Ohio Outdoor News writers earn numerous awards

West Portsmouth, Ohio — Several writers whose work appears in Ohio Outdoor News took home awards for their craft in 2023.

The craft improvement awards were handed out on April 27 at the Outdoor Writers of Ohio’s (OWO) annual conference at Shawnee State Park lodge.

Ohio Outdoor News writers John Tertuliani, Jane Beathard, and Editor Mike Moore all earned writing honors from the writers organization.

Moore earned a first place award in best newspaper writing for a story headlined “Knocking on doors pays off in huge buck,” which appeared in the newspaper in December 2023. It told the story of Zach Kemper, a young man who knocked on no less than 40 doors before securing permission to hunt private land. His reward was the buck of a lifetime.

“Nicely done woven details and a ‘you-were-there’ look over the hunter’s shoulders in his quest,” the contest judges wrote about the winning story.

Tertuliani earned second place in the same category for a story appearing in 2023 headlined “Passion for learning from experience.”

Moore earned a second place award in best column writing for his Ohio Insider column, which appears on the opinion page in each issue of Ohio Outdoor News.

MORE COVERAGE FROM OHIO OUTDOOR NEWS:

Ohio’s opening week of turkey hunting off to fast start

Ohio Insider: If we’re going to ban fishing technology, where does it stop?

Thinking of a new deer rifle? Good time to consider options in straight-walled calibers

Beathard secured a first place honor in best feature writing for a piece titled “Hunters Feeding the Hungry,” which appeared last fall in Ohio Outdoor News.

“The article gave specific stats and details that encompass the dedication of the group,” the contest judges wrote. “It was so informative, which made us want to become involved. The style of the article caught our eye and our interest was heightened with each paragraph we read.”

Tertuliani earned a third place honor in the feature category for a story headlined “Are you rifle ready for the fall,” which appeared just prior to last fall’s deer hunting season in Ohio.

Tertuliani also won a second place award in the best how-to article category for a story detailing how to catch winter crappies in Ohio.

Beathard earned another second place award for best internet article titled “An Appalachian Outlaw,” which appeared on the Ohio Outdoor News website.

Beathard took the top spot in best internet blog for a blog titled “The New World of Energy,” which also appeared on the Ohio Outdoor News website.

Another writer earning awards in the OWO craft writing contest was John Hageman for his work that appeared in other publications.