Herald wins Idaho Press Club awards

BONNERS FERRY — The Bonners Ferry Herald and the Bonner County Daily Bee recently won a number of awards in the annual Idaho Press Club contest.

The Idaho Press Club is a statewide organization of working reporters and journalism professionals and students across Idaho. The annual competition recognizes the best work of the state's journalists.

In the weekly category, Herald reporter Ned Newton won first-place honors in the sports prep category for the story, "Badgers rout Sandpoint in season opener." The story detailed the rivalry between the two schools.

Newton also won first-place honors in the education report category for his story, "North Idaho schools are most dependent on local dollars, least capable of passing levies," which examined the Boundary County, West Bonner County and Lakeland school districts.

Newton also won second-place in the rookie of the year category for weekly newspapers for his work as the Herald's general assignment reporter, covering everything from city government, education and features to sports and business news.

The Daily Bee won second place for general excellence for all daily newspapers in the state. Honored in the award were editor Caroline Lobsinger, sports reporter/editor Max Oswald, and reporters Eric Welch and Chloe Cochran.

Lobsinger won third place for general news story on the July 4 arson of the Sandpoint Army Surplus. She also won second-place for the light feature story "Historic Mystery" on the deliberate shipwreck of a steamboat found somewhere on the area of the Pend Oreille River and Lake Pend Oreille.

Welch won third-place honors in the agriculture report category for the story, "My Own Private Garlic Party." The story detailed the efforts of the Snow Valley Garlic Farm and its annual A Taste of Garlic — a celebration of things bold, bulbous, and surprisingly unique.

Welch also won third place in the rookie of the year category for daily newspapers for his work as the Daily Bee's city and education reporter.