STATE HONORS: Times brings home 16 statewide awards, including best overall design in Missouri

The Ozark County Times brought home a big honor this year, earning the 2026 Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest plaque for first place in best overall design in the state of Missouri, along with 15 other first, second or third place awards in various other categories.

The statewide contest is open to all newspapers in the state of Missouri for work written and published in 2025. The Times is judged against other class two weekly newspapers in the state.

First place: 

Best overall design

The Times took home the first place plaque for best overall design after submitting the required three newspaper editions, from non-consecutive months, to be judged.

The overall design category is judged  on the consistent quality of layout and design of all three issues of the entire newspaper, which includes typography, photography, graphics, white space and all other design elements.

The first of the three newspapers that were submitted include the April 2, 2025, edition, which featured a 16-page A section and a six-page local election guide as a B section.

The second newspaper submitted as the entry was the Oct. 29, 2025, edition, which featured a comprehensive Ozark County Halloween and fall events infographic showing happenings on the front page, paired with related information about the events inside. 

The last edition chosen to be judged for the overall design category included the Dec. 24, 2025, “Christmas scrapbook” edition. In that 20-page issue, the Times took inspiration from family scrapbooks to display photos of Ozark County Christmas events and dozens of Christmas greeting ads from local businesses. 

First place: 

Best alternative publication

The 2025 edition of The Real Ozarks magazine took home the top award in the best special section, magazine or alternative publication. 

It is an annual, full-color glossy-covered guide to all things Ozark County, highlighting the natural areas, lakes and rivers, hiking, outdoor recreation, places to stay, places to eat, scenic drives and local culture of Ozark County. 

The magazine has consistently placed high in both the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper contest, which focuses more on the content of the magazine, and in the Missouri Press Association’s Best Ad contest, focused more on the advertisements in the guide.

The Better Newspaper contest category is judged on the magazine’s content, cover design and overall quality. The contest guidelines note that while advertising can be considered in the overall quality of the publication, judges are to remember that it isn’t an advertising category. 

One judge noted they thought the guide was “OUTSTANDING and very comprehensive!”

The award is given to the staff as a whole with Jessi Dreckman responsible for content, Regina Mozingo for ad design and Jenny Yarger for ad sales. 

First place: 

Best story about the outdoors

Dreckman’s article about the deadly March 14 tornado titled “Bakersfield tornado was five football fields wide with winds of 140 mph,” took first place in the state for best story about the outdoors. The article was published in the March 19, 2025, edition, just four days after the tragedy struck. 

One judge said, “This story puts the reader in the vehicles with storm-chasers, as well as emergency responders and introduces them to the people at the locations affected by this killer tornado. Wonderful, thorough coverage!”

The article also took third place in best news story in the state, a category with a much larger number of entries each year (see related entry later in this article). 

The best story about the outdoors and all other “best story about...” categories are judged on quality of writing, lead, significance and presentation including photos and artwork.

First place: 

Best story about rural life

Dreckman also took home a first place plaque in the best story about rural life category for her article, “Massive brush fire engulfs structures, vehicles and hundreds of acres of land,” published March 5, 2025. 

That article focused on another of the many natural disasters that hit the tiny town of Bakersfield last year - this time a large brush fire that spread rapidly, burning 428 acres of land and taking several structures, vehicles and other items in the process. Thanks to the valiant effort by nine different volunteer fire departments, the Missouri Department of Conservation and about a dozen or more local residents, the fire was stopped just short of burning the main downtown area in Bakersfield.

First place: 

Best information graphic

Dreckman won first place for the best infographic for her entry of artwork she created signaling the location of Halloween and fall events in Ozark County, which was published on the front page of the Oct. 29, 2025, edition (see thumbnail on page 1).

Two judges left comments on the infographic.

One said, “This was a lot of work! A fine locator for haunts, cross-referenced inside with times, dates, necessary bits and uniform briefs. Colorful, tight.”

Another judge referenced the judging criteria of originality, craftsmanship, presentation of information and clarity of the message. They said, “Originality: a ghoulish guide with gourds atop. Craftsmanship: expert; uniform bits, ready cross-reference. Presentation of information: in the hues of the holiday, purple, orange and spooky green; nice, chunky fonts. Clarity of message of the graphic: It’s a lot, but it manages to do it as a fun reference, accessibly.”

First place: 

Best business story

Sue Ann Jones won first place in the best business story category for her article, “Overcoming challenges and heartache, Pam Guffey reopens her popular cafe,” which was published in the May 21, 2025 edition. 

The article was written about the Bakersfield restaurant, Guffey’s Cafe. The business celebrated its best day of business ever in its five-year history on March 14, 2025, and that date also marked the night a deadly EF-3 tornado swept through the area, inflicting heavy damage on its building and forcing the popular eatery to close for months. The cafe reopened in early June after repairs were made. 

Second place: 

Best news or feature series

 Dreckman took second place in the best news or feature series category with her series of articles on natural disasters that hit Bakersfield last year, titled “Tested by disaster, the tiny town of Bakersfield keeps standing.”

The three part entry included a March 5, 2025, article on a massive wildfire that nearly burned down the town, a March 14 article on the deadly tornado and an April 9 article on extreme flooding in the same area. 

A judge noted: “A large woods fire and a tornado in the same month and the same town? What a well-told story this was. You talked to so many people... officials, victims alike. A really readable piece! Good work.”

Second place: 

Best alternative publication

In addition to the first place plaque, the Times staff took home the second place award for best alternative publication with its 2025 Ozark County Cookin’ magazine-style cookbook.

The annual Ozark County Cookin’ glossy-covered magazine cookbook is published each year on the week before Thanksgiving, utilizing recipes, photos and information from locals in the area. It is distributed free from area stores and at the newspaper office. It is probably the most read alternative publication in the Times’ lineup, and the quickest to run out. This year’s cookbook will be published on Nov. 18.

The award is given to the staff as a whole; Regina Mozingo handling recipes and ad design and Jenny Yarger handling ad sales.

Second place:

Best story about rural life

Jones’s article, “First five years here started with ‘whirlwind’ that hasn’t stopped,” about Gainesville Veterinary Hospital owners Bryan Luark and Katlin Hornig’s work with their business, took second place in the best story about rural life category. It was published Feb. 26, 2025.

Second place:

Best story about education

Jones also won second place in the best story about education category for her article, “Elmo Hambelton retires after 34 years as Gainesville School bus driver,” published in the June 11, 2025 edition.

One judge commented: “A great feature and a departure from daily education beat writing that packs a lot of storytelling into a small space.”

Second place:

Best story about history

Jones also took second in the best story about history category for her article, “Reenacting the 1925 Alaskan Serum Run,” published in the Oct. 15, 2025, edition. 

The article focused on Dora resident Von Martin and his adventures enduring harrowing challenges and successes during his many years of dog-mushing in Alaska.  A judge noted: “Interesting piece on a man who lived a lot in his life. The historical pieces woven in make this an exceptionally written tale.”

Third place

Best news story

Dreckman’s article on the Bakersfield tornado, which took first place in best story about the outdoors, also took third place in the best news story category.  A judge in that category said: “Very thorough coverage of this tragic storm and its aftermath. Well done.”

Third place

Best story about rural life

Dreckman’s article “Autumn is the perfect time to rediscover Hodgson Mill,” published in the Oct. 22, 2025, edition, won third place in the best story about rural life. The article detailed renovation efforts that had been made to the historic grist mill and urged readers to visit the location, giving an itinerary with other nearby attractions to fill out a local road trip. 

Third place

Best story about the outdoors

Dreckman’s story “Local family rescues owl hit by car, aids in recovery and return to wild,” published in the Jan. 29, 2025, edition, won third place in the best story about the outdoors. 

The article detailed the efforts Times Advertising Manager Jenny Yarger and her family made, with the aid of conservation agent Tom Leeker, to get an screech owl to the Dickerson Park Zoo’s Raptor Rehab Program in Springfield after finding it at their home injured. A judge noted: “What a wonderful story about family and caring for our feathered friends. Henry is one lucky owl! And the information passed on to others who may find themselves in similar circumstances is excellent.”

Third place

Best health story

Dreckman also took home third place for her article, “Benefits planned for Hamm family after devastating diagnosis of 2-year-old son,” published Nov. 19, 2025, about Coe Hamm’s diagnosis with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).

A judge commented: “Interesting, well-reported story about a rare genetic disease, and how the child’s family and community responded to the news.”