Butler Eagle staff entries named as finalists in Golden Quills
Several staff entries from the Butler Eagle have been named as finalists in the 2024 Golden Quills competition.
Each year, the Golden Quills honors journalists and news outlets in the region for their expert storytelling and accountability work, receiving hundreds of applications annually from across Western Pennsylvania, as well as parts of Ohio and West Virginia.
Eagle staff writer Irina Bucur is a finalist for an award in the news feature category for Excellence in Written Journalism (Division 2) for an article with the headline, “Crash victim’s family calls for safety measures on New Castle Road.”
Bucur spoke with the family of Damian Hall, 27, who was killed the night of Oct. 26 after the vehicle he was driving hit an embankment at the turnaround at the 400 block of New Castle Road.
Leading up to the turnaround, there had been no flashing signs or arrows to warn Hall, or anyone else, against driving into the dead end. There is one “No outlet” sign at the intersection of Greenwood Drive and Lions Road, but nothing further along the road.
The sign can be easily missed by motorists checking traffic at the intersection, Hall’s stepfather, Phil Profota, said.
The fatality marked the fifth accident this year on the stretch of the state-maintained road, said Butler Township police Chief John Hays.
Eagle sports editor John Enrietto and staff writers Eddie Trizzino and William Pitts are finalists in the sports category for Excellence in Written Journalism (Division 2) for their coverage of the conflict between East Butler borough and the East Butler Baseball Association.
In August 2023, the East Butler Baseball Association officials said the entrance to its baseball complex had been padlocked shut by the borough council and that players and coaches were forbidden to use the facility. The association moved its operation to fields in Prospect.
Eagle staff writer Molly Miller is a finalist in Excellence in Journalistic Craft Achievement for her spot news photo titled “Historic Center Avenue Building Burns.”
Eagle staff writer Zach Petroff is also a finalist for a multimedia presentation called “Duquesne University Investigates” in Student Excellence in Journalist Craft Achievement. Petroff was a part of that project before joining the Butler Eagle team in January.
Winners will be announced during the annual Golden Quills dinner May 28 at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.
