42 awards; 3rd place for General Excellence

The North Dakota Newspaper Association (NDNA) released the names of the placers in their annual Better Newspaper Contest Friday, May 3, held in conjunction with the organization's 138th annual convention at Baymont Inn and Suites in Mandan May 2-4.

For work published during the calendar year of 2023, the Independent was the recipient of 42 total awards, which is a record number of category wins for the paper. Included in that was the third place award for the General Excellence category, which pits the best of the best in each circulation division against each other.

The Independent competes in the Mid-Size Weekly division, which encompasses papers with circulation numbers of 1,001 to 1,999.

Independent employees took first place in 12 categories, including the distinction of being the NorthSCAN statewide classified ad champion for the weekly division. The paper received a total of $2,535.00 in revenue through selling North-SCAN advertising.

Category winners

In advertising categories, first place went to Leasa Lura for Apparel Ad (Carrington Frame Show), Food Ad (Bowdon Grocery), Home/Gardening Ad (Central City Lumber-'Tis the Season to Shop Local), and Promotion of Newspaper/Advertising for the Independent's house ads. Amy Wobbema also took first in Single Ad (Central Pharmacy Ugly Sweater Sale), and the paper staff took top honors in Special Ad Section for the Class of 2023 graduation supplement.

First place winners in the news categories included Erik Gjovik for Reporting (Mya's story) and Agricultural Coverage (Soothing our furry friends).

Photography wins went to Gjovik for News Photo (Not a 'baaa'-d ride) and Pictorial Photo (Giddyup, Jingle horse), and Isabella Garr won the Portrait Photo for her picture of CHS Class of 2023 graduate Mya Schroeder.

Other placings

Taking home second place in the various categories were Wobbema for Financial Ad (Watch your savings grow!), Promotion of Community (Out of the Darkness Walk), Feature Series for community organization anniversaries, Informational Graphics (City sales tax revenue), Sports Column (Trading man-to-man sports coverage for zone), and Picture Story (Dancers bring the circus to town). Lura took second for Outdoors/Sports Ad (Sheyenne Stampede Rodeo), Political Ad (Carrington School District Voters), and Use of Color (Justice for Rusty). Gjovik took second for Headline (March sadness), and Nathan Price for Reporting (Former day care provider charged with murder), and teams with runner-up showings included Price and Wobbema in Online Coverage of Breaking News (Midkota superintendent facing child pornography charges), Gjovik, Wobbema and Lura in Section/Feature Front Design (2023 State Wrestling Section), and Gjovik, Wobbema, Kyrie Dauenhauer and Lane Moellenkamp for Sports Page/Section.

Third Place went to Wobbema for Outdoors/Sports Ad (Swing Fore Charity), Editorial (Playing politics with public notices), and Personal Column-Serious (Learning from our elders). Lura took third in Small Space Ad (EDC & CVB Annual Meeting), Gjovik for Sports Feature (Leaving a lasting legacy) and Agricultural Photo (Goat getting a shower), and Price for Reporting Series (Patricia Wick case) and Spot News Photo (Polries plane crash). Teams taking third were Wobbema, Garr and Lori Buchholtz for Editorial Page, and Lura, Gjovik, Buchholtz and Garr for Special News Section (Foster Co. 4-H Appreciation Days). The Independent also took third place for Best Web Site (www.fosterconews.com).

Honorable Mentions went to Lura for Vehicle Ad (Bessette Motors banner ad), Wobbema for Personal Column-Humorous (Which Girl Scout cookie are you?), and Gjovik for Sports Series (M-P-B boys' basketball postseason) and Feature Photo (A pin to win!)

Additional General Excellence-winning papers in the five circulation divisions were as follows:

Small Weeklies (1-1,000) 1st - Walsh County Press, Park River; 2nd - Grant County News, Elgin; 3rd - News-Monitor, Hankinson; Honorable Mention - Mandan News.

Mid-Size Weeklies (1,001-1,999) 1st - Hillsboro Banner; 2nd - Tioga Tribune.

Large Weeklies (2,000 and over) 1st - Walsh County Record, Grafton; 2nd - The Journal, Crosby; 3rd - Cass County Reporter, Casselton.

Small Multi-Day (under 12,000) 1st - Dickinson Press; 2nd - Jamestown Sun; 3rd - Daily News, Wahpeton.

Large Multi-Day (12,000 and over) 1st - The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead; 2nd - Grand Forks Herald; 3rd - Bismarck Tribune.

Sweepstakes winners, or the papers with the highest amount of placing points among their peers, were the Grant County News (Small Weeklies), the Hillsboro Banner (Mid-Size Weeklies), the Walsh County Record (Large Weeklies), the Dickinson Press (Small Dailies) and The Forum (Large Dailies).

The Independent had the second most points in the Sweepstakes category for the mid-sizers, trailing just the Hillsboro Banner (62 total awards). The Independent's sister publication, the New Rockford Transcript, had the third most with 30 placings.

Entries from the contest were judged by the West Virginia Press Association.