New Times Staffers Jessica Lipscomb, Jerry Iannelli, and Tim Elfrink Win Journalism Honors

Miami New Times staffers brought home the bacon in two contests recently, with staff writer Jessica Lipscomb the big winner, taking a first in profile writing at this past weekend’s Sunshine State Awards for a piece about a reality star, Ted Vernon, whose history of abuse had gone largely unnoticed.

Lipscomb, a Florida native and veteran of several daily newspapers before arriving at New Times, also took an honorable mention in immigration coverage at the Association Alternative Newsmedia award banquet for a story about a would-be jihadi in Key West.

New Times managing editor Tim Elfrink also delivered with a story about a brutal murder and floating bales of drugs, “Hooked.” Elfrink took a second in the Sunshine State in news reporting among small papers and an honorable mention in the AAN awards for that piece. That story was also a winner in the Sigma Delta Chi awards.

New Times daily news writer Jerry Iannelli picked up a second in the AAN Awards for several stories about the use of drones in South Florida. Also a winner at AAN, which was held this year in San Diego, was Houston Press managing editor Zach Despart for a story about corrupt businessmen who looted Venezuela and live quietly in Houston and Miami.

Finally, former New Times music editor Ryan Pfeffer took a third in profile writing at the Sunshine State Awards for a story about the rapper Trina.