Two Bucks County Beacon reporters were recognized for their exceptional reporting at the Keystone Media Awards on Oct. 8.
Lee Davis and Melinda Rizzo won first and second place in their respective categories of features and investigative reporting. The Beacon competed against newsrooms with similarly sized readership — such as the Altoona Mirror and Butler Eagle — in the Division II category.
The Keystone Media Awards are held by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association and recognize outstanding journalism across the state.
For Davis’ first place win, the freelance reporter received an award for her feature story ‘Dream Realized: The African American Museum of Bucks County’s Journey from Mobile Museum to Modern Day Learning Center.’
To her, being recognized for her reporting on the museum was “surprising.” Davis is a career fiction writer and relatively new to journalism — she first wrote for the Bucks County Beacon in September 2025.
The African American Museum opened on June 20, three years after breaking ground on construction. Davis said that she was not surprised that the story of the museum’s journey — from traveling exhibition to permanent community pillar — resonated with Keystone Media judges.
“President Linda Salley’s dream for the mobile museum to have a permanent home on Boone Farm was a fascinating story to tell and I feel fortunate to have met her before she passed away in May,” Davis said.
Melinda Rizzo was honored for her investigative work on ‘ACLU Sues Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran over ‘Illegal’ 287(g) ICE Partnership; Asks Court to Issue an Injunction.’
She said the award spoke to the fact that people still want to hear the truth and the importance of local journalism.
From her early days as columnist covering cooking to current work on features, profiles and investigative reporting, Rizzo has focused on tackling stories from a local lens.
“The industry is chock-full of reporters covering national and global news topics, and that’s necessary, but so is what’s happening in our borough halls, township buildings, school districts and communities,” Rizzo said. “For me, local is where people live, and too many news outlets seem to forget this simple fact.”
As of now, Rizzo is continuing her work on a variety of local stories. She asked readers of the Bucks County Beacon — both new and old — to keep tabs on the ongoing reporting, especially as November comes around.
“We have an important midterm election coming – stay tuned!”
