CLINTON — The Illinois Press Association (IPA) has notified the Clinton Journal it was awarding it a first-place prize in government reporting for its coverage of the DeWitt County wind farm issue.  Journal editor Gordon Woods, manager Katy Pyne and News Media Corp. president John Shank received notification Tuesday Woods had won the award for his stories covering the proposed wind energy project in DeWitt County.  The award is part of the annual IPA Best of the Press editorial contest.

Woods also received a third-place award in the personality profile class for his story “It’s the Colonel himself, And, we’re not pulling your chicken leg” about KFC brand ambassador and Col. Sanders impersonator, former Clinton resident Johnny Miller.

Awards will be presented at the IPA annual convention in Springfield in October.  The IPA postponed its convention, which was originally scheduled for early May, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Clinton Journal competes among Class A newspapers in Illinois with circulations up to 5,000.  There are about 150 newspapers in the class in Illinois.

This year's contest was judged by members of the North Carolina Press Association.