Local historian and writer Lynn Cassity received second place in the Best Newspaper Article or Column category of the 2026 Missouri Writers’ Guild President’s Writing Contest.
Cassity was recognized for “102-year-old Platte Countians remember Pearl Harbor Day,” published Dec. 10, 2025, in The Weston Chronicle.
The award was announced Sept. 12 during the Guild’s “Show Me” Writers Conference. Cassity did not attend the conference but was notified by the Guild the following day.
The category was sponsored by the Missouri Press Association. Cassity said the award includes a certificate and a small monetary prize, although she has not yet received the certificate. She did not receive written comments from the judges.
Cassity’s article featured Harold Searcy and Martha Noland, both 102 at the time, recalling where they were and how their lives changed following the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
Cassity said she submitted the article because of “the uniqueness of interviewing two 100-plus-year-old Platte County citizens.”
Lonnie Whitaker received first place in the category for “Jacks Fork Memories and a Treasure Trove,” published by the Howell County News.
The recognition adds to Cassity’s previous Missouri Writers’ Guild honors. She received third place for Best Magazine Article in 2014 for “Finding Family in TWA Skyliner Magazine” and second place in 2021 for Best Article or Essay on U.S. Military History for “Don’t Forget the Official Records in Your Search.”
Cassity also found records showing that she received second place for Best Magazine or Newspaper Column in 2009 and an honorable mention for Best Historical Article. She has not yet located the titles of those entries.
“Recognition from one’s peers is always an honor,” Cassity said. “As a local historian, I’m always glad to share our history so it won’t be forgotten.”
