The Cullman Times was recently recognized by the Alabama Press Association for excellence in journalism.

During the APA Media awards banquet on June 28, Times’ investigative journalist Patrick Camp was awarded First Place, in Division B, in the Freedom of Information-First Amendment category for his reporting on an alleged attempted kidnapping of children by two men at Sportsman Lake Park in August 2024.

In his reporting, Camp, using court records, tracked down several witnesses and spoke to the man who reported the alleged incident to the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office. Camp also uncovered that another State witness, who related to the original caller, was a registered sex offender. Other witnesses told Camp they had been told not to discuss the case with the media. Camp filed a public records request, but was denied security footage video from the park from the day of the incident.

Two weeks after their arrests, charges were dismissed after a preliminary hearing where which a judge determined a lack of probable cause.

Camp also received a Second Place award for Best Public Service for his reporting on utilities issues at a Cullman County mobile home park. The day after the story posted on cullmantimes.com, the resident informed Camp that service was finally being addressed after months of no response to her complaints. She credited Camp with shedding light on the issue.

Camp received a Second Place Award for Best In-Depth News Coverage for his reporting on inconsistencies in Cullman County Commissioner Garry Marchman’s residence. Alabama law requires commissioners to reside within their respective district at all times while in office. Property records uncovered by Camp indicated Marchman had not owned property within his district since 2021.

Longtime Times Sports Editor Jake Winfrey, was again recognized for Best Local Sports Coverage earning a First Place for the third year in a row. Winfrey also won First Place for Best Sports Single Event Story with his coverage of the Good Hope Women’s Basketball Team’s championship win for the Class 4A title.

“Cullman County is very fortunate to have dedicated journalist like Patrick and Jake in the community,” said News Editor, Amanda Shavers who received a Third Place for Best Sports Photo. “It’s an absolute honor to work with them. I also want to thank Debbie Miller in classifieds, Kim Keller in circulation and Matthew Swan in sales. They work incredibly hard in the production and delivery of The Cullman Times. I couldn’t ask for better co-workers.”