ANR earns World-Herald, newspaper contest honors

The Aurora News-Register won numerous honors in the Nebraska Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, while also receiving the Omaha World-Herald’s prestigious Service to Community and Service to Agriculture awards.

Typically announced during the NPA convention in April, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s award winners were announced in a video presentation posted last week on YouTube.

“Our entire staff goes above and beyond the normal routine in publishing the News-Register each week which is reflected in this statewide recognition,” said co-publishers Kurt and Paula Johnson. “We appreciate their dedication and hope the community does as well. It’s a complete team effort and we are so very proud of our staff.”

In the World-Herald competition, the News-Register was cited for its in-depth coverage of agriculture, the community’s wind energy debate, the Heroes & Huskies project as well as a special workforce recognition edition.

In the Better Newspaper Contest, judges picked the News-Register as the runnerup newspaper in the Class C category with a circulation of 1,500 to 2,499.

First place awards -- General excellence, whole staff effort; Reader interaction/ contest, amateur photo contest, coordinated by Dani Lemburg; single retail advertising ideacolor, Mars Petcare ad by Dave Bradley and Karla Senff; news writing, “Volunteers journey into flood zone” by Cheyenne Rowe; special sections, high school sports previews by Richard Rhoden; youth coverage, stories by Cheyenne Rowe and Jeni Moellenberndt; specialty pages, weekly business page by Kurt Johnson.

Second place awards -- Newspaper-sponsored event, Heroes & Huskies coverage by Cheyenne Rowe; sports column, Big Rich Sports Report by Richard Rhoden; sports feature writing, “Husky seniors rewarded with state (wrestling) medals” by Richard Rhoden; sports game coverage, “Sixty-five, Oh My!” coverage of Danica Badura’s golf record by Kurt Johnson; best personal column by Kurt Johnson; breaking news, “Storm rips through area farm” by Richard Rhoden; feature series, “Where are they now” by Cheyenne Rowe, Jeni Moellenberndt and Kurt Johnson; single feature story, “Gold Star Girl” by Cheyenne Rowe; entertainment story, “Footloose a sellout production” by Cheyenne Rowe; Public notice and its promotion, editorial by Kurt Johnson; editorial page design by Kurt Johnson; editorial writing by Kurt Johnson; best digital ad, Aurora Mall ad by Karla Senff.

Third place awards -- Photo page on “The Boys of Summer” by Richard Rhoden; best use of color, “Strive for Five” spring sports section cover by Richard Rhoden and Karla Senff; entertainment story, “Art Walk a canvas for creativity” by Kurt Johnson; special single section, workforce tribute featuring millenials, by staff; best website, staff.

The Loral Johnson Sweepstakes, awarded to the state’s top overall weekly newspaper, went to the Orchard Antelope County News, with the News-Register placing third. The daily newspaper sweepstakes award went to the Kearney Hub.

More than 3,400 separate entries, representing 10 dailies and 59 weeklies, were judged by members of the Illinois Press Association. The Nebraska Press Association is the trade association representing the 15 daily and 141 weekly newspapers in Nebraska.

The staff at the News-Register includes co-owners Kurt and Paula Johnson; Dave Bradley, marketing manager; Marc Russell, press supervisor; Karla Senff, graphic design supervisor; Jill Bartling, graphic designer; Dani Lemburg, marketing representative; Dave Adams, pressman and vinyl sign builder/installer; Richard Rhoden, sports editor; Cheyenne Rowe, news editor; Jeni Moellenberndt, reporter; Sonja Schaffert, inserter.