Andy East
The Republic staff received 12 awards at the Hoosier State Press Assocation Foundation awards ceremony in Indianapolis.
The awards honor the best in Hoosier journalism throughout the state. The Republic competes in Division 2 which is weekly newspapers with 1,500 or more subscribers.
Staff members received the following awards:
Reporter Andy East received two first-place awards, including a first in best business and economic news coverage for Columbus Regional Health affiliation with Cleveland Clinic and a second-place award in the category for an analysis about how tariffs will affect Columbus.
East also received a first for an in-depth feature package entitled “Toxic Landfill of Sorrow,” a story about a pet cemetery on a landfill; and a third place award in the feature package category for “Local officials sound alarm as death by suicide rate increases.”
The Republic’s photo editor, Mike Wolanin, had two first place awards for best sports action photo for a golf photo and best sport feature photo for a wrestling photo.
Wolanin also received a second place in sports feature photo and a third for best sports action photo. He received a third place in best multiple picture group for a selection of photos from the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair rodeo.
Erin Bruce, an HSPA intern who was on The Republic’s staff in the summer of 2024, received a third place award in best short feature story for an interview with the Columbus Police officer who saved a family from the East Fork White River.
The Republic staff received a first place award for Best Special Section for Salute!, which is published in conjunction with Memorial Day services in Columbus. The staff received a third place award in the same category for “Colors for a Cure,” an annual special section featuring cancer patients and their road to recovery.
Two of The Republic’s sister papers received the HSPA Blue Ribbon awards, the highest honor bestowed by HSPA. The Daily Reporter in Greenfield received the award for weeklies and the Daily Journal in Franklin won the award for daily newspapers.
