Saturday, Sept. 17, 2005 | 3:59 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION
Sept. 17-18, 2005
NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION WINNERS
Here's the list of awards won by newspapers owned by the Greenspun family in the Nevada Press Association 2005 "Better Newspaper Contest," announced Saturday night.
Most of the awards are divided among five classes: Class I, daily newspapers with circulation of 15,000 or more; Class II, daily newspapers with circulation of less than 15,000; Class III, weekly newspapers with circulation of 6,000-19,999; Class IV, weekly newspapers with circulation of less than 6,000; and Class V, weekly newspapers with circulation of 25,000 or more. Advertising awards are divided into two classes of competition -- daily newspapers and weekly newspapers.
JOURNALIST OF MERIT
Dailies: Molly Ball, Las Vegas Sun.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
First Place, Class I: Las Vegas Sun.
Second Place, Class III: Henderson Home News.
Third Place, Class I: Las Vegas Sun.
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
First Place, Class III: Henderson Home News.
First Place, Class IV: Boulder City News.
BEST SPOT NEWS STORY
First Place, Class V: Damon Hodge, Las Vegas Weekly.
Honorable Mention, Class I: Jerry Fink, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST FEATURE STORY
Second Place, Class III: Heather Rawlyk, Henderson Home News; Class IV: Heather Rawlyk, Boulder City News; Class V: Damon Hodge, Las Vegas Weekly.
Third Place, Class III: Ben Stephens, Henderson Home News.
BEST BUSINESS COVERAGE
First Place, Class I: Las Vegas Sun; Class III: In Business Las Vegas.
Honorable Mention, Class III: Henderson Home News.
BEST BUSINESS NEWS STORY
First Place, Class IV: Joshua Primack, Boulder City News.
Third Place, Class I (tie): Jennifer Shubinski, Las Vegas Sun; Class III: Joshua Primack, Henderson Home News.
BEST BUSINESS FEATURE STORY
First Place, Class I: Liz Benston, Las Vegas Sun; Class IV: Matt Lehky, Boulder City News.
BEST EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM
First Place, Class III: Abigail Goldman, Henderson Home News; Class V: Stacy J. Willis, Las Vegas Weekly.
Second Place, Class I: Molly Ball and Steve Kanigher, Las Vegas Sun; Class V: Damon Hodge, Las Vegas Weekly.
Honorable Mention, Class V: Kate Silver, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST NEWS FEATURE STORY
First Place, Class IV: Matt Lehky, Boulder City News; Class V: Damon Hodge, Las Vegas Weekly.
Third Place, Class I: Ed Koch, Las Vegas Sun; Class III: Heather Rawlyk, Henderson Home News.
BEST INVESTIGATIVE OR IN-DEPTH STORY
Second Place, Class V: Kate Silver, Las Vegas Weekly.
Third Place, Class III: Abigail Goldman, Henderson Home News; Class V: Damon Hodge, Las Vegas Weekly.
Honorable Mention, Class I: Molly Ball and Steve Kanigher, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST LOCAL COLUMN
Second Place, Class I: Jeff German, Las Vegas Sun; Class III: Liz Benston, In Business Las Vegas.
Third Place, Class III: Colleen O'Callaghan, Henderson Home News.
Honorable Mention, Class III: Bruce Spotleson, In Business Las Vegas.
BEST LOCAL NONSTAFF COLUMN
First Place, Class I: Jon Ralston, Las Vegas Sun; Class III: Jon Ralston, In Business Las Vegas.
Third Place, Class III: Rene Hill, Henderson Home News; Class V: Anne Kellogg, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST LOCAL SPORTS STORY
First Place, Class I: Rob Miech, Las Vegas Sun.
Second Place, Class III: Kevin Fiddler, Henderson Home News.
Third Place, Class I: Nick Christensen, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST LOCAL SPORTS FEATURE
Second Place, Class IV: Ray Brewer, Boulder City News.
Third Place, Class I: Rob Meich, Las Vegas Sun; Class III: Kevin Fiddler, Henderson Home News.
Honorable Mention, Class III: Raymond Brewer, Henderson Home News; Class V: Damon Hodge, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST LOCAL SPORTS COLUMN
First Place,: Class I: Ron Kantowski, Las Vegas Sun.
Third Place, Class III: Raymond Brewer, Henderson Home News.
Honorable Mention, Class I: Adam Candee, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST ENTERTAINMENT WRITING
First Place, Class I: Kristen Peterson, Las Vegas Sun; Class III: Ben Stephens, Henderson Home News; Class V: Martin Stein, Las Vegas Weekly.
Second Place, Class I: Jerry Fink, Las Vegas Sun.
Third Place, Class V: Xania Woodman, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST CRITICAL WRITING
First Place, Class III: Kevin Fiddler and Carolyn Fiddler, Henderson Home News.
Second Place, Class V: Benjamin Spacek, Las Vegas Weekly.
Third Place, Class V: Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST EDITORIAL WRITING
First Place, Class III: Jean Reid Norman, Henderson Home News.
BEST EDITORIAL PAGE
First Place, Class III: In Business Las Vegas.
Second Place, Class IV: Boulder City News.
Third Place Class III: Henderson Home News.
BEST OVERALL DESIGN
First Place, Class III: Henderson Home News; Class IV: Boulder City News; Class V: Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST PAGE ONE DESIGN
First Place, Class IV: Boulder City News; Class V: Las Vegas Weekly.
Second Place, Class III: Henderson Home News.
BEST PAGE DESIGNER(S)
First Place, Class V: Benjamen Purvis, Las Vegas Weekly.
Second Place, Class I: Adam Bucci, Las Vegas Sun.
Third Place, Class I: Sarah Walters, Las Vegas Sun
BEST INFORMATION GRAPHIC
First Place, Class I: Adam Bucci, Las Vegas Sun; Class III: Adam Bucci, Henderson Home News; Class V: Wesley Gatbonton, Las Vegas Weekly
Third Place, Class I: Adam Bucci, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST ILLUSTRATION
First Place, Class III: Alexander Raffi, Henderson Home News.
BEST SPOT NEWS PHOTO COVERAGE
First Place, Class III: Leila Navidi, Henderson Home News.
Honorable Mention, Class I: Matthew Minard, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST GENERAL NEWS PHOTO
First Place, Class I: Steve Marcus, Las Vegas Sun; Class IV: Leila Navidi, Boulder City News.
Second Place, Class I: Matthew Minard, Las Vegas Sun.
Third Place, Class I: Sam Morris, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
First Place, Class III: Leila Navidi, Henderson Home News; Class IV: Leila Navidi, Boulder City News.
Third Place, Class I: Matthew Minard, Las Vegas Sun; Class IV: Leila Navidi, Boulder City News.
Honorable Mention, Class III: Mike Stotts, Henderson Home News.
BEST MULTIPLE FEATURE PHOTOS
First Place, Class III: Mike Stotts, Henderson Home News; Class V: Benjamen Purvis, Las Vegas Weekly.
Third Place, Class IV: Leila Navidi, Boulder City News.
Honorable Mention, Class V: Benjamen Purvis, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST PORTRAIT
First Place, Class III: Leila Navidi, Henderson Home News; Class V: Benjamen Purvis, Las Vegas Weekly.
Second Place, Class V: Benjamen Purvis, Las Vegas Weekly.
Third Place, Class III: Steve Marcus, In Business Las Vegas.
Honorable Mention, Class III: Ethan Miller, In Business Las Vegas.
BEST ILLUSTRATED PHOTO
First Place, Class III: Leila Navidi, Henderson Home News; Class V: Benjamen Purvis, Las Vegas Weekly.
Second Place, Class V: Benjamen Purvis, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST SPORTS PHOTO
First Place, Class I: R. Marsh Starks, Las Vegas Sun; Class IV: Leila Navidi, Boulder City News.
Second Place, Class I: Sam Morris, Las Vegas Sun.
Third Place, Class III: Leila Navidi, Henderson Home News.
Honorable Mention, Class I: Amy Beth Bennett, Las Vegas Sun.
BEST HEADLINE WRITING
First Place, Daily Newspapers: James Barger, Las Vegas Sun; Weekly Newspapers: Steve Bornfeld, Las Vegas Weekly.
Second Place, Weekly Newspapers: Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly.
BEST LARGE-SPACE AD
Second Place, Weekly Newspapers: Donna O'Callaghan, Boulder City News.
BEST BLACK-AND-WHITE AD
First Place, Weekly Newspapers: Donna O'Callaghan, Boulder City News.
The Las Vegas Sun won 11 first-place awards in the Nevada Press Association's annual contest and won the community service award for the third time in the last five years.
Sun reporter Molly Ball was one of three people to share the journalist of merit award for all daily newspapers. The award recognizes outstanding journalists who have less than five years' experience.
Not including Ball's award, the Sun won 30 awards in the contest for the state's largest daily newspapers -- 11 firsts, four seconds, 10 thirds and four honorable mentions.
The Sun's sister publication, In Business Las Vegas, won seven awards in the contest for midsized weekly papers -- four first places, one second, one third and one honorable mention. The first places were for business coverage, editorial page, nonstaff column and information graphic.
Also winning awards in the contest were the Henderson Home News, the Boulder City News and Las Vegas Weekly, all owned by the Greenspun Media Group. The Greenspun family also owns the Sun.
In the large weekly category, Las Vegas Weekly won 26 awards -- 12 first places awards, seven second places, four third places and three honorable mentions.
In the midsized weekly category, the Henderson Home News won the general excellence category and 29 others awards -- 12 first places, four seconds, 10 thirds and three honorable mentions.
In the small weekly category, the Boulder City News also won the general excellence category and 15 other awards -- nine first places, four seconds and two thirds.
Altogether the five publications won 110 awards, of which 52 were first places or the equivalents.
The Sun's coverage of the crumbling Sky-Vue mobile home park, which one resident called the "ghetto of all ghettos," earned the community service award. The Sun exposed problems at the park, such as open sewer lines and dilapidated trailers, and Las Vegas officials eventually shut down the park.
"Great job grabbing a story and staying with it," the judges wrote. "Could have been a one-story issue, but you did great continual coverage. And, you got results."
The Sun also won the community service award in 2001 and 2003.
Ball was honored for a portfolio of articles, which included work she did detailing Las Vegas' high pedestrian fatality rate.
"She tells the story behind the story, exploring the issues and making a difference," the judges wrote.
Ball and reporter Steve Kanigher teamed up on several stories that detailed the lack of strong laws protecting pedestrians. Those stories, titled "Moving Targets," won third place in community service and second place in the explanatory journalism categories.
Lawmakers took up the issue of pedestrian safety in the last legislative session and tightened the laws.
At the press association awards banquet in Stateline on Saturday, the Sun was also awarded first place for business coverage, business feature story, local nonstaff column, local sports story, local sports column, entertainment writing, information graphic, general news photo, sports photo and headline writing.
Judges noted the Sun's local and statewide business coverage and said the coverage showed "excellent clarity and originality."
Liz Benston won the top honor in business feature writing for a piece that looked at the gaming industry's vulnerability to lawsuits.
Jon Ralston earned the best local nonstaff column award for daily papers for his Sunday column in the Sun and also won in the weekly category for his In Business Las Vegas column. Judges called his his work "very witty and creative."
Rob Miech's story about Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's pitch for a team at Major League Baseball's winter meetings won the best local sports story award.
Ron Kantowski won the award for best local sports column, which judges called "excellent work," saying Kantowski showed "good versatility."
Kristen Peterson won first place in the entertainment writing category. Judges said her work "presents a mix of human interest and reviews with good interviews."
Adam Bucci's information graphics won first place for dailies for his work in the Sun and in weeklies for his In Business Las Vegas work.
A photo by Steve Marcus of the funeral of 19-year-old Marine Pfc. John Lukac won in the best general news photo category. Judges said Marcus captured " 'the moment' -- instead of just covering the event."
R. Marsh Starks won for best sports photo for a photo of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Shawn Hmiel celebrating a victory. Judges said the photo "stood out because of its graphic nature and its clean background. It was the most unique photo in the group."
James Barger, the Sun sports editor, won the headline writing contest among all dailies for his "great one-liners," the judges said, noting one in particular: "Hoosier Daddy" over the story about the New England Patriots beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL playoffs. Barger's other winners included, "Three down, 1918 to go," over a story about the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.
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