BANGOR — Two Aroostook County weeklies were among those deemed Maine’s best during the annual Better Newspaper Contest, sponsored by the Maine Press Association.
Presque Isle’s Star-Herald and Houlton’s Pioneer Times earned second and third place respectively among small weekly newspapers in the state as announced during the trade group’s Fall Conference held Saturday at the Hilton Garden Inn.
In total, the community newspapers and their sister publications — the Aroostook Republican in Caribou and the Piscataquis Observer in Dover-Foxcroft — won took home 11 first place awards, eight second-place honors and 11 third-place mentions in reporting, photography, illustration, advertising and editorials.
This year’s submissions were judged by members of the New England Press Association outside the state.
Judges called the Presque Isle Star-Herald “a very readable community paper” that “reflects the range of community life.” Regarding Houlton’s paper, they said the Pioneer Times was an “interesting,readable and thorough community newspaper.” Belfast’s Republican Journal won the general excellence category.
The following Northeast Publishing staff members won first-place honors: Joe Cyr, Pioneer Times, environmental story and education story; Gloria Austin, sports profile; Kevin Sjoberg, Star-Herald/Aroostook Republican, game story; Scott Johnson, Star-Herald, health story; and Mike Lange, Piscataquis Observer, scenic photo and people photo. First-place honors also went to the entire staffs of the PI, Houlton and Dover-Foxcroft papers for best efforts to engage young readers. Houlton staff also earned best of business section category.
Second-place awards went to the following: Cyr, Pioneer Times, spot news photo, picture story, sports photo and health story; Natalie de La Garza, Aroostook Republican, environmental story; Lange, Observer, education story; and Stu Hedstrom, Observer, business section.
Taking third-place honors were: staff, Aroostook Republican, business section; and Sjoberg, Aroostook Republican, sports page design; staff, Pioneer Times, special section; Austin, Pioneer Times, feature story; Hedstrom, Observer, picture story and feature headline; Lange, Observer, arts/lifestyle feature and business story; staff, Observer, special section; and staff, Star-Herald, special section and specialty page design.
In other MPA business, Portland Press Herald reporter Scott Dolan was named Journalist of the Year for his reporting on an illegal gag order issued by a judge during an open court proceeding. The Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram won general excellence awards in the daily and weekend categories, respectively. The Bangor Daily News was deemed Maine’s best daily newspaper in the digital category. The BDN staff also garnered 14 other first-place awards.
In a luncheon Saturday, the press association inducted three new members into its Hall of Fame. The inductees were Bill Nemitz, Bob Kalish and Lou Ureneck.
