Cedar County News honored with Neb. Press Association awards
KEARNEY — The Cedar County News was honored Saturday as one of the top community newspapers in the state.
The News earned 21 Nebraska Press Association awards during the Nebraska Press Association's annual convention at the Crowne Plaza.
For the fourth year in a row, the News won the award as the top digital producer in its circulation category.
In all, the News won eight first-place awards, six second-place awards and seven third-place awards.
Cedar County News Publisher Peggy Year said it was humbling to see the newspaper recognized by its peers.
"Each week we just go about our work trying to put the best news and advertising product out that we can," she said "We're very grateful that people appreciate our efforts."
The News was honored for all aspects of its newspaper and website including photography, newswriting, sports coverage, page design, video reporting, social media presence and advertising design.
Another Northeast Nebraska News Company newspaper, the Randolph Times, also earned several awards at the annual meeting of newspaper publishers, editors and reporters.
The Times won a first-place award for a feature photo taken by Northeast Nebraska News Company photographer Jeremy Buss. Buss shot the photo of a young boy wrestling a pig in the mud of the Pierce County Fair.
The Randolph newspaper also earned a second-place award for the school board coverage by Times editor-reporter Trisha Benton. The Randolph Times collected third-place plaques for a story Benton did on an area man collecting hay for North Dakota farmers and another third-place plaque for a story she did about a grain bin rescue.
Categories for both weeklies and dailies are focused on writing, photography, advertising, digital, design and creativity.
More than 2,400 separate entries were judged by members of the New York Press Association.
The Antelope County News won the sweepstakes award for both print and digital. The Scottsbluff Star-Herald was the sweepstakes winner in the daily category, which excludes dailies in Omaha and Lincoln. This is the sixth time the Scottsbluff Star-Herald has won the daily sweepstakes.
The Community Newspaper Digital Sweepstakes award was also won by the Orchard Antelope County News, with the Cedar County News earning runner-up honors again this year.
Cedar County News Editor Rob Dump was also a finalist for feature photo of the year. His photo was taken the last day of school at Holy Trinity Elementary School and featured both students and teachers running out of school.
The Cedar County News won firstplace awards for:
• Youth coverage
• Reader interaction
• Best digital coverage
• Best website
• Best use of color
• Best digital ad
• Best news video
• Best online breaking news