Modesto Bee journalists honored for public service with George F. Gruner award

Modesto Bee journalists captured a 2021 George F. Gruner Award for public service with their coverage of COVID-19’s impact on the area’s Latino community.

In all, The Bee won in four categories and secured an honorable mention in another in the contest honoring the best of journalism in the Central Valley in 2020.

The public service award was shared by Kristin Lam, Ken Carlson and Garth Stapley, who wrote on the Latino community and the devastation wreaked by the coronavirus.

Stapley also won for column writing for the second straight year. Included in his entry was his pointed piece on the social media posts of Congressional candidate Ted Howze.

Julian A. Lopez won for best sports-writing with his story on the growth of girls wrestling in California.

Photographer Andy Alfaro won for best news photo thanks to a compelling image of a woman cleaning a church pew with a a nearby Virgin Mary statue seemingly watching over.

Erin Tracy won honorable mention for her poignant piece on the death of Ayasha Castro, a sex-trafficking victim.

The Gruner awards, named for a former Fresno Bee editor and honoring the best journalism throughout the Central Valley, were established by McClatchy Newspapers and are run by the Fresno State Department of Media, Communications and Journalism.