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The Suffolk News-Herald has been honored with the Grand Sweepstakes Award from the Virginia Press Association for the first time ever.

The awards were announced through a virtual ceremony Thursday morning. The program was held virtually for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publisher Betty Ramsey had this to say: “It’s been an especially challenging year for the Suffolk News-Herald team — first a change in leadership, quickly followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and as if that wasn’t enough, in August of last year, a tornado destroyed our office. Some teams would give up, but not this team. Making up the Suffolk News-Herald team is regional editor Tracy Agnew, who provides strong leadership and direction in the newsroom. We are blessed with reporters Jimmy LaRoue and Rachel Wartian and designer extraordinaire Jen Jaqua. Former reporter Alex Perry did a great job. Suffolk Living designer Troy Cooper does an excellent job making that magazine look great.

“In sales, regional advertising director Lindsay Richardson is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to marketing for our customers, along with the legendary Earl Jones and longtime marketing executive Dana Snow. Rounding out the team is customer service representative Hope Rose. This team has worked incredibly hard and being recognized by their peers as the best of the best in their circulation category is so well deserved.”

The Suffolk News-Herald competes in the VPA’s Non-Daily 4 category against other non-daily papers throughout the state that have circulations above 9,000. Suffolk Living competes in the Specialty category, against all other publications in the state that publish less often than weekly, or are targeted or niche publications.

The awards were judged by journalists and advertising professionals from the Maryland, Delaware and D.C. Press Association.

First-place awards in the news and advertising contests receive three points, followed by second-place awards receiving two points and third-place receiving one point. The Grand Sweepstakes award combines points accrued by the newspaper in the news and advertising contests.

Below are the awards won by staff of the Suffolk News-Herald and Suffolk Living magazine:

First Place

• Education, Churches and Organizations Advertising — Lindsay Richardson
• Home and Garden Advertising — Lindsay Richardson
• Lifestyles Advertising — Lindsay Richardson
• Special Sections (standalone section non-slick cover) — Staff
• Multimedia Report — Jimmy LaRoue, Alex Perry
• Informational Graphics — Jen Jaqua
• Breaking News Writing — Tracy Agnew

Second place

• Automotive Advertising — Jen Jaqua, Lindsay Richardson
• Multiple Advertisers and Themed Pages — Earl Jones, Lindsay Richardson, Hope Rose
• Slick Publications (standalone section with a slick cover) — Staff
• Slideshow or Gallery — Jen Jaqua
• Video — Jimmy LaRoue
• Personality or Portrait Photo — Rachel Wartian
• Pictorial Photo — Rachel Wartian
• Feature Story Writing Portfolio — Tracy Agnew
• General News Writing — Tracy Agnew, Jimmy LaRoue, Rachel Wartian

Third Place

• Automotive Advertising — Jen Jaqua, Lindsay Richardson
• Education, Churches and Organizations Advertising — Lindsay Richardson
• Entertainment Advertising — Lindsay Richardson
• Member Self-Promotion — Lindsay Richardson
• Real Estate Advertising — Lindsay Richardson
• Multimedia Report — Jimmy LaRoue
• Video — Tracy Agnew
• Combination Picture and Story — Jimmy LaRoue, Jen Jaqua
• Pictorial Photo — Troy Cooper
• Breaking News Writing — Tracy Agnew, Jimmy LaRoue
• Business and Financial Writing — Jimmy LaRoue
• Feature Story Writing Portfolio — Rachel Wartian
• Headline Writing — Jen Jaqua, Rachel Wartian
• Page Design — Troy Cooper (Suffolk Living)
• Personality or Portrait Photo — Alex Perry (Suffolk Living)