Gazette receives 25 awards in annual statewide contest

The Gazette news team was recognized with 25 individual and team awards at the annual Iowa Newspaper Foundation Newspaper Contest.

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Education reporter Grace King was honored with the Wagner Family Prize, a prize which honors total body of work over a multi-year span. King has covered changes to the Area Education Agencies, various school bond issues and the career pathways work in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

The annual prize is presented by the Wagner Family, which publishes the N'West Iowa Review and a host of other papers. The award honors the memory of Jay P. Wagner, an Iowa-based community journalist who died at the age of 45.

The awards were announced this week at the annual Iowa Newspaper Association banquet in Des Moines.

Additional recognitions include:

First Place: Best Continuing Coverage to Grace King and Tom Barton; Best Sports Feature Story to KJ Pilcher; Best Sports Feature Photo to Savannah Blake; Best Feature Section; Best Ad Featuring Miscellaneous.

Second Place: Master Columnist to Insight Fellow Chris Espersen; Best Sports Story to KJ Pilcher; Best Personality Feature Story to Elijah Decious; Best Photographer to Nick Rohlman; Best Sports Photo to Nick Rohlman; Overall Community Leadership to the Staff; Best Editorial Special Sections to Emily Hawk; Best Ad Designer to Seth Smith; Best Advertising Featuring Furniture; Best Ad Featuring Grocery to designer Chad Willenborg.

Third Place: Best Ad Featuring Grocery; Best in Class Advertising; Best Editorial Special Section; Total Newspaper Design; Best Headline Writing; Best Use of Graphics; Best Newspaper Website; Best Video to Bailey Cichon; Best News Photo to Jim Slosiarek.

This year’s contest was judged by members of the Kansas Press Association.

The Daily Iowan in Iowa City was named Iowa Newspaper of the Year, followed by the Spirit Lake - Dickinson County News. The determinations were made through points awarded in each contest category.