Three West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism students were recently named winners of the first Walter J.BuzzStorey Awards for Public Affairs Reporting contest.

Kellen Henry, a senior from Princeton, received a $500 award; Tricia Fulks, a junior from Clarksburg, and Jon Offredo, a sophomore from Newtown, Pa., both received $250 awards.

Each student submitted several published entries, ranging from coverage of a murder trial to stories about campus events and area crime.

Kellen, Jon and Tricia have produced stories about issues and events important to the public,said Bonnie Stewart, assistant professor of journalism.I commend them for working long, stressful hours to find the sources and public documents necessary to transmit thorough, truthful reports to their readers.

This is the first year of the contest, established by friends of Storey, a reporter and editor who worked at the Uniontown (Pa.) Herald-Standard for 47 years.

Storey is remembered in Fayette County, Pa., and surrounding areas as a dedicated journalist and civic leader. He began his journalism career in 1940 when he joined the news staff of the Daily News Standard, now the Herald-Standard.

Reportedly turning down multiple job offers with The Associated Press, Storey preferred to work for his hometown newspaper. He retired in 1987 but continued to write a Sunday column for the paper until 2001, three years before his death.

Noted as a local historian, he wrote two books and other histories of Uniontown and Fayette County and received numerous rewards for his service to the community and veterans organizations.

The awards were officially presented to the students during the School of Journalisms spring awards banquet last week.