The Hollister Free Lance captured two awards and shared another
with its sister papers at the annual California Newspaper
Publishers Association Better Newspaper Contest over the
weekend.
LONG BEACH – The Hollister Free Lance captured two awards and shared another with its sister papers at the annual California Newspaper Publishers Association Better Newspaper Contest over the weekend.
Free Lance reporter Kollin Kosmicki was awarded second place in the Investigative/ Enterprise Reporting category for ” Cannery Roar.” The series of articles revealed that the San Benito Foods tomato cannery produced dangerous levels of noise that had the potential to permanently damage the hearing of nearby residents. The stories led to the cannery installing new equipment to dampen the noise it makes during canning season.
Free Lance photographer Nick Lovejoy also won second place in Sports Photography for “Head Butt,” a soccer picture of two boys colliding as they leaped for the ball.
“No question, the awards are proof that the Free Lance is entering a new era of quality journalism and is recognized as such among daily newspapers in the state,” Publisher Steve Staloch said. “It also demonstrates our commitment to providing the people of San Benito County with the finest local newspaper possible. I’m proud of my associates and congratulate them on achieving this honor.”
The Free Lance and sister publications The Gilroy Dispatch and the Morgan Hill times took a top honor in the Special Issue category for the newspaper’s annual Pride section “New Horizons” which is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of local residents.
“I’m proud of our accomplishments this year,” Free Lance Editor Conan Knoll said. “The awards are a credit to the hard work of our staff and their commitment to improving the quality of life in the community, not to mention creating a compelling newspaper.”
The Gilroy Dispatch won 11 awards in broad range of news categories including three first-place and eight second-place honors. Aside from the Los Angeles Times and Contra Costa Times, the Dispatch won more awards in its class than any other newspaper in the state.
The Morgan Hill Times won two first-place and two second-place awards in the contest.
The awards were handed out Saturday afternoon at the annual CNPA convention aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
