Kearney Hub Staff Writer Takes Top NPW Award

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — A staff writer for the Kearney Hub won top honors in the 2008 Nebraska Press Women Communications Contest. Awards were presented Saturday, April 25, 2009, at NPW’s spring convention, held in conjunction with Iowa Press Women in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Lori Potter (pictured left) of Kearney won first place in the Marianne Beel Sweepstakes Awards. Second place went to Mary Pierce (pictured on the right) of the Keith County News in Ogallala. Barbara Micek of the Nance County Journal placed third.

Potter’s awards included 10 first places, in news reporting in a daily newspaper, enterprise reporting, personality profile, special articles/business, special articles/agriculture, news photo in a daily newspaper, photo essay in a daily newspaper, single photo for the Web, photo gallery for the Web and photographer-writer.

Pierce received six first-place awards in news reporting in a non-daily newspaper, feature story in a non-daily newspaper, special articles/education, special articles/hobbies and crafts, personal column/general and photo essay in a non-daily newspaper.

Micek’s awards included six first places in special articles/government and politics, single pages edited by entrant/lifestyle in a non-daily newspaper, single pages edited by entrant/other than lifestyle in a non-daily nwspaper, page layout in a non-daily newspaper, caption writing and feature photo in a non-daily newspaper.

A total of 62 first-place entries in the state competition have advanced to the National Federation of Press Women Contest, with those awards to be presented Sept. 12 in San Antonio, Texas. For information on the national contest, please log onto nfpw.org

Following are the NPW contest award winners:
Cheryl Alberts Irwin, Lincoln — First in publication regularly edited by entrant/newsletter and PR newsletter/4-color; second in special articles/education.
Rebecca Allen, North Platte — Honorable mention in news reporting in a daily newspaper and special articles/reviews.
Barb Batie, Lexington — First in special articles/science or ecology and news photo in a non-daily newspaper; second in news reporting in a non-daily newspaper; third in feature story in a non-daily newspaper; and honorable mention in personality profile, more than 500 words.
Lois Brunnert, West Point — First in college news writing/newspaper, college feature writing/newspaper, college design/newspaper and college graphic or illustration/newspaper.
Carla Chance, Cedar Creek — First in special articles/advertorial, page layout in a general publication, original graphics, trade paper or magazine color display ad/retail, trade paper or magazine color display ad/institutional or image, single sheet poster, poster campaign, and banner; second in Web site development/corp. or for-profit site; third in Web site editing; honorable mention in special articles/hobbies and crafts, publication edited by entrant/newsletter, headline writing, marketing campaign and brochure/4-color.
Lori Clinch, North Platte — First in personal column/humorous.
Mary Connealy, Decatur — First in fiction, novel.
Andrea Cranford, Lincoln — First in publication regularly edited by entrant/magazine; second in publication regularly edited by entrant/newsletter.
Mary Pat Finn-Hoag, Norfolk — Third in news reporting in a daily newspaper; honorable mention in feature story in a daily newspaper.
Betsy Friedrich, Kearney — First in special series, special articles/arts & entertainment and special articles/Planet Earth; second in special articles/government and politics; third in special articles/agriculture and special articles/religion; and honorable mention in personality profile/more than 500 words and special articles/education.
Kristen Friesen, Grand Island — First in special articles/social issues and special articles/health & fitness; honorable mention in personal columns/humorous.
Stephanie Geery-Zink, Lincoln — First in feature story in publication other than newspaper, special articles/food and special articles/home; second in special articles/advertorials; third in special articles/business; and honorable mention in special articles/health & fitness.
Sara Giboney, Kearney — First in special articles/travel; second in special articles/health & fitness; honorable mention in personality profile/more than 500 words and special articles/religion.
Ann Toner Gottwald, Lincoln — Second in news reporting in a general publication and special articles/agriculture; third in feature story in a general publication.
Terri Hahn, Osceola — First in single pages edited by entrant/lifestyle in a daily newspaper and section edited by entrant/frequent in a daily newspaper; second in single pages edited by entrant/other than lifestyle in a daily newspaper, page layout in a daily newspaper, headline writing and PR newsletter/4-color.
Sharron Hollen, North Platte — First in special articles/history and special articles/sports; second in feature story in a daily newspaper and special articles/reviews; third in special articles/arts & entertainment and special articles/social issues; honorable mention in special articles/business, special articles/agriculture and special articles/health & fitness.
Barbara Micek, Fullerton — First in special articles/government and politics, single pages edited by entrant/lifestyle in a non-daily newspaper, single pages edited by entrant/other than lifestyle in a non-daily nwspaper, page layout in a non-daily newspaper, caption writing and feature photo in a non-daily newspaper; second in feature story in a non-daily newspaper, special articles/hobbies and crafts and photo essay in a non-daily newspaper; third in news reporting in a non-daily newspaper, personality profile/more than 500 words and photographer-writer; honorable mention in special series and headline writing.
Judy Nelson, Lincoln — First in newsletter/4-color.
Mary Pierce, Ogallala — First in news reporting in a non-daily newspaper, feature story in a non-daily newspaper, special articles/education, special articles/hobbies and crafts, personal column/general and photo essay in a non-daily newspaper; second in continuing coverage, special series, special articles/business, special articles/arts & entertainment, special articles/science or ecology, special articles/religion, single page edited by entrant/lifestyle in a non-daily newspaper, page layout in a non-daily newspaper and feature photo in a non-daily newspaper; third in special articles/history and personal columns/humorous; honorable mention in personality profile/more than 500 words, special articles/health and fitness and special articles/government and politics.
Bette Pore, Grand Island — First in headline writing; third in single pages edited by entrant/other than lifestyle in a daily newspaper, section edited by entrant/frequent in a daily newspaper and page layout in a daily newspaper.
Lori Potter, Kearney — First in news reporting in a daily newspaper, enterprise reporting, personality profile/more than 500 words, special articles/business, special articles/agriculture, news photo in a daily newspaper, photo essay in a daily newspaper, single photo for the Web, photo gallery for the Web and photographer-writer; second in special articles/travel, and personal column/general; third in special series, special articles/education, special articles/science or ecology, special articles/government and politics, and special articles/Planet Earth; and honorable mention in feature story in a daily newspaper and feature photo in a publication other than a newspaper.
Kim Schmidt, Kearney — First in continuing coverage; second in personality profile/more than 500 words and special articles/history; third in feature story in a daily newspaper; honorable mention in news reporting in a daily newspaper.
Emily Springer, North Platte — First in single pages edited by entrant/other than lifestyle in a daily newspaper, section edited by entrant/infrequent in a daily newspaper, page layout in a daily newspaper, feature photo in a daily newspaper and sports photo in a daily newspaper; second in special articles/sports, section edited by entrant/frequent in a daily newspaper and photographer-writer.
Sherry Thompson, Omaha — Second in feature story in a general publication; third in publication regularly edited by entrant/newsletter.
Ruth Thone, Lincoln — Second in personal column/humorous and third in personal column/general.
Diane Wetzel, North Platte — First in investigative reporting, feature story in a daily newspaper and special articles/reviews; second in news reporting in a daily newspaper and special articles/social issues; third in special articles/health & fitness, special articles/sports, special articles/hobbies and crafts, special articles/travel and special articles/advertorials; honorable mention in continuing coverage, special articles/arts & entertainment, special articles/history and personal columns/general.