Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Half Moon Bay Review Entry Title: Sept. 2 and Sept. 9, 2020 Entry Credit: Staff Judge Comment: Two solid editions from a newspaper with an array of informative and interesting elements throughout. I like the clean layout with clear story kickers; the photo of the week; and the well-executed feature on what a number of local places are named after. The column on COVID-19 answering messages from Louie Castoria had me laughing out loud. All and all, fine work and enjoyable newspapers.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: The Ark Entry Title: Sept. 2 & 9, 2020 Entry Credit: Ark Staff Judge Comment: The two editions are centered on a controversial police interaction with local business owners. The Ark provides comprehensive coverage of the incident and community reaction. The opinion page also gave local readers the opportunity to weigh in. A clean design helped this publication stand out.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: St. Helena Star Entry Title: St. Helena Star, September 10-17 Entry Credit: Jesse Duarte Judge Comment: The St. Helena Star is full of useful information for readers, from an article on how to avoid heat illness to another on how to find mental health in the local area. A good design with enjoyable articles.
Place Name: Fourth Place Contestant Name: The Trinity Journal Entry Title: The Trinity Journal -- Feb. 5 and 12 Entry Credit: Staff Judge Comment: Interesting perspective on the "slidin' away" A1 pictures. A robust opinion page and a clean design throughout.
Place Name: Fifth Place Contestant Name: Lincoln News Messenger Entry Title: Lincoln News Messenger Sept. 14 and Sept. 24, 2020 Entry Credit: Carol Feineman, Matthew Nobert, Shaden Solanji Judge Comment: Lots of admirable elements in these editions, including the history column, a "virtual word on the street" column and the "Our Town" community series.
