2004 Arizona Community Journalist of the Year

Al Stevens

Fountain Hills Times

Al Stevens, 33, has been a reporter for The Fountain Hills Times since 2002. Originally hired for the education beat, He has also covered sports, business and general assignment. In 2004 he was promoted to special publications manager and also serves as sports editor.

          Judge James C. Sterling said Stevens “looks like he kind of does it all. Good writer, inquiring reporter, columnist, prize winner photographer and on-line contributor. In today's world, community journalists need this kind of creativity and enterprise to make their newspaper rise above average. Al makes things happen and gets things done”

A reporter since 2000, Stevens has also written for The Arizona Republic, East Valley Tribune and several national magazines. He is a two-time Arizona Newspaper Association award winner, a SPJ Mark of Excellence Award winner and was honored by the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association. He lives in Fountain Hills with his wife Christy and two children, Connor and Dillon.

First runner-up

Betsy Rice

Maricopa Monitor

Betsy Rice, 26, is editor of the Maricopa Monitor, Northwest Pinal County’s only weekly newspaper. She has covered numerous complex issues since the incorporation of Maricopa as Arizona’s 88^th city in October 2003.

She also is editor of Pinal Ways Magazine. Both publications are owned by Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc.

          In Sterling’s view: “Betsy strikes me a fearless editor, not afraid to back up her stories with personal comments on the editorial page. That way she can run the stories straight, without bias, and then turn it up a notch in her ‘From the Editor’ column. Covered many diverse topics and seems to have covered them well.”

Rice, an Arizona native, is a magna cum laude graduate of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University and previously worked for Ahwatukee Monthly Magazine and College Times.

Second runner-up

Alan Levine

Casa Grande Dispatch

Alan Levine

          Alan Levine covers government and general interest topics in Pinal County for the Casa Grande Dispatch.

          Levine joined the Tri-Valley Newspaper organization in September 2000. He also writes features, reviews and commentaries and does all of his own photography.

          Previously, he wrote a video review column, plus theater reviews and feature articles for The Arizona Republic for more than three years. And before that, he spent five years doing on-the-air theater reviews and and arts features for KJZZ, a National Public Radio affiliate in Mesa. He also has worked as an art director in the field of advertising.

          “Levine covers a lot of ground as the county reporter for his newspaper,” judge Sterling writes. “From writing and shooting photos for special sections, to long features, reviews and commentaries, Levine stays busy and fills pages with interesting and compelling stories and pictures on a variety of subjects.”

          Born and raised in Chicago, Levine has lived in Arizona since 1985.