Stayton-Eurell and Michon win in VPA contest

The Fluvanna Review won two awards for outstanding journalism and advertising design in the annual Virginia Press Awards held late last month .

Lynn Stayton-Eurell

Ad designer Lynn Stayton-Eurell won first place in the Professional Services category for her design of an ad urging people to “be a hero” and wear masks to protect the community against COVID-19.

Reporter Heather Michon was third place for her story titled “Remembering Fluvanna Review Founder Len Gardner (1921-2020).” The article detailed his life as a Pearl Harbor survivor and as a community leader.

“Heather is a solid reporter who has a close connection with the Fluvanna community and an eye for detail. Lynn has been designing clever, eye-catching ads for years. Both are the reason the Fluvanna Review stays relevant to the county,’’ said Carlos Santos, the publisher of the Fluvanna Review.

Heather Michon

Newspapers from across Virginia enter their best work in the contest which is then judged by another state press association. This year’s contest in Virginia was judged by the Maryland, Delaware and D.C. Press Association.

Because of concerns about COVID-19, the VPA announced the 2020 winners online, rather than at its in-person annual meeting and awards banquet, usually held each April.

The Fluvanna Review competed with dozens of other non-daily newspapers with a circulation between 5,000 and 7,999.