R-C photographer recognized by Nevada Press Association

Staff Reports

Record-Courier photographer Shannon Litz brought home seven awards from the recent Nevada Press Association Better Newspaper's Contest, more than any photographer in the newspaper's class.

Litz won for best sports photo for her March 30 picture of a pickoff attempt.

"A rare, hard-to-get action shot," the judges said. "Both players are horizontal and parallel to each other. Outstanding action."

She dominated the sports category with a second place for her coverage of the Douglas Tigers football team.

Litz won second and third place for best spot news photo, second for best general news photo, second for best feature photo, and third for best multiple feature photos.

Litz was one of six members of The Record-Courier staff recently recognized with first place awards by the Nevada Press Association for their work during 2007 and 2007.

A story about Gardnerville Ranchos resident Lena Fagan being fitted for a prosthetic leg won People Editor Sharlene Irete the award for best news feature story.

Sports Editor Joey Crandall won for best local sports column and Editor Kurt Hildebrand won for best information graphic for his "Roundabout spin."

Chris Olesen and Adelle Hoppe rounded out The R-C's first places by winning best multi-color ad created by a newspaper for Alpine County.

The newspaper competes with others with circulations of between 6,000 and 19,999.

Hildebrand won second place for best headline writing for all weekly newspapers. The R-C's General Election Guide won second place for best special section.

The newspaper was named the third best in its class. The judges compared all three winners, the Henderson Home News, the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza and The R-C with small daily newspapers.

"That should make these papers proud of their work," judges said. The Record-Courier specifically featured "eye-popping designs with great use of color throughout," according to the judges."

The R-C won for general excellence in 2006. It received the weekly newsroom excellence award from its parent company, Swift Communications, this year.

Other awards received by the newspaper included:

-- Second place for best illustration for Jonni Hill's cover of The Carson Valley Almanac.

-- Second place for cartoonist Eric Holland.

-- Second place for for production artist Chris Olesen

-- Third place for best explanatory journalism for Sheila Gardner's story about grandparents raising their grandchildren.

-- Third place for best investigative series for Jonni Hill and Kurt Hildebrand.

-- Third place for best entertainment writing for Ashley Noel Hennefer.

-- Third place for best editorial page.

-- Third place for best page one design.

-- Honorable mention for best business coverage.

-- Honorable mention for best multi-color ad created by a newspaper for Chris Olesen.