ROCKINGHAM — Managing Editor William R. Toler will have one more prestigious award to add to his office wall.
The RO was notified by the N.C. Press Association on Wednesday that Toler has been awarded the Mark Binker Public Notice Award in the online division.
Qualifying entries for the award must be an article or series of articles triggered by a public notice printed in a newspaper. According to the NCPA contest rulebook, judging is “based on the community-wide importance of the news being covered, quality of reporting, timeliness and impact.”
A copy of the notice must be included and entries are limited to three articles.
Although state law does not require public notices to be sent to online newspapers — only print — the RO does occasionally receive public notices from government bodies, particularly when it comes to special meetings and publish the notice along with a preview article.
Toler’s award-winning entry was a combination of articles related to the removal of Esco Latimer from the Hamlet Planning Board in November of 2025.
Toler first wrote a preview based on the public notice announcing an emergency meeting of the Hamlet City Council “to consider the qualifications and possible removal of a City of Hamlet Planning Board Member.”
That story was updated shortly after its initial publication to indicate that Latimer was the board member in question.
The second article was coverage of the meeting, which included the accusations levied against Latimer, his defense, and ultimate removal from the planning board.
Toler had two other entries for the award: a series of stories related to the grant from the Richmond County Board of Commissioners to a vendor for Rockingham Speedway to help pay for the SAFER barriers and investigation by the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation; and a pair of articles about a closed session of the Hamlet City Council to address legal matters.
The NCPA awards the Mark Binker Public Notice Award annually to one publication in each the community division, daily division and online or magazine division, for a total of three.
The awards namesake was an investigative journalist who covered state government for WRAL, the Greensboro News & Record and the News & Observer-affiliated newsletter The Insider. Binker died in 2017 at the age of 43.
The Binker award is one of eight special awards given out each year by the NCPA. The others are: the Public Service Award; the Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year Award; the Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education Reporting; the Media and the Law Awards of Excellence (presented in conjunction with the N.C. Bar Association); the Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award (sponsored by the Associated Press); the Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award of Excellence; and the William C. Lassiter First Amendment Award (awarded to a non-journalist).
Toler previously won another the Media and the Law Award while working at the Richmond County Daily Journal. During that time, he also was a runner-up or winner for several awards then offered by the N.C. Associated Press.
His career total now stands at 46 individual awards, including two shared with other journalists, during his 12 years reporting in Richmond County.
Last week, the RO announced that it had won eight other awards in this year’s contest.
All awards, including General Excellence, will be announced at the annual convention Sept. 10 in Cary.
