Pilot grabs top honors in newspaper competition

The Daily Pilot’s coverage of the 1999 preschool killings in Costa

Mesa won first place in the local spot news and spot news photo

categories at the annual California Newspaper Publishers Assn. awards

ceremony.

The association recognizes excellence in journalism through its Better

Newspapers Contest. The Pilot was judged against daily newspapers with a

circulation of 25,001-75,000 from throughout the state.

Staff photographer Don Leach shot the winning photographs. Among the

staff writers who contributed to the award-winning news package were Greg

Risling, Elise Gee, Jessica Garrison and Drew Harris.

“It was a tragedy,” Leach said. “Covering those kinds of stories are

obviously the most difficult. And you kind of feel bad being there, but

you have to do your job.”

The events of May 3, 1999, shocked and horrified the community. Steven

Allen Abrams drove his car into the playground at the Southcoast Early

Childhood Learning Center in Costa Mesa, taking the lives of Sierra Soto,

4, and Brandon Wiener, 3.

Pilot editor Tony Dodero commended the staff, who in the face of

tragedy performed their duties to report the unfolding story to the

grieving community.

“These awards solidify the Daily Pilot’s long-standing tradition of

excelling at breaking news coverage,” Dodero said. “I’m very proud of our

paper and proud of the staff writers and photographers who did great work

and kept their poise during the coverage of this very traumatic story.”

Publisher Tom Johnson said it is difficult to cover such a horrifying

incident and praised the staff for their professionalism and compassion.

“I think it’s outstanding for the Daily Pilot overall to win these

kind of awards. I think it’s a great credit to the journalists that we’re

able to attract and the tremendous talent that they have,” Johnson said.