Some of the Times-Republican news staff at the 2019 INA awards ceremony. From left: Adam Sodders, Mike Donahey, Emily Barske, Sara Jordan-Heintz and Stephanie Bowers.

The Times-Republican staff brought home several awards from the 2019 Iowa Newspaper Association conference, including being selected as a finalist for the Community Leadership award for tornado coverage.

The annual awards recognize the best newspapers in the state across several categories for individual and team efforts. The paper brought home awards from both the Iowa

Newspaper Association and the Iowa Associated Press Media Editors contests.

“These awards are a great honor to receive and we are glad that our work to provide the community with information was recognized,” said Times-Republican News Editor Emily Barske.

The newspaper was recognized as a finalist for the Community Leadership award for efforts covering the July 19, 2018 tornado. The Times-Republican got a paper out the next day even though the newspaper’s building was dysfunctional after being hit and several employees faced personal damage. Since then, the paper has done more than 300 stories about the impact of the storm and recovery efforts.

Several individual awards were also given to staff members:

• Times-Republican reporter Adam Sodders was honored with the Jay P. Wagner Prize for Young Journalists. Sodders has worked at the paper since 2015 primarily covering education, county government and politics.

• Reporter Sara Jordan-Heintz was first place for APME’s Business Story.

• Reporter Mike Donahey was a finalist for INA’s Coverage of Government and Politics.

• Barske was a finalist for APME’s Feature Photo and Spot News Photo and first place for Picture Story.

• The Marshalltown Strong magazine was first place for Best Special Section.

• The Times-Republican was first place for APME’s Editorial Writing.

• The Times-Republican staff was first place for INA’s Best Breaking News Story and a finalist for Best News Story, in addition to APME’s Spot News Reporting.

• Sports Editor Ross Thede was a finalist for INA’s Best Sports Story and APME’s Sports Spot News.

• Assistant Sports Editor Thorn Compton was a finalist for Best Sports Photo.