By Henry Fitzgerald
Writers for The Coastal Star won awards announced in January in the 2023-24 Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Competition.
Jane Musgrave received a first-place award in environmental reporting for her story, Sargassum, turtle-nesting and storm seasons collide. Judges said it was “an interesting examination of a phenomenon that threatens the balance of nature and commerce.”
Musgrave also won second place in general news reporting. Her story, Neighborhood’s beach-access spat morphs into slurs and legal one-upmanship, was about a feud between Ocean Ridge’s Tropical Drive and Turtle Beach condo residents.
“This interesting yarn on a spat between neighbors over beach access sheds light on how personal — and petty — land disputes can become,” judges said.
Janis Fontaine won a second-place award for religion writing for her story about local church renovations, Renewing Holy Spaces. “Janis Fontaine takes an in-depth look at matters of faith and local congregations. Her stories are very informative,” judges said.
Anne Geggis placed third in the minority news category for her story, Clearing the books of a racist past. It was about local efforts to remove Jim Crow laws still lingering in municipal ordinances. The judges said her article was “a really interesting look at a segregationist past and current efforts to grapple with that history.”
Mary Thurwachter won third place in government news for her story about Hypoluxo Island residents fighting plans for Bonefish Cove. Boaters win fight to keep Intracoastal access “was very well-written and had in-depth reporting on a local issue. It was a pleasure to read,” judges said.
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