The Mesquite Local News received several awards Saturday, Sept. 27, as part of the 2012 Nevada Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.
The awards were given out for stories published from April 1, 2011, through March 31, 2012, during the annual awards banquet held this year at The D in downtown Las Vegas, the former Fitzgerald’s.
Newspapers from throughout Nevada enter the contest, which is broken into four categories, based on size and frequency of publication. The MLN competes in the Community Newspaper category.
Editor Kent Harper was awarded first place for Best Local Column; second place for Best Editorial Writing; and third place for Best Sports Feature.
MLN writer Susan Santarcangelo was awarded third place for Best Explanatory Journalism.
Harper entered four columns in the Best Local Column category: “It’s a dry heat in a wet humid kind of way,” July 28, 2011; “Life as a southpaw has its problems,” March 29, 2012; “Important traditions of Thanksgiving,” Nov. 17, 2011; and “Arby’s is gone; the pounds remain,” Jan. 19, 2012.
He also entered the editorials from June 30, 2011, “Government’s duty is to secure our rights”; July 28, 2011, “RTC cuts unfair to Mesquite, Bunkerville”; and Feb. 16, 2012, “Where is the divide between church and state?”
He entered one story in the Best Sports Feature category: “City names new athletic, leisure director,” published Jan. 26, 2012.
Santarcangelo won her Explanatory Journalism award for “Do we have enough water?” published Dec. 29, 2011.
Other Mesquite winners include Mike Donahue, editor of the Desert Valley Times. But Donahue’s awards were for his work with the Moapa Progress before accepting the DVT position.
The Moapa Progress also is a Community Newspaper, while the DVT is in the Intermediate class.
Donahue was awarded second place for Best Local Non-staff Column, his “Rural Rants” column. He also won three third place awards for Best News Feature Story, Best News Photo Coverage and Best Multiple Photo Essay.
All of the winners in all of the categories can be seen at www.nevadapress.com.