For the third consecutive year, the Forest Park Review was recognized by the Illinois Press Association as the best overall weekly newspaper of its size. The award was handed down Friday during an annual ceremony sponsored by the IPA and held in the state’s capital city.
In handing out the first place award for General Excellence, a panel of judges credited the Review with a “wide range of reporting” and providing “excellent community coverage and editorials.”
The Review was also recognized in a number of other categories. For the second year in a row the paper earned first place for best newspaper design among small-circulation weeklies. Top honors were also picked up for best design of a single page.
For a series of stories written on the village’s 2006 proposal to purchase several homes to expand parking along Madison Street, the Review took second place. Also, a story on emerging business trends in Forest Park earned second place in the category of business reporting.
Columnist Bill Dwyer again received honors, taking second place in the category of original column.
The editorial page of the Review as a whole was also recognized with a third place finish for its “incisive writing on real (alarming even) issues” within the community.
The Illinois Press Association judges newspapers annually from around the state in more than 30 categories.
-Staff Report
