The Florida Press Association named Florida Weekly the best weekly newspapers in the state after the newspapers garnered 28 journalism prizes at the annual association awards program on July 21st, 2023 in Sarasota. This is the eighth time Florida Weekly has won the state’s top award.
This year, in the category for weekly newspapers with circulation above 15,000, Florida Weekly writers, designers and editors won 13 first place, eight second place and seven third place awards.
“Our editorial and design teams constantly strive to find new ways to connect with our 200,000 readers,” said Betty Wells, interim executive editor. “It’s very gratifying for us to be recognized for our outstanding work in telling the stories of the communities we serve.”
Florida Weekly was founded in 2007. Last year, the Hoffmann Family of Companies acquired the nine newspapers in the group from the founders.
The Florida Press Association’s Weekly Newspaper Contest is open to monthly, semi- monthly, weekly, semiweekly and tri-weekly newspaper members.
For more information and to see the stories and photos that were cited, see floridamediacontests.com.
First Place Awards
1. Better Weekly Sweepstakes — Division A (aka Best Weekly Newspaper)
2. Community Service — Division ABC — Cindy Pierce
3. Hurricane Coverage- General News Story — Division A — Laura Tichy
4. General News Story (Gwen Stevenson Memorial Award) — Division A — Mary Wozniak
5. Investigative Reporting (Claudia Ross Memorial Award) — Division A — Mary Wozniak
6. Feature Story: Non-profile — Division A — Roger Williams
7. Hurricane Feature Story — Division A — Laura Tichy
8. Arts, Entertainment & Review Reporting — Division A — Mary Wozniak
9. Business Reporting — Division A — Mary Wozniak
10. State & Local Tax Reporting (The Tax Watch Award) — Division A — Roger Williams
11. Community History — Division A — Roger Williams
12. Spot News Photo — Division A — Kinfay Moroti
13. Photo Series in One Issue — Division A — Kinfay Moroti
Second Place Awards
1. Community Service — Division ABC — Laura Tichy
2. General News Story (Gwen Stevenson Memorial Award) — Division A — Laura Tichy
3. Investigative Reporting (Claudia Ross Memorial Award) — Division A — Laura Tichy
4. In Depth Reporting (Non-Investigative) — Division A — Laura Tichy
5. Roads & Transportation — Division A — Mary Wozniak
6. Best Obituary — Division A — Roger Williams
7. Sports Feature Story — Division A — Glenn Miller
8. Overall Graphic Design — Division A — Staff
Third Place Awards
1. In-Depth Reporting (Non-Investigative) — Division A — Roger Williams
2. Faith & Family Reporting — Division A — Roger Williams
3. Roads & Transportation — Division A — Staff
4. Local Government Reporting — Division A — Laura Tichy
5. Agricultural & Environmental Reporting — Division A — Laura Tichy
6. Best Obituary — Division A — Nancy Stetson
7. Health, Science & Medical Reporting — Division A — Robin DeMattia
The Hoffmann Family of Companies (HF Companies) has officially acquired JED Transportation of St. Louis, Missouri (LOI announced March of 2023), the largest transportation provider in the St. Louis metropolitan area while simultaneously acquiring a third, bolt-on, St. Louis transportation company, Corporate Transportation.
Since its founding in 1967, JED Transportation has become the largest and most respected luxury transportation provider in St. Louis, Missouri. Focused primarily on corporate, airline crew, sports teams, universities, and wedding transportation logistics, the JED full fleet of over 70 vehicles including sedans, SUVs, Vans, Mini-buses, Coaches, School busses, and limousines, meets all the needs of diverse customer base. The addition of Corporate Transportation further expands offerings and services to the mix.
“Aligning the JED Brand with the Hoffmann Family of Companies is a Once-in-a- Lifetime opportunity” says Vince Schneider, Chief Managing Member of the JED Companies.
JED Transportation and Corporate Transportation joins a growing portfolio of HF Companies in the Business Services sector aimed at providing a one-stop solution for corporations and event planners. In the St. Louis market, JED & Corporate Transportation is joining with Mid- American Coaches of Washington, Missouri, and nationally with Naples Transportation & Tours headquartered in Naples, Florida, Palm Beach Tours & Transportation in Palm Beach, Florida, and now into Michigan with a LOI to acquire Michigan’s largest transportation provider, rapidly growing the company’s vertical while providing access to an already vast global network of HF Companies partners.
“We are thrilled to report our ongoing expansion in St. Louis and throughout the mid-west, further diversifying our portfolio and increasing accessibility to our corporate partners and affiliates,” says Tamir Rankow, Director Hoffmann Family of Companies. “We are strategically poised to move quickly on a series of growth opportunities in the pipeline as well,” he added. The HF Companies Business Services portfolio is continuously growing with a focus on becoming a $1 billion entity by Q4 2023.
Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of DHR Global and co-CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies, addressed employees via email following a recent mass shooting in a nearby Chicago suburb
July 12, 2022
Dear Team,
The events of the past several weeks in America have challenged my beliefs and perceptions of our great country. The violence that plagues our nation has become so commonplace that the carnage of the 4th of July shootings was quickly overshadowed by massive fireworks displays celebrating American idealism. We have grown so accustomed to these heinous acts that we have developed a callus. There have been 311 mass shootings thus far in 2022 in the United States. 311.
Shootings in violence-plagued neighborhoods have become an accepted way of life. We hear lots of talk from community and political leaders, yet the shootings continue seemingly unabated. Lives have been shattered and terror reins for many Americans just going about their daily routines.
One can easily develop a cynical viewpoint and throw their arms to the air proclaiming that in today’s political gridlock and tension-filled country nothing can be done. These acts of lawlessness are the price of freedom that we must accept. To that I implore all of us to simply say NO. This is NOT the America we grew up loving and NOT the one we want to leave to our children. I do not accept the type of freedom that restricts families from attending community gatherings for fear of getting gunned down.
America is no longer the Wild West where guns begot guns and laws need only apply when convenient. We inherited an America that provided freedom and safety for all its people in their inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. We must return to this fundamental right. Change can be long and difficult but nevertheless attainable if so desired.
We too will be instituting change. Improving the communities that we call home has been fundamental to the culture and success of our businesses. Sometimes that requires an investment in beautification or volunteering to coach a little league team. Now we are called to take a stand on an issue of life and freedom in America. Our companies will not be servicing any retailer, distributor or manufacturer of any semi-automatic or fully-automatic weaponry or any of their components or related products to the American public. To be clear this is not a call to eliminate the legal usage of shotguns and rifles used in recreational and sporting activities. Rather, this is a plea to eliminate high-capacity magazines and the weapons that fire them.
I further urge all of you to call on your elected leaders to institute much more restrictive gun laws that ban this type of weaponry from all corners of the country. This includes the implementation of a mental health evaluation in addition to more restrictive red flag laws that would ensure guns are in the hands of mentally stable, law-abiding citizens.
As many of you know my politics have always run conservative but this is an issue that I simply can no longer overlook. We will not support any politician with views that support the unbridled sale and usage of automatic and semi-automatic guns that are destroying the composition and fundamental rights of our country.
American exceptionalism can be restored but we must act together and we must act now. Our pledge as leaders and parents is to leave something behind in better condition than we inherited. We have not lived up to that creed but we can and we will.
— Geoff Hoffmann