The Call News was named among the top three large weekly newspapers in the state and won for the best local sports coverage for the third time in four years during the Alabama Press Association’s 2026 Summer Convention Saturday in Orange Beach.
The newspaper finished third in General Excellence in Division C and earned 17 awards in the APA’s annual Better Newspapers Contest, including seven first-place finishes. The 1,727 entries from 51 Alabama newspapers were judged by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.
On Saturday, the APA announced that the Call News had won first place in General Excellence for the first time since 2008 but later said all General Excellence winners were incorrect due to a miscalculation of points.
The Call News previously announced 12 awards before the convention.
Among the newly announced honors, the newspaper received first place for Best Local Sports Coverage, second place for Best Editorial Page and third-place awards for Best Local News Coverage, Best Use of Photos and Editorial Content and Best Layout and Design.
Of the Call News winning for Best Local Sports Coverage for the third time in four years, one of the judges commented: “What I greatly appreciate about your coverage is the depth and breadth. Many of the entries here submitted football or baseball but I appreciate the lengths that you went to in order to cover other sports. Many news outlets don’t understand that ALL sports drive traffic, not just the most popular. Kudos to you.”
Editor Jimmy Wigfield led the individual winners with six awards, including three first-place honors. He won Best Local Sports Column for the third consecutive year for his tribute to longtime UMS-Wright football coach Terry Curtis following his retirement. Wigfield also earned first place in Best Sports News In-Depth Coverage for his story on the death of Leroy softball coach Tabitha Baggett and its impact on the community and first place for Best Sports Feature Story for his article about locally owned horse Coal Battle competing in the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
Wigfield also received second-place awards in Best Sports News In-Depth Coverage for his article on Jackson football standout E.J. Crowell and Best Sports Single Event Story for his coverage of Saraland High School’s runner-up finish in the Class 6A football championship game. He added a third-place finish in Best Local Sports Column for his commentary, “What the ELL is Going On?” about a proposal involving English Language Learner students and athletic classification.
Publisher Willie Gray earned first place for Best Spot News Photo for capturing the aftermath of a vehicle that crashed into a Citronelle church and sparked a fire that destroyed the building.
Layout editor Doug Dimitry received first place in headline writing for “No Dice on Gaming,” which accompanied coverage of failed gaming legislation in the Alabama Legislature.
Columnist Jeff Poor earned third place for editorial commentary with “The Alabama Prison Mess” while photographer Helen Joyce received third place in Best Feature Photo for “The Miracle of a Child’s Smile” highlighting Mobile’s Miracle Field baseball program.
