The Aurora News-Register has won back-to-back honors as the sweepstakes winner in the Nebraska Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.
The local newspaper, owned by co-publishers Kurt and Paula Johnson, won 25 awards in various categories for news writing, advertising, editorial writing, page design and general excellence. By placing first among all 160 Nebraska weeklies, the newspaper was awarded the Loral Johnson Community Sweepstakes Award, a travelling trophy which will be on display at the Aurora office for the coming year.
This is the second consecutive year the News-Register has won the sweepstakes award, named in honor of the late Loral Johnson, father of co-publisher Kurt Johnson. The Gothenburg Times finished second and the Gering Courier was third. The Kearney Hub was the winner in the daily category, which excludes dailies in Lincoln and Omaha.
On Friday night at the NPA convention in Lincoln, the News-Register also received the Omaha World-Herald’s prestigious Service to Agriculture and Community Service awards.
For the eighth year in a row, and the 14th of the last 15 years, the News-Register was recognized for outstanding coverage of the state’s leading industry and its impact on Hamilton County. The newspaper’s weekly ag coverage is coordinated by veteran managing editor Laurie Pfeifer.
Judges cited the newspaper for exemplary coverage of agriculture, focused each week on the Ag Life pages and highlighted with occasional editorials and front page news. Other winners of the award, as determined by circulation, included the West Point News and Scottsbluff Star-Herald.
The World-Herald’s Community Service Award is based on newspaper coverage, as well as involvement and leadership in local issues.
Other winners of the Service to Community Award included the Petersburg Press, West Point News, Hickman Voice News and the Kearney Hub.