Western News wins 3 statewide awards

The Western News earned three awards on Saturday night in the Montana Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.

Western News managing editor Brad Fuqua won a first-place award for “Best Environmental/Natural Resource Reporting” for stories on the asbestos cleanup in Libby. Contest judges described Fuqua’s entries as “clear and engaging writing.”

The winning stories included “EPA cleans up banks along 3 creeks,” “Senator fights for health emergency” and “Air quality alert confuses, angers Libby-area residents.”

The News also won a third-place award for “Best Overall Design/Composition” and honorable mention for “Best Sports Event Coverage” for a story from high school football season, “Columbia Falls pulls off win in Libby.”

The News, which covers southern Lincoln County including Libby and Troy, was competing in a division for weeklies and bi-weeklies with a total distribution of 1,500 to 2,999. The awards were handed out in Kalispell during the MNA’s annual banquet. The North Dakota Newspaper Association judged entries.