NPW Communications Contest winners announced

NORFOLK — A staff writer for the Kearney Hub won top honors in the 2007 Nebraska Press Women Communications Contest. Awards were presented April 26 at NPW’s spring convention in Norfolk.

Lori Potter of Kearney won first place in the Marianne Beel Sweepstakes Awards. Second place went to Mary Pierce of the Keith County News in Ogallala. Diane Wetzel of the North Platte Telegraph placed third.

Potter’s awards included 12 first places in enterprise reporting; special series; daily newspaper feature story; special articles on business, agriculture, education, science, travel and nature; feature photography for a daily newspaper; photography for the Web and photographer-writer.

Pierce received first-place awards in non-daily newspaper feature story; special articles on social issues; personal column, humorous; news photography, feature photography and photo essay for a non-daily newspaper.

Wetzel’s awards included first place in continuing coverage; investigative reporting; special articles in arts & entertainment, government/politics and reviews.

A total of 63 first-place entries in the state competition have advanced to the National Federation of Press Women Contest, with those awards to be presented Sept. 13 in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Following are the NPW contest award winners:
Cheryl Alberts Irwin, Lincoln — First, Newsletter edited by entrant and Four-color newsletter; Third, special articles on social issues.

Molly Albrecht, Kearney — First, personality profile, special articles on health & fitness, history, and religion; second, daily newspaper feature story.

Rebecca Allen, North Platte — Third, investigative reporting, continuing coverage and special articles on government/politics.

Barb Batie, Lexington — First, non-daily newspaper news reporting, personal columns/specialized, infrequent section edited by entrant for non-daily newspaper, and non-daily newspaper sports photography; second, non-daily newspaper editorial, special articles on science, sports & leisure and advertorials, non-daily newspaper page layout, non-daily newspaper feature photography and photo essay; third, non-daily newspaper feature story; honorable mention, special articles on arts & entertainment, education, history, social issues.

Lois Brunnert, West Point — First, college news writing/newspaper and college photography/newspaper.

Rose Mary Buhrman, North Platte — second, book editing.

Carla Chance, Cedar Creek — First, news reporting for other publication, feature story for general publication, special articles/advertorials, page layout for general publication, original graphics, color display ad/retail, banner, community relations, four-color brochure; second, newsletter regularly edited by entrant, magazine ad campaign or series, poster campaign; third, headlines, Web site editing/corporate; honorable mention, single sheet poster and writing for the Web/corporate.

Andrea Cranford, Lincoln — First, general publication regularly edited by entrant.

Mary Pat Finn-Hoag, Norfolk — Honorable mention, daily newspaper feature story.

Betsy Friedrich, Kearney — First, daily newspaper news reporting; honorable mention, photographer-writer.

Kristen Friesen, Grand Island — First, personal column, general; third, daily newspaper feature story, personality profile, special articles on arts & entertainment, hobbies; honorable mention, special articles on business, health & fitness, religion.

Sara Giboney, Kearney — Third, special articles on education.

Terri Hahn, Osceola — First, special articles on food, single page editing in daily newspaper, single lifestyle page editing in daily newspaper, frequent section editing in daily newspaper; second, page layout in daily newspaper, headlines; third, special articles on home.

Mark Hayden, Kearney — Second, college feature writing/newspaper and college feature writing/magazine.

Sharron Hollen, North Platte — First, special articles on home, sports & leisure; second, special articles on business, health & fitness.

Edie Humiston, Grand Island — Second, special articles on home; third, photo essay in daily newspaper; honorable mention, special articles on travel, headlines.

Gwen Lindberg, West Point — First, book editing.

Barbara Micek, Fullerton — First, special articles on hobbies, page layout for non-daily newspaper, publication editing for non-daily newspaper, caption writing, poster campaign; second, feature story for non-daily newspaper, single page editing for non-daily newspaper, sports photography for non-daily newspaper, writing for the Web/not-for-profit; third, news reporting for non-daily newspaper, investigative reporting, feature photography, single lifestyle page editing for non-daily newspaper, photo essay for non-daily newspaper, and photographer/writer; honorable mention, personality profile, special articles on business, feature photography for publication other than newspaper.

Judy Nelson, Lincoln — First, newsletter edited by entrant, audiovisuals.

Mary Pierce, Ogallala — First, non-daily newspaper feature story, special articles on social issues, personal column/ humorous, news photography, feature photography and photo essay for a non-daily newspaper; second, non-daily newspaper news reporting, continuing coverage, special articles on agriculture, government/politics, arts & entertainment, religion, hobbies, travel; third, special articles on health & fitness, page layout for non-daily newspaper, special articles on business; honorable mention, special articles on education.

Bette Pore, Grand Island — First, page layout for daily newspaper, headlines; second, single page editing for daily newspaper, section editing/frequent for daily newspaper, publication regularly edited by entrant for daily newspaper.

Lori Potter, Kearney — First, enterprise reporting, special series, daily newspaper feature story, special articles on business, agriculture, education, science, travel and nature, feature photography for a daily newspaper, photography for the Web and photographer-writer; second, personality profile, personal columns/humorous, personal columns/general, photo essay for daily newspaper; third, news reporting for daily newspaper, news photography for daily newspaper.

Kim Schmidt, Kearney — Second, special articles on education, feature photography for daily newspaper; honorable mention, news reporting for daily newspaper, continuing coverage, feature story for daily newspaper, photography for the Web, photographer/writer.

Sheila Sybrant, Bassett — Honorable mention, personal columns/general.

Ruth Thone, Lincoln — Honorable mention, personal columns/humorous.

Diane Wetzel, North Platte — First, continuing coverage, investigative reporting, special articles in arts & entertainment, government/politics and reviews; second, news reporting for daily newspaper, enterprise reporting, special articles on history and social issues, and photographer/writer; third, special articles on agriculture, science; honorable mention, feature story for daily newspaper, special articles on business, personal columns/humorous, personal columns/general.

Jane White, Beatrice — First, sports photography for daily newspaper; second, personal columns/specialized; third, special articles on sports & leisure.

Sandra Witkowicz, Lincoln — Third, special articles on travel; honorable mention, special articles on home.