LVN captures 14 NPA awards

ELY — The Lahontan Valley News won 14 awards Saturday in this year’s Nevada Press Association’s annual newspaper contest at the organization’s yearly convention in Ely.

The LVN competed in the Intermediate division which constitutes small daily and large weekly newspapers.

Molly Moser, who is now a producer for a Reno television station, won first place in Business Spot News. She wrote an article on the mining operation at Premier Magnesia, LLC. in Gabbs, the only operating magnesium carbonate mine in the country.

The judge said, “This is a solid story about a business with both local and nationwide impact.”

Moser also garnered a second-place award in Business Feature, an article on Billy Coleman’s Grouchy’s Barbershop on West Williams Avenue.

David C. Henley won first place in Local Column writing.

According to the judge, “David’s columns eschew hard opinion and instead give readers great insight and information through his personal travels.”

Steve Ranson won first place for Sports Feature Writing for his story on two Reno Aces ballplayers who were College World Series baseball champions and teammates while playing for the University of South Carolina.

“Plenty of voices that are well used in this story and some quality writing pulling this through,” wrote the judge.

For the second consecutive year, Ranson won first place in Editorial Writing.

The judge said, “Overall, the Lahontan Valley News editorials were clearly focused and had the best transition between ideas.”

Thomas Ranson won first place for Multiple Photo Essay for his photos at the state basketball championships in March.

Said the judge: “The state championship photos were crisp and told the story of every element of the game.”

He also placed second in Sports Photo for “Trio of Girls.”

Mike McGarvey’s In House Promotion topped the category with “Back 2 School.”

The Lahontan Valley News placed second in General Excellence behind the Pahrump Valley News. Those receiving recognition were Adam Trumble, Steve and Thomas Ranson, Kyler Klix, Lauren Solinger and Rick Hoover.

Ranson, who wrote the article, and his daughter, Stephanie, who took the initial photos, placed second in Breaking News Reporting Print on a Fallon man charged with murder.

The LVN placed second in Community Service behind the Pahrump Valley Times. The LVN showed how it covers the veterans’ community with articles on Wreaths Across America, the first Operation Battle Born ruck march that crossed Churchill County and unaccompanied military services a the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Klix placed second for Page One Design.

“CJ” Hadley, publisher and editor of Range magazine for the past 28 years, was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame. Former Nevada Gov. Vail Pittman, who died in 1964, became the second governor inducted into the hall, but the first to work in the industry before he was elected to public office. Pittman and his wife bought the Ely Daily Times in 1920, five years before he was elected to the state Senate. He served as governor from 1945-51.

Holly Rudy-James, a strong advocate for rural newspapers, rounded out the inductees. Now retired, she was hired in 2002 as general manager of what eventually became Winnemucca Publishing. The company publishes The Nevada Rancher, The Humboldt Sun, The Battle Mountain Bugle and Lovelock Review-Miner.