COLUMBUS, OH—ƹ϶Ƶ Cooperative Living magazine earned national recognition in the annual “Willies” awards at the Statewide Editors Association annual meeting Sept. 22–25 in Louisville.
Senior Managing Editor Jeff McCallister, Assistant Managing Editor Amy Howat, and Graphic Designer Neal Kindig were in attendance.
Competing with other co-op statewide magazines from across the country, five OCL features published between June 2023 and May 2024 earned high honors, including:
• Entertaining feature (short form): 1st place — “Small town, BIG sounds,” written by Kevin Williams about the unlikely success of the ƹ϶Ƶ Valley Symphony in Gallipolis, from our September 2023 issue.
• Entertaining feature (short form): 3rd place — “Nature’s fireworks,” written by Craig Springer about (what else) fireflies, from our July 2023 issue.
• Entertaining feature (long form): 2nd place — “Never forgotten,” written by Margie Wuebker about the slow, painful recovery of a family and an entire community after a tragic farm accident in Mercer County, from our August 2023 issue.
• Historical feature: 2nd place — “Power to the people,” written by Randy Edwards about crucial role played by Murray Lincoln and the ƹ϶Ƶ Farm Bureau in the birth of the electric cooperative movement.
• Feature that illustrates the co-op spirit: 3rd place — “On the cutting edge,” written by Jodi Borger about how electric cooperatives, inspired by both economics and their commitment to customer service, stay ahead of the high-tech curve, from our November 2023 issue.
Congratulations to the ƹ϶Ƶ Cooperative Living team!