Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Jackson County Pilot Entry Title: Jackson County Pilot - General Reporting Entry Credit: Jackson County Pilot Judge Comment: The Pilot stood out as the best for many reasons. First, there was a nice mix of news and softer stories on A1. The typography let you know which story was the lead, etc. The photography was very good. Inside, the paper was very well organized, too. The B section leads with sports, of course, and the coverage should keep those pesky parents happy. All in all, a very good paper that serves its community well. (You even let a story with an Iowa angle cross the border and onto your A1!)
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Ely - Ely Timberjay Entry Title: General Reporting Entry Credit: Timberjay Staff Judge Comment: This is another paper that appears to do a very good job for its community. Nice use of typography, decent photography and excellent writing. If MNA allowed ties, this would have been tied for first with the Pilot.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Le Sueur County News Entry Title: Le Sueur County News General Reporting Entry Credit: Dana Melius, Nancy Madsen, Ashley Murtha, Pat Beck, Carson Hughes Judge Comment: Another decent newspaper that presents a lot of news to its readers. Some of the writing could have used some help, but overall, good job.
Competition Comment: I loved this circulation division. We had Timberjays and an ode to the box elder bug, among other things. Come fall, I will no longer curse the box elder; instead, I will think of the great newspapers in Minnesota! This was a difficult division to judge. There were many excellent newspapers. I kept going back and forth to determine a winner, but the Jackson County Pilot stood out as the best. Next year a different judge might find one of these top three (or any one among the others in this division) the best, but for this year, the Pilot gets my vote.
