The Prairie Press collects multiple state awards

Recently, the team at The Prairie Press was honored with several awards from the Illinois Press Association. The nominations, awards and recognitions are for the coverage we provided during 2024.

On June 5, several members of our team traveled to Peoria for the IPA conference and to accept the various awards. Together, our team received 19 award placements, including two overall excellence awards in both editorial and advertising categories.

As the publisher, today I get the unique opportunity to tell the public about these awards, and to congratulate the people who (in my own, personal opinion) are incredibly deserving of a moment for these recognitions. So, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to take my professional boss hat off and put on my incredibly excited friend and colleague hat, as I gush over a few people and their recognitions.

Each one of the awards The Prairie Press received last week serves as a reflection of countless acts of kindness, diligence, creativity and compassion from our team members. It’s the early mornings and late nights, the thoughtful conversations, the extra mile driven to chase a story and capture a photo.

These awards are a reflection of the care poured into every role, whether it’s answering a phone call or providing behind-the-scenes support. Each recognition belongs to every person on our team who shows up not just to work, but to serve, and to serve with heart.

Jennifer Macke, our receptionist and graphic design extraordinaire, received three awards, including a first-place plaque for a health care ad she created for Pearman Pharmacy. Together, Jennifer and our sales director, Cliff Macke, also received a second-place award for a Prairie Press favorite, our Christmas in Paris advertisement page.

This dynamic duo collaborates closely on numerous successful Prairie Press projects.

Our lead writer, Victoria Leitch, is truly the backbone of our newsroom- she ensures that so many stories see the light of day and are shared with heart and purpose. Not only does she write, but Victoria also heads up the majority of the paper’s page design and is a master photographer.

Victoria was awarded for both her photography and her incredible page design skills. Victoria is also one of the key ingredients to several of the team project awards the Press received, including our first prize win for FOIA reporting and first prize win for School Board Coverage.

Other awards collected included multiple stories that showcase the individuals in our community and their heart for the people they live and work with. These personality profile features gave the Press an entire category of awards.

Additionally, a news photo taken during a fire at the beginning of the year received a first-place award, and another submission from a similar scenario placed fourth.

Each one of these awards are an incredible honor. Being recognized and awarded a second and third place overall excellence newspaper across the state of Illinois by our peers is an honor I know each of our contributors is profoundly grateful for.

Our award-winning staff members, Victoria, Cliff and Jennifer, don’t just work in Edgar County—they live here. They have families here, volunteer here, shop local, attend school events and support neighbors through both celebrations and struggles.

You can find them packing the grandstands at the fairground, cheering at local softball games and walking in parades; not because of the jobs they hold, but because of who they are and the commitment they carry to their community.

Their investment in our mission comes from a genuine connection to the people around them, and that’s what makes all the difference, in their work and in their character.

A special congratulations also goes to our former publisher, Robby Tucker. In 2024, before his exit from the Prairie Press, he lent his hand to articles and stories that deeply matter to our community. Feature stories written during his tenure, include a feature about Willie Mays that received a first-place award in its division. Robby was an irreplaceable friend and asset to our teams, whose work with our school districts is one of the driving forces behind the Press receiving the 2024 Robert M. Cole Award for school coverage.

While each of these awards are humbling and affirming, our team accepts them as a community celebration. They represent what’s possible when people lead with heart, work together and believe in something bigger than themselves. Everything our team is able to create and do is only made possible because of the support of our community.

From all of us at The Prairie Press, thank you.

On a personal note,

Thank you to the team, your integrity, your passion and your quiet acts of service are what make The Prairie Press strong. I’m honored to work beside you and even more honored to call you friends.

To the families that stand behind us, support us and encourage our commitment to our community, we appreciate you so very much. Most especially to Caleb and Ellison Wagoner, thank you for your support, love and the ability to give so much of myself to the role that I love.

Thank you to our owner extraordinaire, Ben Lueken, who came to the conference with us and cheered us on. You see the passion and the commitment of this team, and you not only support it, you match it.

Thank you to those who came before me, Nancy and Gary. They established a paper I wholeheartedly love producing. Despite my love of words, there will never be enough to express my gratitude for the path they paved.

And to our community: thank you for trusting us, believing in us and walking alongside us. We will continue to serve you with the same commitment, care and purpose that brought us here—and carry that forward, together. Here’s to the rest of our 2025 coverage and a very bright future for The Prairie Press and Edgar County.