Community News, Independent Win 17 At Newspaper Contest

Culbertson’s Community News and the Northern Plains Independent won 17 total awards at the 2022 Montana Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, including five first-place awards.

An awards ceremony was held at the Elks Club in Glendive June 18 during the MNA annual convention.

Culbertson’s Community News competes against other similarly sized weekly newspapers with circulations of 1,250 or less in Division 1 and the Northern Plains Independent is in Division 2, which includes weekly newspapers with circulations of 1,251 to 2,000.

Editor Bill Vander Weele won the first-place award for Best Editorial in Division 2.

Sisters Jessica and Katelynn Jo Smith won first-place awards in Best Ad to Sell or Promote Merchandise in Division 1 and Best Newspaper Ad in Division 2 respectively.

Publisher Darla Downs won firsts in Best Ad to Sell or Promote Services in Division 2 and Best Marketing Campaign in Division 2.

Newspaper staff also won second and third place awards in Best Newspaper Promotional Ad, Best Sports Story, Best Sports Feature Story, Best Sports Page Layout and Design, Best Ad to Sell or Promote Merchandise Black and White, Best Sponsor Page, Best Graphic, Best Marketing Campaign and Best Investigative Journalism.

Late Culbertson Searchlight

and Herald-News publisher Harry Downs was inducted into the Montana Newspaper Hall Of Fame during a ceremony in Makoshika State Park June 17. See story on page three.