The 2012 PWPA Newswriter of the Year and winner of a $250 cash prize: Lindsey Poisson of the Erie Time-News.
She accumulated the most points — 18 — based on the following scale: 5 points for first place; 3 points for second place, 2 points for third place and 1 point for honorable mention awards.

Class 1 — General News story
1st place — Stacey Federoff, Greensburg Tribune-Review; “Why did the emu cross Route 31?”
2nd place — Luis Fabregas, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Review: 141 patients got unnecessary heart stents”
3rd place — Johanna S. Billings, Whitehall-Coplay Press; “Gorbachev speaks at Lafayette”
Honorable mention — Kay Stephens, Altoona Mirror; “Public speaking up”
Honorable mention — Stephanie Longo, Go Lackawanna; “A lasting tribute”
Honorable mention — Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “First Lady Betty Ford”

Class 2 — Sports
1st place — Karen Price, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Beating heroin addiction truly a marathon”
2nd place — Chris Ramirez, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Swissvale athletes, students celebrate in silence”
3rd place — Kay Stephens, Altoona Mirror; “Penn State alumns find somber atmosphere”
Honorable mention — Gordon Glantz, The Times Herald, Norristown; “A great person and a great leader”
Honorable mention — Donald R. Serfass, The Times News, Lehighton; “Great white hunter”
Honorable mention — JoAnne Klimovich Harrop, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “The Lombardi Trophy”

Class 3 — Home story
1st place — Lindsey Poisson, Erie Times News; “Picker people, Erie’s spring cleanup brings out scavengers”
2nd place — Erin Negley, Reading Eagle; “A Perfect Fit”
3rd place — Theresa Hegel, The Intelligencer, Doylestown; “Real housewives display do-it-yourself design”
Honorable mention — Erica Erwin, Erie Times News; “Hunger for sushi”
Honorable mention — Jennie Geisler, Erie Times News; “Putting down roots”
Honorable mention — JoAnne Klimovich Harrop, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Hastening the holidays”

Class 4 — Features and News Features
1st place (tie) — Theresa Hegel, The Intelligencer, Doylestown; “What happened to Baby Jane?
1st place (tie) — Lindsey Poisson, Erie Times News; “Pirate’s Life for Us”
2nd place — Linda Koehler, The Times News, Lehighton; “Ticked off at Lyme Disease”
3rd place (tie) — Amanda Gabeletto, Altoona Mirror; “Breaking Poverty’s Grip”
3rd place (tie) — Jennie Geisler, Erie Times-News; “Fruit of their Labor”
Honorable mention — Jo Ciavaglia, Bucks County Courier Times; “Finding people who don’t want to be found”
Honorable mention — Chris Ramirez, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Internationally adopted kids visit homelands”

Class 5 — Editorials/political commentary or column (Package of three samples)
1st place — Walter Brasch, Shamokin News Item
2nd place — Liz Allen, Erie Times News
3rd place — Mark Leberfinger, Altoona Mirror
Honorable mention — Gordon Glantz, The Times Herald, Norristown

Class 6 — Columns  (package of three samples)
1st place — Margie Peterson, South Whitehall, patch.com
2nd place — Eric Heyl, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
3rd place — Erin Negley, Reading Eagle
Honorable mention — Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Honorable mention — Liz Allen, Erie Times-News

Class 7 — Business or consumer story
1st place — Erica Erwin, Erie Times-News; “Pay is coming”
2nd place — Kay Stephens, Altoona Mirror; “Flight Risk”
3rd place — Jo Ciavaglia, Bucks County Courier Times; “Capital Health hopes new $530 million hospital attracts Bucks patients”
Honorable mention — Kim Leonard, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Natural progression”

Class 8 — Series
1st place — Luis Fabregas and Andrew Conte, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Code Green”
2nd place — Jo Ciavaglia, Bucks County Courier Times’ “The State of Health”
3rd place — Linda T. Gracey, Altoona Mirror; “Fewer in Faith”
Honorable mention — Lindsey Poisson, Valerie Myers, Dana Massing, Erica Erwin, Lisa Thompson, Erie Times-News; “A Woman’s World”
Honorable mention — Johanna Billings, Whitehall-Coplay Press; “Russian Days”
Honorable mention — Larry Alexander, Intelligencer-Journal/Lancaster New Era; “Lancaster County and the Civil War”

Class 9 — Interviews/profiles
1st place — JoAnne Klimovich Harrop, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Freedom, justice driving forces of U.S. attorney”
2nd place — Betsy Hiel, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Pittsburgh natives on scene to detail Libya’s turmoil”
3rd place — Stephanie Longo, Go Lackawanna; “Students recall DeFazio”
Honorable mention — Kay Stephens, Altoona Mirror; “A public servant: Gority’s commitment hailed”
Honorable mention — Margaret Harding, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Suspect’s friend says he helped move body”
Honorable mention — Stacey Federoff, Greensburg Tribune-Review; “Chef seized chances in U.S.”

Class 10 — Page Design  (package of 4 to 6 pages)
1st place — Keith Frederick, Altoona Mirror
2nd place — Brenda Martin, Erie Times-News
3rd place — Kristin Bowers, Erie Times-News
Honorable mention — Melissa M. Scott, Erie Times-News

Class 11 — In-depth Report
1st place — Luis Fabregas and Chris Togneri, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Derailed by Dementia”
2nd place — Theresa Hegel, The Intelligencer, Doylestown; “Perkasie Dad faces deportation”
3rd place — Donald R. Serfass, Times-News, Lehighton; “Tragedy at Hometown Hill”
Honorable mention — Jo Ciavaglia, Bucks County Courier Times; “Little oversight of oxygen chambers”
Honorable mention — Stephanie Longo, Go Lackawanna; “Examining a tragedy”
Honorable mention — Margaret Harding, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Day care worker surrounded self with kids”

Class 12 — Health/science story
1st place — Pam Parker, Erie Times-News: “Behind the paws and jaws at the Erie Zoo”
2nd place — Mark Leberfinger, Altoona Mirror; “Chestnut Revival”
3rd place — Luis Fabregas, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Westmoreland hospital fourth in stent volume”
Honorable mention — Chris Ramirez, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Vision center president”

Class 13 — Education story
1st place — Karen Price, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “We have not arrived”
2nd place — Sarah Hofius Hall, The Times Tribune, Scranton; “Big cuts, poor schools”
3rd place — Kari Andren, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Voters voice in Pa. school budgets muffled”
Honorable mention — Linda Anthony, Bethlehem Press; “Marking a year of growth”
Honorable mention — Debra Erdley, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Clery Act shines light on crimes on campus”
Honorable mention — Erica Erwin, Erie Times-News; “Learn by doing”

Class 14 — Travel, arts, entertainment story
1st place — Lindsey Poisson, Erie Times-News; “Living the Dream”
2nd place — Betsy Hiel, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Cairo trip home takes nerves, time”
3rd place — Alice T. Carter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Art vs. nature”
Honorable mention — Walter M. Brash, Shamokin News Item; “Fourth hour on ‘Today Show’
Honorable mention — Kay Stephens, Altoona Mirror; “A train of thought”
Honorable mention — Jennie Geisler, Erie Times-News; “A Steel-City treat”

Class 15 — Headlines (Three samples for package)
1st place — Kristin Bowers, Erie Times-News
2nd place — Mark Leberfinger, Altoona Mirror
3rd place — Johanna S. Billings, Northampton and Whitehall-Coplay Press
Honorable mention — Liz Allen, Erie Times-News

Class 16 — Photography
(News, feature photos)
1st place — Janet B. Campbell-Kummerer, Erie Times-News
2nd place — Kristen Mullen, The Citizens Voice, Wilkes-Barre
3rd place — Amanda Gabeletto, Altoona Mirror
Honorable mention –Linda Anthony, Bethlehem Press
(Sports photos)
1st place — Janet B. Campbell-Kummerer, Erie Times-News
2nd place — Kristen Mullen, The Citizens Voice, Wilkes-Barre

Class 17 — Multimedia projects
1st place — Sarah Hofius Hall, The Times-Tribune, Scranton; “Overachievers: Abington, Dallas”
2nd place — Christine Haines, The Herald-Standard, Uniontown; “On the comeback trail”
3rd place — Lindsey Poisson, Erie Times-News; “Sizzling summer reading”

Class 18 — Religion story
1st place — Linda T. Gracey, Altoona Mirror; “Strong in his spirit”
2nd place — Daveen Rae Kurutz, Murrysville Star; “Bid Laden mission prompts consideration”
3rd place — Theresa Hegel, The Intelligencer, Doylestown; “Church finds field of dreams”
Honorable mention — Linda Koehler, The Times News, Lehighton; “Finding God isn’t like looking for a needle in a haystack”

Class 19 — Outdoors/environmental story
1st place — Debra Erdley, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Seneca renew land bid with money and a plan”
2nd place — Erin Negley, Reading Eagle; “Humans go to bat to save a species”
3rd place — Daveen Rae Kurutz, Murrysville Star; “Officials try to establish gas balance”
Honorable mention — JoAnne Klimovich Harrop, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “Walking on water”
Honorable mention — Mark Leberfinger, Altoona Mirror; “Flood watch”
Honorable mention — Karen Price, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; “To runners, bigger isn’t always better”

Class 20 — Rookie Reporter (package of three stories)
1st place — Stacey Federoff, Greensburg Tribune-Review
2nd place — Rossilynne Skena, Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum
3rd place — Kari Andren, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review