Southeast Iowa Union wins award for investigative reporting

DES MOINES – Southeast Iowa Union reporter Kalen McCain received a prestigious award from the Iowa Newspaper Association during its annual awards ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 6.

McCain was honored with the Harrison “Skip” Weber Investigative Reporting Award, which he received for his reporting on the Washington County Board of Supervisors’ removal of former Ambulance Director Jeremy Peck after Peck had spent 16 months on paid leave. Only two awards were given out in this category honoring the best investigative reporters among Iowa’s 240 newspapers.

"I wasn't told I was even nominated ahead of time, so I'm still a little in shock about winning the award, it's humbling,” McCain said. “I'm so proud of the work that went into this coverage, and so thankful for the support of everyone inside and outside the newsroom who helped tell this important story."

McCain was joined at the INA awards ceremony in Des Moines by other Southeast Iowa Union employees such as publisher Matt Bryant, editor Andy Hallman and reporter AnnaMarie Kruse. They managed to keep McCain in the dark about his award until the moment the presenter from the Iowa Freedom of Information Council began describing the recipient. The presenter was only a few sentences into his remarks when McCain realized he was the one being described.

Hallman said McCain is richly deserving of the award, and that McCain’s reporting on the ambulance director’s removal required meticulous work verifying the claims of ambulance staff and carefully reviewing court documents.

McCain, who works in The Union’s Washington office, joined the newspaper in May 2021, just after his graduation from the University of Iowa.

In addition to McCain receiving the Harrison “Skip” Weber Investigative Reporting Award, The Southeast Iowa Union was honored with a second place award in its division for “Coverage of Court and Crime,” with contributions by McCain, Hallman and Kruse.

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