These stories were so in-depth that they needed to be read more than once to fully grasp what was happening. That's not a knock, because it was a complicated matter. They also highlight the importance of newspapers needing to show up at govt. meetings, because the paper's presence at one is what alerted it to the issue the paper was able to uncover with public record requests and more digging. Kudos for sticking with it!

Well-written stories about a city meeting gone sideways with an expulsion of a citizen and accompanying story that explains the background of the issue. The information gave readers plenty to digest so they better understood what was happening. Again, strong ledes leave readers wanting to continue.

Very compelling read. Writer obviously cared about sharing Kimberly Dick's story based on the in-depth interview, use of multiple sources and level of detail shared in the story. Very well done.

This is just wow work. Writing is solid and the depth is outstanding. A sports section worth reading and something to look forward to on a regular basis. Good work

A very well written piece about a very neat and much needed service.

Great job being able to localize a national story. You were able to bring a national story home to your local readers. Many people were writing about the funeral. Only you were able to write about the casket.

Excellent reporting with multiple sources, and good writing. It tells the story of a commissioner's failure to disclose a felony conviction when a young man as required by candidate filing rules. A worthy story exposed by this reporter!

The VW bug comes to life in this story, through both the writer's obvious enthusiasm and the subject's love of the car. The author also extends the story into other owners and the history of the vehicle. Very masterfully done.

This is what enterprise reporting should look like. It's researched from verified documents, clearly written and does exactly what public service journalism is supposed to do. It shines a light where it matters. The reporter did the work here, connecting an audit to real-world consequences in education. Every community deserves this level of accountability reporting.

This is one of those newspapers that a subscriber can't help but read from cover to cover. It's packed full of information that simply can't be found anyplace else. The editorials are hard-hitting and impactful, as well. A redesign would make this great content even easier to read.

This was a tough category filled with excellent examples of local govt. coverage. This paper does an outstanding job of it, and this entry about a municipality's firings and suspensions of many employees took it to the top. Kudos for the work involved in tackling this topic and digging into the reasons why. Ledes are strong and invite readers to keep reading. Stories tend to get long but are well written.

The best entry in this category by far. Thanks for the deep, diligent coverage of this tragic event.