BAR HARBOR — Maine Trust for Local News staff writer Nicole Carter, who covers Oxford Hills news for the Advertiser Democrat in Norway, received five Maine Press Association journalism awards last week.

She earned first place with two stories in the Courts and Education writing categories, a second for an Arts – Lifestyle Feature story, and two third place awards in the News Headline and Feature Headline categories.

Carter’s investigation into the removal of Guy E. Rowe Elementary School’s resource officer last winter and suspension of its SRO program was the “clear winner in a category that otherwise was straight reporting from readily available documents or court testimony … Excellent example of reporter initiative in following up a tip … Solid reporting. Extra points for using FOI” [Freedom of Access Act] filings, were the category judges’ comments.

Her other first place award told the story of Otisfield Community School staffer Ryan Adams engineering adaptive tools so a student without the use of one arm could fully participate in the blacksmithing class he teaches to fifth graders.

“This reporter must have a nose for news because at the school she covers even the custodian makes news … Interesting twist that the janitor teaching blacksmithing learned something in the process,” wrote the judges.

Carter’s Arts – Lifestyle Feature article profiled two local artists – septuagenarian Peter Herley of Norway and fifth-grader Colby Martel of South Paris who collaborated for a month-long exhibit at the Western Maine Art Group’s Norway Gallery, which was founded more than 60 years earlier by Martel’s late grandfather Lajos Matolcsy.

The judges remarked, “a fascinating look into the lives and art of two very different yet similar people … This story leaves me interested in the artists, appreciative of the group hosting the exhibit, and wanting to see more of the art.”

In headline writing, Carter was honored in the News category for “Electric school bus discussion has social media firing on all cylinders,” writing about reactions to federal grant programs for school transportation, and for the Feature category “In Hebron, quilting class is a cut above,” a legacy story about volunteers who have taught the textile art to elementary students at Hebron Station School since 1996.

Carter worked in Farmington, reporting for the Franklin Journal and Livermore Falls Advertiser before transferring to cover Oxford Hills for the Advertiser Democrat.

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