Clay Today, the official legal organ in the county, was recognized with five national aways from the Association of Community Publishers and five more awards from the Florida Press Association.

The awards signify one of the most productive years in the newspaper’s history.

“We have a great team at Clay Today dedicated to creating a product that everyone can be extremely proud of. The time and effort, as well as love for their community, we all want to make sure to keep our community informed on all hyper-local news and events.”

“Winning five Associated Community Publishers awards and five Florida Press Association awards is remarkable. The ACP and FPA are prestigious organizations that recognize excellence in journalism and publications.”

Clay Today earned the following awards from the Association of Community Publishers:

• First Place, Sports Article: “Our New Hero: Conner McKay” by Sports Editor Randy Lefko.

• First Place, Color Ad Larger Than Quarter Page: “Vito’s Pizza” by Sheila Holcombe.

• Second Place, Andrew Shaprio Award for Cancer Awareness Special Section by graphics and page designers Michele McNeil, Lisa Murphy, Holcombe Kathy Roy.

• Third Place, Most Improved Front Page Banner, by graphics and page design team.

• Third Place, Hudson and Gracie half-page ad for “Fitness, Fashion and Beauty” Special Section, by graphics and page design team.

Clay Today also earned the following awards from the Florida Press Association:

• First Place, Sports Feature: “Our New Hero: Conner McKay” by Lefko.

• First Place, “Clay County Agriculture Fair: Big Wheels and Pig Squeals” by graphics, page design team, and Don Coble.

• Second Place, Profile Feature “ Santa Claus: Toys continually change, but not a child’s creativity, curiosity” by Kylie Cordell.

• Second Place, Headline, “I like pork butts and I cannot lie” by Coble.

• Third Place, Serious Column, “Message to activists, Disney: Leave our children alone” by Coble.

“The ACP Awards honors exceptional work in community journalism and publishing. Winning five awards demonstrates the recipient’s unwavering commitment to producing top-notch content that resonates with their community. It is a testament to their journalistic skills, storytelling abilities, and dedication to capturing the essence of the communities they serve,” Robinson said.

“The Florida Press Association awards celebrate excellence in journalism, design, and overall publication quality within Florida. Winning five of these awards signifies the recipient’s outstanding contributions to the field of journalism in Florida. It showcases their ability to deliver impactful news, engaging stories, and visually appealing designs that captivate readers and set them apart from other publications.”