchase of the famed educator’s birthplace in Franklin County, commemorative U.S. half-dollar coins were minted between 1946 and 1951 to appeal to collectors. In 1956 – 100 years after his birth – the site was designated the Booker T. Washington National Monument.
