Two members of The Era’s staff were honored Friday at the Pennsylvania News Media Association press conference held in Lancaster.
Era Associate Editor Marcie Schellhammer garnered two first place awards — one for column writing and one for spot news coverage. Era sports writer Pete Sirianni earned second place for sports columns.
Both Schellhammer and Sirianni were honored by the Pennsylvania Associated Press Media Editors.
Schellhammer’s spot news coverage award was for a story written about the February 2016 murder of O’Ryan Murphy, allegedly at the hands of his aunt and uncle, Scott and Kristy Murphy, in Ridgway.
The category of column writing requires the submission of three columns. Schellhammer submitted a column about a mistake made in a photo caption, which was caught (and circled in red pen) by her high school English teacher Richard Brown; a second regarding the nine-month budget stalemate in Pennsylvania, comparing it to a baby whose father won’t step up and take custody; and a third regarding her daughter’s battle with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
Sirianni’s three columns submitted included one about Port Allegany’s somewhat underdog run in the District 9 and state boys soccer playoffs and Kane High football coach Todd Silfies reaching the 50-win mark in just his fifth season at the helm; a second arguing for Penn State’s inclusion in the College Football Playoff despite realizing the school would likely be left out; and a third about a day on the course caddying for close friend and Pitt-Bradford golfer John Bedford in a pro-am tournament, an event Bedford won and dedicated to his late father.
Schellhammer has been with The Era since 2001, working as a reporter until 2010 when she was named associate editor. She is a graduate of Otto-Eldred High School and of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. A daughter of Shirley Whiteman of Rixford and the late Donald Whiteman, Schellhammer lives in Smethport with her husband, Kirk, and daughter, Emily.
This is her second honor for column writing, and her sixth for reporting.
Sirianni has been with The Era since 2016, working as a sports reporter. He is a graduate of Kane Area High School and of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The son of Mark and Jan, Sirianni lives in Kane.
This is his first honor.
Schellhammer attended the conference. Thirty-four newspapers submitted 1,381 entries in the contest, which featured news, sports, features, photography and multimedia projects.
