The Sierra Vista Herald was awarded General Excellence and Associated Press Member of the Year honors in the 2015 Better Newspaper Contest, organized by the Arizona Newspaper Association. Publisher Francis Wick, right, accepted the award with News and Features Editor Liz Manring and Managing Editor Eric Petermann.

The Sierra Vista Herald was awarded General Excellence and Associated Press Member of the Year honors in the 2015 Better Newspaper Contest, organized by the Arizona Newspaper Association. Publisher Francis Wick, right, accepted the award with News and Features Editor Liz Manring and Managing Editor Eric Petermann.

PHOENIX — The Sierra Vista Herald’s editorial and advertising departments earned 19 awards, including 10 first-place accolades, from the Arizona Newspapers Association 2015 Better Newspapers Contest and Excellence in Advertising competition.

The Herald/Review’s newsroom earned first place in the overall General Excellence category among daily newspapers with a circulation under 25,000. The paper was also named The Associated Press Member of the Year for Arizona.

“Being recognized for the General Excellence award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the Herald/Review staff to cover our community,” said Herald/Review publisher Francis Wick.

The Herald/Review’s editorial department also received first place awards for Departmental News and Copywriting Excellence, and Special Section Newspaper Supplement or Magazine. Staff earned second place awards for Best Use of Photography and Newspaper Online Site/Web Page.

Individual winners in the newsroom included senior reporter Bill Hess, who took first place for Best Column, Analysis or Commentary. Photo editor Mark Levy earned both first and second place for Best Multimedia Storytelling, and he took first place for Best Feature Photo Layout. Former staff photographer Beatrice Richardson won first place for Best News Photograph.

“It’s a pleasure to work with talented people producing an award-winning newspaper,” said managing editor Eric Petermann. “General Excellence represents the highest level of professionalism in our craft.”

Steve Stockmar, who became the Herald/Review’s sports editor in July, earned third place in the Best Sports Column category for a piece he wrote while working for the Prescott Daily Courier last year.

Additionally, the Buena Pegasus high school newspaper tied for second place in the General Excellence Scholastic Division among small schools.

This year, 54 newspapers and eight high schools entered the Better Newspapers Contest for a total of 1,633 entries.

“In an era where people think free is status quo, the Herald/Review will continue to value our product and the level of professionalism it brings to improve the understanding and engagement of the overall community,” Wick said. “We value and appreciate the support Sierra Vista, Bisbee and the surrounding communities have offered.”

The Herald/Review’s advertising department took home third place in the General Excellence category among daily newspapers with a circulation under 25,000. Staff also took first in Best Newspaper Promotion Ad Series or Section and second for Best Pro Bono/Public Service Ad.

Individual winners included Julie Ramirez, who took second for Best Online Ad – Dynamic and third for Best Black and White Ad, and Melanie Sagia, who earned second for Best Paid Ad Series – Black and White. Former advertising consultant Sherie Quinn took first in Editorial Best Paid Ad Series – Color, and former classified ad manager Nancy Bernard won first-place honors for Best Public Notice Section and Best Classified Section.

This year, 35 newspapers entered the ANA Excellence in Advertising competition for a total of 549 entries.

Editorial and advertising contest entries were judged by the Nebraska Press Association.

Download a complete list of winners: https://web.archive.org/web/20160126122854/https://wickcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ANA_Press_Release_BNC_2015.pdf