Comanche Times wins OPA awards

The Comanche Times won four awards, including two first place awards in the 2022 Oklahoma Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.

The award winners were announced at the OPA’s annual convention in Shawnee on June 9-10.

Comanche Times publisher Todd Brooks received first-place awards in the business and column writing categories while picking up second-place awards in sports stories and business stories.

The first place business story was for his article titled, “Groundbreaking held for new butchery in Comanche,” an event that featured the owners, local officials and state representatives.

He also took second place in the category also with his “Studio 81 brings new business to downtown,” about Jayden Rowell opening a multi-purpose studio in Comanche.

Brooks won for his column writing in a category that required three articles to be submitted.

The second-place sports story was “Kinder’s story to be featured in movie,” about Comanche native Bill Kinder, who coached the 1984 women’s soccer team to its first major international title. The team’s story was being made into a motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey playing the part of Kinder.

It was Brooks’ first time winning first place in the business and column writing categories.

The Comanche Times competes in Division 8 of the contest for newspapers in cities under 1,500 population.