U.P. Second Wave article receives certificate from Good News Awards

U.P. Second Wave writer Brian Martucci recently was awarded a Certificate of Merit in the 2015 Good News Awards hosted by local religious leaders. He won the certificate in the non-daily written news category for a story from May 2014 exploring how the U.P. can solve the problem of population decline.
 
The full category results are below:
 
Nearly 50 media professionals and groups from throughout the Upper Peninsula were recognized for the positive stories they wrote and programs they produced during 2014 at the 18th annual Good News Awards luncheon held at Grace United Methodist Church in Marquette on June 9.  This year 16 media outlets, including newspapers, online publications, and TV and radio stations entered a total of 63 entries in the Good News Awards, resulting in 27 Good News Awards and 16 Certificates of Merit being given out.

The Good News Awards, which began in 1998, honors local works of excellence in broadcasting, print and on the web that affirm the dignity of people, recognize and uphold universally-recognized human values, and uplift and nourish the human spirit.  They are sponsored by the religious leaders of the Catholic, Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran, Presbyterian and United Methodist Churches in the Upper Peninsula region.
Here are the 2015 Good News Awards by division and category:
 
Non-daily Written News
 
Straight News Story
Certificate of Merit:  The Munising News, Munising for "Warming up Trenary's Elderly" (a local tavern raised money to assist elderly neighbors heat their homes) by Toni Mann
 
Certificate of Merit:  The Finnish American Reporter, Hancock for "Athletics to Lead Way for Finlandia's Growth" (university remains true to ethnic roots when implementing new athletic programs) by David Maki
 
Feature Story
Good News Award:  Pioneer Tribune, Manistique for "Digging into the Good:  Veteran, Philanthropist is 'Person of the Year'" (one man's mission to better the town despite his own obstacles) by Ashley Hoholik
 
Good News Award:  Marquette Monthly, Marquette for "The Guardians" (spiritualism and environmental advocacy linked by Native American culture) by Jon Magnuson
 
Good News Award:  The Finnish American Reporter, Hancock for "Joseph Riippa's Life and Legacy" (a long-deceased pastor is remembered for his multiple contributions to Finnish-American culture) by Minna Salomaa
 
Good News Award:  The Munising News, Munising for "The Chatham Ski Hill" (an old-fashioned ski hill continues to unite the community with family-oriented recreation) by Toni Mann
 
Certificate of Merit:  Upper Peninsula Second Wave, Little Lake for "How the U.P. Can Fight Population Decline and Foster Economic Development" (how the region can tackle its population challenges head-on) by Brian Martucci
 
Editorial
Good News Award:  The Finnish American Reporter, Hancock for "Out of Respect" (a teacher is recalled for her efforts to teach students how to respect each other and live in harmony) by James Kurtti
 
Photograph
Good News Award:  The Finnish American Reporter, Hancock for "Heikinpäivä 2014: A Look Back at Midwinter Finnish Fun" (one of the events, the kicksled race, that make up the midwinter ethnic festival, Heikinpäivä) by James Kurtti
 
Series
Good News Award:  The Munising News, Munising for "Mike's Hiking for Heroes" (following a Munising native, who was part of an eight-month-long journey across the country meant to bring awareness and support to America's Gold Star families) by Amanda Ingraham
 
Source: Good News Awards