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The Manchester Times was recognized with several awards during the Tennessee Press Association 2023 Newspaper Contest awards ceremony in Franklin Friday, July 21.

In the category of Public Service, Editor John Coffelt and reporters Nathan Havenner and Dalton Perez received first place honors for their articles about food insecurity within Coffee County. The newspaper also received a $250 prize from the University of Tennessee’s Edward J. Meeman Foundation for this coverage.

Coffelt also received a first place award for Best News Photo for his coverage of the Brothers Implement Co. fire that occurred in February 2022.

General Manager Cody Campbell, Jaxen Waggoner and Havenner received a second-place finish in the Best Special Issue or Section category for their work on the “100 Years of Red Raider Football” special publication.

Coffelt also placed third for Best Business Coverage as well as Best Investigative Reporting, while Havenner also received third place honors for Investigative Reporting and fourth place for Best Education Reporting and Headline Writing.

In sports, Waggoner placed second in Best Sports Coverage. The Times also brought home fifth place honors in the category of Best Sports Writing.

When asked about The Times showing at the award ceremony, Campbell said, “It has been our goal at The Manchester Times to build a team of journalists the community can be proud to support. I’m personally proud of the hard work and dedication our team shows to the local community each week. These awards are a culmination of that dedication and hard work.”

Co-sponsored by The University of Tennessee since 1940, The Tennessee Press Association Newspaper Contest celebrates excellence in all areas of journalism, including reporting, writing, photography and more.

The TPA was founded in 1870-1871 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry of Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to provide assistance to its 132 member newspapers by monitoring legislative activities, providing training programs, issuing press credentials, maintaining a Web site and employment database, and providing regular meetings and forums to foster the exchange of information and ideas.