The Idaho Mountain Express claimed 45 awards for newspaper excellence Saturday at the annual Idaho Press Club awards banquet in Boise, making it the most honored weekly newspaper in the state of Idaho.
The Express' tally of 44 awards for writing, photography, design and overall excellence earned the newspaper an additional prize, the coveted Sweepstakes award, given to the weekly newspaper that wins more Press Club awards than any of its competitors.
Sun Valley Guide magazine, published by Express Publishing, took home an additional 13 Press Club awards, including second place in the magazine General Excellence category. The quarterly magazine dominated in the two writing categories—taking nine of 14 writing awards granted—and took the top two accolades in magazine photography. Express magazine writers took first and second place in the Serious Feature category and the three top spots in the Light Feature category.
All told, the Press Club presented 120 awards in categories that included weekly newspapers at its Best of 2006 awards banquet. The awards applied only to work published in 2006. The club's annual awards recognize excellence in print, television and radio journalism throughout the state.
Express newspaper staff earned six first-place awards for best headlines, spot news photography, sports photography, graphics, sports news and sports feature.
The winner in the General Excellence category for weekly newspaper was Thrive, a lifestyle magazine produced by the Boise-based Idaho Statesman newspaper. The Express received an Honorable Mention prize for General Excellence.
Here is a complete list of awards won by the Express and other members of the print media in the Wood River Valley.
Sweepstakes Awards (Most awards earned)
Daily: Idaho Statesman
Weekly: Idaho Mountain Express
Television: KIVI -- Channel 6
Weekly Newspaper Awards
GENERAL EXCELLENCE:
2nd: The Wood River Journal
Honorable Mention: Idaho Mountain Express
GENERAL NEWS STORY
1st: Karen Bossick -- The Wood River Journal -- "Sun Valley: In a holding pattern"
2nd: Rebecca Meany -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Stanley faces sale of major downtown businesses
3rd: Steve Benson -- Idaho Mountain Express -- Idaho wolves face delisting"
Honorable Mention: Terry Smith -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Drug court being developed for Blaine County"
SPOT NEWS COVERAGE
3rd: Steve Benson -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Missing hunter survives"
Honorable Mention:
Greg Moore -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Pot farm goes up in smoke"
Terry Smith -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Burmese python swallows owner's electric blanket"
SERIOUS FEATURE REPORT
1st: Kelly Jackson -- The Wood River Journal -- "Female Officers focused on community"
3rd: Dana DuGan -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Does Blaine County need more foster care?"
LIGHT FEATURE REPORT
Honorable Mention:
Terry Smith -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Ketchum python makes world headlines'
Kelly Jackson -- The Wood River Journal -- "If these courthouse walls could talk"
Pat Murphy -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Marines and their jets"
SERIES
1st: Kathleen L. Turner -- The Wood River Journal -- "Rural Roots"
2nd: Rebecca Meany -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "A tale of two cities"
3rd: Megan Thomas, Matt Furber -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Valley battles meth"
Honorable Mention:
Trey Spaulding -- The Wood River Journal -- "Wolf Series"
OUTDOOR FEATURE
2nd: Karen Bossick -- The Wood River Journal -- "Trekking through retirement"
3rd: Steve Benson -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Valley road fire's footprint"
SPORTS NEWS
1st: Jeff Cordes -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Mark Abel hooks a record walleye"
2nd: Dave Larson -- The Wood River Journal -- "Friday Night Flights"
3rd: Jeff Cordes -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "State Champs! Carey (11-1) finishes with a flourish"
Honorable Mention:
Michael Ames -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Valley boarder competes in first Olympic SBX race"
Michael Ames -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Sun Valley alums launch into freeskiing careers"
SPORTS FEATURE STORY
1st: Jody Zarkos -- Idaho Mountain Express - "Concussions are no small ding"
2nd: David Larson- The Wood River Journal -- "Picabo Street"
3rd: TIE
Jennifer Tuohy -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "It's time to watch Sunday night's football"
David Larson -- The Wood River Journal -- "The NBA and its handler"
GENERAL COLUMN
2nd: Pat Murphy -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Other Views -- selection of three"
3rd John Rember -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "End Notes -- selection of three"
SPECIALTY COLUMN
1st: Lynea Newcomer -- The Wood River Journal -- "Treading Lightly"
3rd: Michael Ames -- Idaho Mountain Express -- selection of three "DVD Daze"
Honorable Mention:
Dana DuGan -- Idaho Mountain Express -- selection of three
EDITORIAL
1st Trey Spaulding -- The Wood River Journal -- "A marketing opportunity lost; It takes a village to fight drugs; No to nukes"
3rd: Pedro G. Salom V -- The Wood River Journal -- "Preserving Blaine County's history; County should revisit new town concept; Proposed lot plans a good use of the green"
HEADLINES
1st: Dana DuGan -- Idaho Mountain Express "Whoop: There it is; Desperate housewife: Fools present Ibsen play; I5 you numb3r up?; Does size really matter; Monkeying around in Sun Valley"
PAGE DESIGN
2nd: Gavin McNeil -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Sports pages"
3rd: Dev Mukh Khalsa -- The Wood River Journal -- selection of three
SPOT NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
1st: Willy Cook -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Flooding Big Wood chews its banks (bottom)"
2nd Dev Mukh Khalsa -- The Wood River Journal -- "Big Wood River Floods"
3rd: Chris Pilaro -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Fall flames fanned in Pole Creek"
Honorable Mention:
David N. Seelig -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Snow plow the wrong way"
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Honorable Mention:
Willy Cook -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Nutcracker pecking order"
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
1st: David N. Seelig -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Safe"
2nd: David N. Seelig -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Getting through the gap"
PHOTO ESSAY
2nd: Dev Mukh Khalsa -- The Wood River Journal -- "Nap time, Snack Time"
GRAPHICS
1st: Gavin McNeil -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Torino Games"
2nd: Gavin McNeil -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Wagon Days"
3rd: Leslie Thompson -- The Wood River Journal -- "Made in Blaine blocks"
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING
2nd: Karen Bossick -- The Wood River Journal -- "Docents: Its all about what's on the wall"
3rd: Tony Evans -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Off reservation with Marie Watt"
POLITICAL REPORTING
3rd: Susan Bailey -- The Wood River Journal -- "BKHA board resigns over appointment
Honorable Mention:
Steven Benson -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Big money flowing"
EDUCATION REPORTING
2nd: Megan Thomas -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "New school schedule irks parents'
3rd: Karen Bossick -- The Wood River Journal -- "New Voices"
BUSINESS REPORTING
1st: Susan Bailey -- The Wood River Journal -- "Slack comes back with a vengeance"
2nd: Susan Bailey -- The Wood River Journal -- "Despite the barren Alps and strong Euro, Sun Valley unlikely to see more Europeans"
AGRICULTURE REPORTING
2nd: Jason Kauffman -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Loving the rural life"
CRIME / COURTS REPORTING
2nd: Terry Smith -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Johnson siblings battle over insurance benefits"
3rd: Kelly Jackson -- The Wood River Journal -- "Two men arrested for growing marijuana north of Carey"
RELIGION REPORTING
1st: Karen Bossick -- The Wood River Journal -- "Monks, Valley Share Culture"
2nd: Dana DuGan -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Pastor holds open doors for Latino community"
3rd: Kathleen L. Turner -- The Wood River Journal -- " 'La Capilla' services shrink the crevasse"
ENVIRONMENT REPORTING
3rd: Steve Benson -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Moose populations exploding"
Honorable Mention:
Karen Bossick -- The Wood River Journal -- "Godstein: It's not about the environment -- it's about civilization"
HEALTH/MEDICAL REPORTING
2nd: Karen Bossick -- The Wood River Journal -- "Eating for Life"
3rd: Dana DuGan -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Teenagers fight cancer with true grit"
Honorable Mention:
Dana DuGan -- Idaho Mountain Express -- "Baby boom hits Blaine County"
SPECIAL SECTION
3rd: Staff -- The Wood River Journal -- "Reader's Choice"
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
1st: Kelly Jackson -- The Wood River Journal
2nd: Trevor Schubert -- Idaho Mountain Express
3rd: Lynea Newcomer -- The Wood River Journal
Web site categories—Print
WEBSITE -- GENERAL EXCELLENCE, PRINT
2nd: The Wood River Journal -- www.woodriverjournal.com
3rd: Pam Morris -- Idaho Mountain Express -- www.mtexpress.com
Magazine Awards
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
2nd: Jennifer Tuohy, Evelyn Phillips, Tony Barriatua -- Sun Valley Guide -- Winter Issue
MAGAZINE WRITING -- SERIOUS FEATURE
1st: Shea Andersen -- Sun Valley Guide -- "A Valley Ablaze"
2nd: Michael Ames -- Sun Valley Guide -- "Surviving the Sawtooths"
Honorable Mention:
Greg Stahl -- Sun Valley Guide -- "Real Estate, changing the landscape"
MAGAZINE WRITING -- LIGHT FEATURE
1st: Pat Murphy -- Sun Valley Guide -- "A Conversation with Van Gordon Sauter"
2nd: Betty Bell -- Sun Valley Guide -- "Seventy Years of Sun, Snow and Stories"
3rd: Michael Ames -- Sun Valley Guide -- "The Cruiser Cometh"
Honorable Mention:
Michael Ames -- Sun Valley Guide -- "From Khorossan to Ketchum"
Rebecca Meany -- Sun Valley Guide -- "50 years of family"
Jennifer Tuohy -- Sun Valley Guide -- "A Griffon's Tale"
MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY
1st: Chris Pilaro -- Sun Valley Guide -- "The Cruiser Cometh"
2nd: Chris Pilaro -- Sun Valley Guide -- "A Griffons Tale"
MAGAZINE COVER
2nd: TIE
Dev Mukh Khalsa, Leslie Thompson - Sun Valley Dining / The Wood River Journal -- Winter 06/07
Jolene Brown -- Sun Valley Travelog -- Winter Vol. 2nd:
WEB SITE -- GENERAL EXCELLENCE -- MAGAZINE & ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
2nd: Rich Trevillian & Colin McCauley -- Sun Valley Guide -- www.sunvalleyguide.com
