The Independent News Herald Awards page

1st place in Best Local News Story 2007

Karin Nauber, Independent News Herald associate editor/photographer took first place honors in the best local news story category in the Minnesota Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contest. She received the award from John Stone, MNA president, at the annual newspaper convention awards ceremony held on January 24. The story that she reported on was published in the January 31 issue of 2007.
Her story was called "Two area families learn ice is never 100% safe". It featured a story of two brothers from Clarissa that plunged through the ice with their pickup trucks and a nine-year-old from Browerville that fell through a hole in the ice left from a spear hole. She also included information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. For the full article click here.
The judge's comments to Karin were "Nice package. Good anecdotal stories from victims (good enterprise effort). General information on ice safety takes the message to the readers and tells them why it is important."
Congratulations Karin!

1st place in News and Feature photography 2005


Ray and Marlo Benning, Independent News Herald editors, both took first place honors in the news and feature photography categories in the Minnesota Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contest. They received awards from Rollin Bergman, MNA president, at their annual newspaper convention awards ceremony on January 27. The top photo was taken by Marlo when St. Joseph's Catholic Church rectory in Clarissa sustained a fire. The side photo was taken by Ray at The Rose City Threshing Festival. Zachary Ward and Lane Oftedahl competed in the kids games.

1st in Sports Photography 2003

Ray Benning co-publisher of the Independent News Herald, received first place in the Sports Photography category of the Minnesota Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contest for weeklies with 1501 to 2500 circulation.
The 2002-2003 contest winners were recognized at a special awards reception held on January 30 at the Radisson South in Bloomington.

At left: Independent News Herald's Ray Benning accepted his first place award from President of the Minnesota Newspaper Association

-photo by Marlo Benning

 

 

Below: Even big boys still play in the mud is the picture that took first place in Sports Photography. Judges" comments were: "The fact that you can barely recognize the two wrestlers helps set the atmosphere of this picture. Plus they are completely covered with mud." The photo was taken at the mud wrestling tournament during Eagle Bend Days.
-photo by Ray Benning

1st in feature photography 2002