Inter Lake wins 12 awards in press contest
The Daily Inter Lake
The Daily Inter Lake won 12 awards Saturday in the 2008 Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Montana Newspaper Association, including an honorable mention for general excellence.
In the general excellence category, the judge called the Inter Lake, "more newspaper than a town of its size should expect."
The awards were announced at the group's annual convention, which was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell. Inter Lake Publisher Tom Kurdy wielded the gavel at the convention as the association's president.
The Inter Lake was competing among Montana's largest daily newspapers (those with circulations above 7,500). Judging was handled by the North Dakota Newspaper Association this year.
The Inter Lake's opinion pages and Managing Editor Frank Miele were commended with two awards. The judge for the "best editorial page" category said that 'sheer volume and differing opinions makes [the Inter Lake] a hands-down winner" of the first-place award.
Miele said this prize was particularly rewarding because it reflected the contributions of the community in making the Inter Lake's opinion pages, including the popular Montana Perspectives section, "educational, entertaining and essential."
Miele also won a second-place for best editorial writing.
The Inter Lake grabbed the brass ring for its Northwest Montana Fair coverage. Former reporter John Stang got first place in feature writing for his slippery, squeal-filled account of hog wrestling.
Stang also figured in one of two awards the Inter Lake received for spot-news coverage. A third-place award went to Stang, reporter Nicholas Ledden and photographer Karen Nichols for their work on an overnight standoff between law officers and a murder suspect.
Ledden and Nichols also won an honorable mention for their coverage of an incident in which a man's truck crashed into an office where his wife works.
Ledden also won third place for justice system reporting.
Other winners:
- Reporter Candace Chase won second place in feature writing for her story "Shattered glass," which told the story of New World Recycling.
- Ad designer Marjorie Brandner won a second-place award for "best small-space advertising" for an ad for "Medi-lift spa." The judge complimented her ad for its "rich design" and "nice use of deep colors' and said it "exemplifies quality and is well composed."
- Features Editor Lynnette Hintze received honorable mention for best column writing. Her winning entries included a heart-wrenching account of her family's decision to place her father in a nursing home and a humorous account of an Amtrak trip.
- Hintze also accepted an award as editor of the Flathead Business Journal. The Journal won honorable mention as best niche publication. The judge's comments noted: "A lot of good information packed within the pages. Good, compelling cover photos. Interesting topics and well-researched, well-written stories." Nancy Kimball was the Business Journal reporter at the time.
- Sports reporter Dixie Knutson won honorable mention in sports event coverage for her story about Flathead sprinter Mike Kozlowski winning the 100-meter race and helping his team take the Western AA divisionals. The judge commented that Knutson's story had an "amazing lead" and that she had "made a regular track gamer very interesting."
- Former Inter Lake photographer Garrett Cheen won honorable mention for best sports picture for his "after the buzzer" shot of a Flathead Brave reacting to an upset loss to Missoula Big Sky while the winners celebrate in the background.
Miele complimented the entire Inter Lake staff for its work during the year, including those who did not win awards. "This banquet is a fun event for everyone, but many highly talented writers, photographers and editors are working at a top level every day to put out the best paper they can. I certainly appreciate their efforts, with or without a plaque."
Prizes also went to a number of other Montana papers owned by Hagadone Corp., the parent company which owns the Inter Lake.
Most notably, the Bigfork Eagle won 28 awards, including 12 first places, in its classification of papers with circulation of 1,499 or less. The Whitefish Pilot won 10 awards, the Hungry Horse News won eight awards, the Mineral Independent in Superior won nine awards, the Clark Fork Valley Press in Plains won five awards, the Western News in Libby won three awards, and the Lake County Leader in Polson won two awards.
Overall sweepstakes awards (based on points accumulated during judging) went to the Billings Gazette, Flathead Beacon, Dillon Tribune and Bigfork Eagle.