Kimball's Observer Wins 8 Awards

KEARNEY – The Observer won eight statewide awards Saturday at the Nebraska Press Association's 2022 Better Newspaper Contest Awards Presentation at Younes Conference North/Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kearney.

The honors included third place for overall general excellence among Class B newspapers in 2021, one year after the Observer placed first in this prestigious category. Only the top three judged papers are recognized in this competition.

The Observer also placed first in Class B for its classifieds section, improving from last year's second place. Publisher Jim Orr, who handles Observer classifieds, received this award.

Orr also placed second for headline writing and third for a color Christmas advertisement for Kimball Service Center.

Observer staff writer Daria Anderson-Faden placed second in the coveted contest for best sports photo of the year among all Nebraska newspapers entering the contest, not just those in Class B. This was for her photo, “Grand Champion Ride,” of Emily Whitney riding her horse in the barrels competition at the Kimball Banner County Fair.

Anderson-Faden also won two awards in Class B news writing. She placed second for her June 10 article on livestock branding and third for her Feb. 25 report about Kimball's historic power plant.

The Observer staff also placed second in Class B for its efforts in producing the paper's sports page.

Class B includes weekly papers with circulations from 860 to 1,499.

Press association leaders noted that a large amount of more than 2,400 contest entries in all categories this year were judged by New York Press Association members.

The Observer won seven awards in last year's contest and now has won 15 in two years.