COASTAL OBSERVER

The Coastal Observer staff won 19 awards for writing, photography in design in the S.C. Press Association’s annual news contest, including the President’s Cup for excellence and Weekly Journalist of the Year for its editor, Charles Swenson.

Swenson, past president of the association, was nominated for his “integrity, exceptional dedication” and the impact he’s made on the Pawleys Island area during his 44-year career at the Observer. He founded the paper in July 1982 and continues to work as a reporter, photographer, designer and editor with his wife and publisher, M.P.  “Squeaky” Swenson.

“His work has created an unmatched historical record of the Waccamaw Neck over the last 40-plus years,” said Jackie Broach, Georgetown County’s public information officer and former Observer employee, in her nomination letter. “His work has informed residents, held institutions accountable, preserved local history and strengthened civic life in ways that are both measurable and immeasurable.”

The Coastal Observer received President’s Cup among the state’s mid-sized weekly papers for its range of work over the past year.

Swenson won first place for feature page design for a story about incarcerated individuals learning welding through the Georgetown County Sheriff’s reentry program. 

“Great image to support the story. Clean layout. Well done,” the judges said.

Madison Sharrock won first place for lifestyle feature writing for an article about a Murrells Inlet man’s butterfly garden. Judges said her “lyrical, immersive prose turns a simple garden into a living ecosystem. The writer’s beautiful use of language vividly paints the scene, making this an easy, well-deserved first-place winner.”

Sharrock also won first place in beat reporting for her coverage of the environment. Judges cited articles about mosquitoes, turtle DNA and least terns that were “very well written environmental stories.”

Chris Sokoloski received second place in beat reporting for coverage of local nonprofits.

She won second place in sports beat reporting among all weekly newspapers.

Swenson won two additional awards for page design: second place for photo page design, “The last lap,” about the Waccamaw High graduation and third place for page one design for the year in review edition.

He won second place for editorial writing among all weekly papers and second place for government beat reporting.

Sharrock won second place in enterprise reporting for an article about how Georgetown County School District teachers’ use artificial intelligence.

The Observer staff won third place for general excellence among mid-sized weeklies.

Maggie Pelton won second place in mixed media illustration for a watercolor landscape of Pawleys Creek and its birds featured in Beaches, the paper’s special summer edition.

Swenson’s photo of Sgt. Barney McCray overlooking the crowd at last year’s “No Kings” march won second place general news photo.

His photo of Myrtle Mazyck, a nursery caretaker with Belin Memorial United Methodist Church, also won second place for personality photo or portrait.

Sokoloski’s photo of a bicycle stunt in front of Waccamaw High’s former principal, Hunter Eddy, won second place for feature photo.

Her photo of Waccamaw High’s Walker Shealy win during the Lower State wrestling championship won third place sports feature photo.

Sharrock’s photo of a Waccamaw Elementary student dressed as a pumpkin won second place for humorous photo.

Swenson’s photo of a runner getting a piggy back ride over the finish line in the Race for the Inlet Bunny Run won third place for humorous photo.

His photo of smoke surrounding a cyclist crossing the causeway at Prince George during a wildfire won third place for spot news photo.