Mainstreet Daily News editors and reporters on Friday collected 10 honors across nine separate categories in the Florida Press Association’s annual contest for weekly newspapers. 

The 10 awards set a new record for Mainstreet, which also moved up a division in the contest. After winning four awards in 2025 competing in Division B, the newspaper increased its circulation to 20,000 so was eligible for Division A, which is reserved for weekly newspapers with circulations above 15,000.  

“I could not be more proud of our editorial team for their record showing against the largest weekly newspapers in the state,” Publisher J.C. Derrick said. “We don’t do this for awards, but it is very gratifying to see excellent work recognized by our peers.”   

Carolyn Nolte, president and CEO of the Florida Press Association, said the contest, which is judged by out-of-state journalists, received more than 1,500 entries this year, making it one of the most competitive state contests in the country.  

Mainstreet, which launched its print edition four years ago, won four first place awards, took home three second place honors and earned three third place nods. Associate editor Seth Johnson and reporter Lillian Hamman both won multiple awards.  

The Apopka Chief, Mainstreet’s sister paper to the south, also took home a top award in press association’s Division B. Sports reporter Marshall Tempest won first place in Outdoor & Recreation for a piece on the development of an equestrian vaulting training center in Apopka. 

Hamman collected five honors for Mainstreet, winning first place in Community History, second place in Sports Features, third place in Faith and Family Reporting and earning both second and third place in In-Depth Reporting (Non-Investigative). 

A contest judge described Hamman’s first place story about the Huff family and the history of the Orange Lake Overlook as “a compelling account,” pointing to the quality of the firsthand descriptions Hamman collected in her reporting. 

Hamman’s wide-ranging award-winning coverage includes features on a para track athlete training for the national championships, and on a social media influencer relying on his faith in recovering from a snake bite. Her notable in-depth reporting focused on a dispute over railroad tie grinding in Newberry and on an investigation into potential voter fraud in Alachua related to the non-payment of incarceration fees. 

“It’s so humbling and encouraging to think about how much community impact Mainstreet has had … and to get to contribute a small piece to it,” Hamman said. 

Johnson, who won awards for his Mainstreet coverage in 2024 and 2025, grabbed first place honors in Business Reporting, earned second place in First Amendment Defense and a third-place award in Feature Story (non-profile). Although none of his awards are for court reporting, all three of Johnson’s winning stories revolved around a legal case. 

Johnson’s first place story focused on a lawsuit filed by a Celebration Pointe investor. A contest judge wrote of the piece: “It breaks down a complicated financial situation clearly and ties legal action to community impact, making it both informative and engaging.” 

The contest judge for the First Amendment award also praised Johnson’s ability to break down a complex legal case in his reporting on the dismissal of a lawsuit against Mainstreet. “It does a nice job explaining why the judge’s decision matters, especially around free speech and prior restraint,” the contest judge wrote.    

Johnson’s third winning legal story revolved around a $7 million fraud case that saw a Gainesville man defrauded of $200,000 in gold coins. 

“Our expanded team worked hard this year, and it was great to see a record amount of recognition for it, from both the awards and our readers,” Johnson said.  

Education reporter and Report for America corps member Nick Anschultz garnered first place in Education Features for his story on the exceptional second-year growth of Gainesville’s Frazer School. 

The contest judge praised Anschultz’s story as clear and engaging, writing: “It feels informative but still personal, showing why the school’s second year actually matters to students and families.” 

Correspondent Gary Nelson also won first place in the Division A’s Investigative Reporting category for a piece that explored the criminal background and social media posts of a controversial critic of the Alachua County School Board. 

Nelson’s first place award was the only award given for investigative work in Division A. 

“I am so proud of our staff,” said senior editor C.J. Gish. “Just a tremendous effort in only our fourth year as a print publication.”