Best Feature or Sports story went to the Pierre Capital Journal.

Best Feature or Sports story went to the Pierre Capital Journal.

Five newspapers earned top honors in the 2013 Wick Editorial awards, which were announced at Thursday’s Wick Communications management meeting in Tucson, Ariz. In all, 10 newspapers merited mention in this year’s contest.

There were five categories, including Enterprise, Breaking News, Best Feature or Sports Story, Editorial Comment and Community Pride. Judges awarded first, second, third and honorable mention prizes. Eighteen newspapers submitted entries, which were judged by Wick Editorial Director Clay Lambert and Wick Group Manager David Lewis. For a complete list of winners and links to the winning projects, go to the Wick Editorial Awards website, wickawards.wordpress.com.

The Sierra Vista Herald and the Bisbee Review took top honors in the Community Pride category for an exhaustive report on the state of the San Pedro River basin. Principal writer Shar Porier and photographers Beatrice Richardson and Mark Levy walked the river for miles, reporting on the delicate balance of life that sustains the region.

The Green Valley News was judged to have the best editorial commentary. The newspaper distinguished itself with well-written and cogent opinion pieces and a wealth of community input. The newspaper often features two opinion pages in a single edition.
The Tucson Weekly earned first place in the Breaking News category for its coverage of the November 2012 elections. The newspaper delivered incisive analysis in print each week and broke stories online on a daily basis on its popular blog known as The Range.

The nod for Best Feature or Sports story went to the Pierre Capital Journal for it’s unique coverage of the death of former governor Bill Janklow. The newspaper drew on its long history with the politician by calling on Janklow friends for their first-person remembrances and presented it all in an attractive special project.

The award for best Enterprise went to the Half Moon Bay Review, for its ongoing coverage of a meltdown within the local fire department. The newspaper strongly opposed a board proposal to scrap a state contract and create a new, more expensive department from scratch. Controversy ended when several board members were recalled.

This marks the return of editorial awards within the company, which plans to expand and refine the program next year.