In an upcoming banquet recognizing the state’s best newspapers, Forest Park Review will be taking awards in 15 categories.

Exactly where Forest Park’s weekly newspaper finished in each category won’t be known until the Illinois Press Association’s Oct. 9 meeting in Peoria. But the Review, which since 2005 has been taking top honors in the category of General Excellence in the annual state contest, recently learned of its latest nominations for achievement. Recognition in more than a dozen facets of journalism reinforces the consistent quality of reporting, design and photography found in the Review, which in 2007 finished second in a nationwide judging of non-daily papers.

The Review is published by Wednesday Journal Inc., an Oak Park-based group of six community weekly newspapers in Chicago and the Near West suburbs. The Review’s 15 nominations are among 55 for the group.

2009 IPA award nominations

  • General Excellence: Review staff
  • Best School Board Coverage: District 91 school restructuring, Josh Adams
  • Business/Economic Reporting: “Council may offer local bailout,” Josh Adams
  • Community Service: Proviso Township High School coverage, Josh Adams
  • Editorial Page, Josh Adams
  • Feature Writing: “With luxury to spare,” Josh Adams
  • General News Photo: July 4th face paint, Jennifer Wolfe
  • General News Photo: Veterans Day, Josh Hawkins
  • Informational Graphic: ISATs, Hollie Benedik
  • Local Editorial: Proviso legal bills, Josh Adams
  • Local Editorial: “We’ll never know,” Josh Adams
  • Newspaper Design, Rebecca Lomax
  • Original Column, Stephanie Kuehnert
  • Photo Series: Haunted house, Josh Hawkins
  • Single Page Design: “Always a soldier,” Rebecca Lomax