Seven members of The Post-Journal staff won awards in the New York State Press Association statewide writing competition.
Andrew Carr, Mike Frank, Christopher Kinsler, Dennis Phillips, Matt Spielman and John Whittaker were awarded first place in spot news reporting for their combined coverage of the July 24, 2010, tornado that touched down in Mayville and Randolph.
Scott Kindberg picked up his 10th career AP award with a first-place sports column, "Remembering Leonard's Act Of Kindness," about the late John ''Dutch'' Leonard, his love of the Boston Celtics and his generosity in making a friend's dream come true.
Kindberg, The Post-Journal's assistant sports editor, is a Jamestown native and has been with the newspaper since 1983. Kindberg's other awards include a first-place finish in 2003, second-place finishes in 1998 and 2001, third-place finishes in 1996, 2004 and 2007, and honorable mention in 1993, 1999 and 2000.
Kindberg lives in Jamestown with his wife, Vicki. He has three grown sons, Matthew, Eric and Jeremy.
Carr, a Warren native, is a 2009 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has been at The Post-Journal since May 2010 and currently serves as the police and courts reporter.
Frank, from Kane, Pa., has been with The Post-Journal since 2008. He is a graduate of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and is currently a copy editor with The Post-Journal, having started with the paper as a sportswriter. He currently lives in Jamestown and is the son of Steven and Mary Kay Frank of St. Marys, Pa.
Kinsler, The Post-Journal's region editor, is a St. Bonaventure University graduate and has been with Ogden Newspapers for 13 years. He previously served as a sportswriter for The Post-Journal and a sports editor with the Dunkirk Observer. Kinsler lives in Bemus Point with his wife, Carisa, and three sons, Coleridge, Kellen and Trajan.
Phillips is The Post-Journal's business reporter and has been with the paper since 2003. He is a graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Phillips is a native of Garland, Pa.
Spielman is The Post-Journal's news editor and has been with Odgen Newspapers since 2002. Spielman attended SUNY Fredonia and has previously served as a sportswriter and copy editor for The Post-Journal and sportswriter for the Dunkirk Observer. Spielman, a Mayville native, currently lives in Jamestown with his wife Emily, son, Cooper, and daughter Claire.
Whittaker is The Post-Journal's city editor and has been with paper since 1997. He attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., and has served as a sportswriter and news reporter for The Post-Journal. Whittaker lives in Jamestown with his wife, Shelly.