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Journal earns accolades at California Journalism Awards event
George Piro
Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak presents George Piro with a key to the city during a July 2023 event at the Assyrian American Civic Club. A story written by Journal editor Kristina Hacker about Piro’s time interrogating Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein won first place in the Profile Story category at the California Journalism Awards (Journal file photo).

The Turlock Journal won six awards at the annual California Journalism Awards event held July 13 in Southern California, including two first place nods. Organized by the California News Publisher Association, the awards are among the most prestigious in the state for journalism.

Of course, we at the Journal are thrilled to have been recognized. We strive to bring our readers the best quality reporting and writing in an effort to both inform and connect our community at large. Our award-winning stories include:

  • 1st place, Profile Story Div. 6

Kristina Hacker took first place with the story, “Tea and cookies with Saddam,” which originally ran in the July 8, 2023 issue of the Journal. The story profiles Turlock High graduate and former Ceres Police detective turned FBI agent George Piro, who was the primary agent in the historic eight-month interrogation of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003-2004.

To read this story, visit: https://bit.ly/3y5qZEm

  • 1st place, Fine Arts Writing/Reporting Div. 4,5,6

Sabra Stafford won the top prize for her story, “Art as a bridge for two cultures,” which originally ran in the March 29, 2023 issue of the Journal. In the story, Stafford interviews Turlock’s Esther Elia, who organized Native Soil, an indigenous exchange project that brings Indigenous Americans from New Mexico to work with Assyrians in Iraq. Together, the two ancient cultures share their processes on forming clay and the creations that come from it.

To read this story, visit: https://bit.ly/4d87x8Z

  • 3rd place, Sports Feature Story Div. 6

Christopher Correa took third place for his story, “Meet the Tyler Soderstrom super collectors,” which originally ran in the April 22, 2023 issue of the Journal. In the story, Correa catches up with two baseball card collectors who could be described as Turlock native and Oakland A’s top prospect Tyler Soderstrom’s biggest fans.

To read the story, visit: https://bit.ly/3LwsQFr

  • 4th place, Breaking News Div. 6

Stafford brought home 4th place for her story, “Weekend of Violence,” which originally ran in the Jan. 18, 2023 issue of the Journal. This story recaps a shootout in downtown Turlock that happened on Jan. 14 that left one man dead and another injured, marking it as Turlock’s first homicide of 2023; and then less than 24 hours later and within eyesight of the first, Turlock Police detectives were called out to the scene of the city’s second homicide.

To read the story, visit: https://bit.ly/4faq6Lo

  • 5th place, Writing Div. 6

Stafford won 5th place for her story, “With parole looming in brutal murders, family seeks governor’s intervention,” which originally ran in the April 15 issue of the Journal. This story recounts the impact on family, friends and the community at large more than 40 years after the brutal murders of Philip and Kathryn Ranzo.

To read the story, visit: bit.ly/3Wf90mW

  • 5th place, Video Journalism – Other than news Div. 4,5,6,7

Frankie Tovar produced a video for the Journal’s Studio209 series about local muralist Joel Aguilar as he was painting a mural at Vanguard College Preparatory Academy in Modesto in August 2023.

To view the video, visit: bit.ly/4cKOSjV