The prairie dresses, closed-off compounds and deep suspicion of outsiders are mostly gone now, but the story of transformation in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, is one that only a team with deep experience and strong reporting instincts could tell.
Arizona-based reporter Jacques Billeaud, who has covered the legal fallout surrounding the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) for years, spotted that the towns’ court-ordered federal oversight had ended two years ahead of schedule. He recognized it as an opportunity to document how the communities had emerged from decades under the control of imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.
Billeaud spent months pre-interviewing current and former residents, ensuring each was comfortable going on the record and on camera. His sources included Jeffs’ 65th wife, the town’s mayor — a former designer of prairie dresses — and a couple new to the area.
He was joined by videojournalist Ty ONeil and veteran photographer Rick Bowmer, who had covered the community for years and could recognize visual signs of change — from dismantled barriers to new businesses and a diverse religious landscape. Over three days, the team documented everything from a winery and bar to a public Christmas tree lighting. Billeaud also wrote a historical timeline and recorded a standup to provide additional context.
Judges praised the reporting for its depth, nuance and human-centered storytelling — a narrative accessible to both locals and those unfamiliar with the FLDS.
For their work, Jacques Billeaud, Ty ONeil and Rick Bowmer are this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
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