Tallulah – Proudly serving as your award-winning source for all things Graham County since 1955, The Graham Star recently learned it had picked up three more state acknowledgements.
The North Carolina Press Association revealed in a July 11 release that The Star had secured second place in one category, while also finishing third in a pair of competitions among newspapers of similar size (Division A; circulation of 2,000 or less).
Graphic designer Madison Ledford's fun display of photos submitted by Facebook followers on a snowy January day won second place in Photo Page or Essay.
Publisher/editor Kevin Hensley picked up the third-place awards: one in the Photography, Feature category for two pictures that accompanied a spotlight penned by contributing writer Latresa Phillips on a 19-year-old starting her own business; and the other for a trio of headlines published during the contest period ("Under Her Watchful Eye," July 4, 2024; "Roman Empire," Oct. 10, 2024; "Robbinsville Flooded with Water Improvements," Feb. 27, 2025).
"The Graham Star's collaboration and creativity is on full display to our loyal readers each week – and once again, the judges in the statewide competition took notice," said Hensley. "We are always grateful to receive any honor bestowed upon us, as we continue to fulfill our weekly goal of providing high-quality, comprehensive news coverage."
One of the awards struck a personal cord with the publisher, as he admitted to assisting in the process that resulted in the Photography, Feature award. Hensley's dog Daffney was shown inside The Star getting one of the first baths from The Dog Wash's new owner Kensley Phillips; sadly, Daffney passed away just 10 days after the picture was taken.
"Daffney was a part of my life for 10 years, so that award will always be special to me," Hensley said.
The Graham Star just celebrated its 70th year in publication, with its first edition hitting newsstands June 24, 1955. Since 2020, The Star has won 33 awards from the N.C. Press Association.
Judges for this year's competition were members of the Nebraska Press Association.