Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Ely - Ely Timberjay Entry Title: General Excellence Entry Credit: Timberjay Staff Judge Comment: Readers get a lot for their dollar: Strong coverage of local government and the schools; many interesting features; and best-in-class outdoors coverage. The Timberjay offered the most comprehensive coverage of any of the entries.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Jackson County Pilot Entry Title: Jackson County Pilot - General Excellence Entry Credit: Jackson County Pilot Judge Comment: Almost every entry had stories about the April 2018 ice storm. The Pilot's work excelled for its forward-looking depth. The Pilot offers good enterprise reporting without sacrificing the bread-and-butter stories.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Jordan Independent Entry Title: Jordan Independent: General Excellence Entry Credit: Staff Judge Comment: Readers surely look forward to the highly readable Page One centerpieces the Independent offers. They are also better-informed for these enterprising efforts.
Competition Comment: Many outstanding entries made this a difficult category to judge. All the top entries excel at local and hyper-local coverage. That almost goes without saying. The very best newspapers in this class also strive for enterprising coverage that goes beyond the average city council or school board meeting. They also do a great job of telling the stories of interesting people in their communities..
