The Idaho Mountain Express earned top honors Saturday at the Idaho Press Club's annual awards banquet, taking first place in the two categories recognizing overall achievement among non-daily newspapers.
The club—the primary press association in the state—named the Express as the winner of the General Excellence award, given to the newspaper with the best writing, originality, viewer interest and enterprise.
"Excellent at many things," the judges said. " ... Very good opinion pages, enterprise, feature sections. Entry really stands out against the others."
The Express also garnered the club's Pinnacle Award, given to the daily and non-daily newspapers that earn more individual awards than all their competitors in the state.
All told, Express staff accepted 37 awards for newspaper reporting, editing, photography and overall excellence at the event in downtown Boise. The club presented a total of 87 awards to non-daily newspapers.
Sun Valley Guide magazine, published by the newspaper's parent company, Express Publishing, earned seven additional awards in magazine competition, including first place in the General Excellence category.
The club's Best of 2011 awards recognized excellence in print, television, public relations and radio journalism done throughout the state in 2011.
Here is a complete list of awards won by the Express, Guide and other media workers in the Wood River Valley:
Weekly Newspapers
General Excellence
1st—Idaho Mountain Express
Pinnacle Award
Idaho Mountain Express
Spot News Coverage
2nd—Katherine Wutz, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Fuel-truck fire kills Carey man"
Light Feature Report
2nd—Robin Sias, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Woman of the Year: Carla Scanlon"
3rd—Robin Sias, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Kid magnets"
Series
2nd—Katherine Wutz, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Assessing the cost of living"
Sports News Coverage
2nd—Jeff Cordes, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Bull rider Anderson closes rodeo with a flourish"
3rd—Jeff Cordes, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Suns captain mourns friend lost in Russian crash"
Sports Feature Story
1st—Jeff Cordes, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Inspiring skier, runner Adicoff honored by USSA"
2nd—Jeff Cordes, Idaho Mountain Express.
"The Cup thanks Ketchum for a great tour!"
3rd—Robin Sias, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Get ready to rhumba at the SV Ice Show"
General Column
2nd—Tony Evans, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Endless Conversation"
Specialty Column
2nd—Tony Evans, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Valley People"
3rd—Katherine Wutz, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Food and love"
Editorial
1st—Pam Morris, Idaho Mountain Express.
"If boys got pregnant; What railroads taught; Sidecountry skiing"
2nd—Pam Morris, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Western Wimps; Guinea pigs; Planet Otter"
Headlines
1st—Rebecca Meany, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Coffee to Go; They ask, but will they receive?;
Ketchum to clip wings of Fly Sun Valley; Planting a seed for weed control; Valley greets, but doesn't meet, heavy hitters; Moguls mix, but stay mostly mum"
2nd—Greg Foley & Staff, Idaho Mountain Express.
Page Design
1st—Tony Barriatua, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Honor the Land and Community; Canines in Cars; Kin Dance Co."
Feature Photography
2nd—Willy Cook, Idaho Mountain Express.
"A little swing, a little Dixie"
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Sports Photography
3rd—Willy Cook, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Wow! What a Week it Was!"
Photo Essay
3rd—Willy Cook, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Rodeo - A Fourth of July Fixture"
Arts/Entertainment Reporting
1st—Jennifer Liebrum, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Patagonia Uprising"
2nd—Jennifer Liebrum, Idaho Mountain Express.
"The Awakening: How Toni Childs got her voice back"
3rd—Jennifer Liebrum, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Colin Hay Plays with Mercury"
Political Reporting
2nd—Rebecca Meany, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Prospector Hill plans meet organized resistance"
Education Reporting
1st—Terry Smith, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Board approves teacher contract"
2nd—Terry Smith, Idaho Mountain Express.
"District officials concerned about school security"
Business Reporting
2nd—Tony Evans, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Mortgage defaults at 1 per day"
Agriculture Reporting
1st—Katherine Wutz, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Keepers tout the value of honeybees"
Crime/Courts Reporting
1st—Terry Smith, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Hanks denied amends in house dispute"
2nd—Terry Smith, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Hailey man hangs himself in jail cell"
Religion Reporting
2nd—Jennifer Liebrum, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Growing Pains"
Environment Reporting
3rd—Katherine Wutz, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Habitat Lost?"
Special Section
1st—Jennifer Liebrum, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Valley Woman"
3rd—Katherine Wutz & Express Staff, Idaho Mountain Express.
"Valley Man"
Magazine
General Excellence
1st—Jennifer Liebrum, Tony Barriatua, Sun Valley Guide.
"Summer 2011"
2nd—Ryan Waterfield, Britt Johnston, Sun Valley Property News.
"December 2011"
Serious Feature
1st—Jennifer Tuohy, Sun Valley Guide.
"The Count of Sun Valley"
Photography
1st—Hillary Mayberry, Sun Valley Property News.
2nd—Thia Konig, Sun Valley Guide/Habitat.
Column
1st—Jennifer Liebrum, Sun Valley Guide.
"Purposefulness and Moxi Span Generations"
2nd—Greg Stahl, Sun Valley Guide.
"Why Wilderness"
3rd—Jennifer Liebrum, Sun Valley Guide.
"Off Balance for the Better"
Magazine Cover
3rd—Tony Barriatua, Sun Valley Guide/Habitat.
Online Division
Website—Special Purpose
1st—Narda Pitkethly
"Nardagani"
Best Online News/Feature Story
3rd—Jennifer Liebrum, Idaho Mountain Express.
"For Exotic Cat, New Hip and New Hope"