Times awarded in Wisconsin Newspaper Association contest


The above photo received a second-place award in the Spot News Photo category in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contest.
The Trempealeau County Times received three awards in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation’s Better Newspaper Contest on March 15.
Managing Editor Andrew Dannehy received a first-place award in Division D for his local column, “Just Another Week.” The judge, a member of the Kentucky Press Association, wrote “Andrew uses his space to educate readers and his writings are a classic example of what community newspapers should be.”
The judge noted that the Local Column category was a “very complex category.”
Dannehy also received a second-place award in the Division D Spot News Photo category for a photograph titled “Air at the Fair” which showed a horse in the air with a person underneath on the ground. The photo was taken during the rodeo at the 2023 Trempealeau County Fair. The judge wrote “The timing is perfect!”
The third award was honorable mention in the Investigative Reporting category for a story Dannehy wrote titled “Local senate candidate accused of misconduct while working as police officer.”
For that award the judge wrote “I know this wasn’t easy and any information wasn’t given up without a fight, but you stood your ground and made a difference in that race. These reports are too often brushed under the rug, but the voters had a right to know that a pattern had followed this candidate.”
That category combined both Divisions D and E. The judge wrote: “There were so many excellent entries in this category showing why we all work in this field! What really stood out to me were the topic choices for these deep dives. These reporters took their time and got every side of the story possible before reporting and no doubt made a difference in their communities. Narrowing these entries down to first, second, third and honorable mention was very tough since easily three more deserved a top spot, too, but these had more relatability to their readers and the community, hitting a larger target audience. Very impressed by many of these writers, not just the winners.”
The Times’ story also received honorable mention in the National Newspaper Association contest.
The 2023 contest received 2,144 entries from 102 different newspapers. Eligible entries were published between Sept. 1, 2022 and Aug. 31, 2023. The divisions are based by each newspaper’s circulation.
The awards banquet was held at The Madison Concourse Hotel in downtown Madison.