Nogales International rated ‘Best-in-the-Nation’ in its class

The Inland Press Foundation announced Feb. 22 that the Nogales International placed first in its organization’s 2007 "Best-in-the-Nation" general excellence competition for non-daily newspapers in the less-than 5,000 circulation class.

“It’s a huge honor to be recognized,” said Nogales International Editor and Publisher Manuel C. Coppola. “It was a team effort, and it’s nice to see all our hard work pay off.”

The Nogales International, which is owned by Wick Communications, is published Tuesday and Friday, and has been serving Nogales, Ariz., and Santa Cruz County since 1925.

The Forest Park Review (Forest Park, Ill.) took second in the less-than 5,000 circulation class, and was followed by The Mirror of Tonganoxie, Kan.

Another of Wick Communications’ newspapers that was honored by Inland was the Half Moon Bay Review in Half Moon Bay, Calif. The newspaper took third in the 5,001-10,000-circulation class.

First and second place, respectively, in that class were taken by the News-Register (McMinnville, Ore.) and The Times, which covers Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood, Ore.

“It is really nice to see our newspapers do this well in national competition,” said Tom Lee, Wick’s Copper Group Manager.

According to Inland official Ray Carlsen, participating newspapers were judged on coverage, presentation, and writing quality. Entrants were community newspapers from across the United States, including Washington, Oregon, California, Virginia, Maryland, Florida and Georgia.

Judges were Bill Roesgen, a veteran editor and newspaper consultant who retired from the Lincoln, Neb., Journal Star; Patricia Colander, The Times of NW Indiana, Munster, Ind.; and Prof. David Nelson, Newspaper Department of Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.