Idaho Statesman takes home 52 awards for 2020 reporting
The Idaho Statesman won 52 awards Saturday at the Idaho Press Club contest, an annual event that highlights some of the best reported stories of the year.
The paper’s staff and reporters won first place in six categories, including online general excellence for daily papers, investigative reporting, and a First Amendment Award, which celebrates freedom of information.
Former Statesman reporter Audrey Dutton won first place in five categories, while outdoor reporter Nicole Blanchard and photographer Darin Oswald won four each. Investigative reporter Nicole Foy earned three first-place awards.
Reporter Michael Lycklama won five awards for sports, education and health stories, and sports writer Rachel Roberts won two. Michael Deeds, the author of the column Words & Deeds, swept the daily print headlines category with awards for first, second and third place.
Read some of the Statesman’s award-winning reporting on COVID-19, education, agriculture, business and more below. A full list of the state’s 2020 winners can be found on the Idaho Press Club’s website.
General News Story:
Audrey Dutton, Chadd Cripe, Nicole Blanchard and Nicole Foy, first place, “Idaho’s incomplete, error-prone coronavirus data falls short of what other states offer.”
Watchdog/Investigative (Daily Print):
Audrey Dutton, first place, “Idaho highway contractors change records, get bonuses”
John Sowell, second place, “One Boise air traffic controller dozed, another reeked of pot. The FAA sat on emails”
Outdoor Feature:
Nicole Blanchard, first place, “Pack goats lighten Boise man’s load in the backcountry, bring smiles on Foothills hikes”
Chadd Cripe, second place, “We took a national parks road trip during the pandemic. Here’s what we found”
First Amendment Award (All Media):
Audrey Dutton, first place, “COVID- 19 Investigation – State of Idaho reporting of nursing home statistics”
Special Coverage (All Media):
Statesman staff, first place, “COVID-19 data tracking”
Serious Feature:
Audrey Dutton, first place, “This is how one Boise family got COVID-19 and a young dad ended up in the hospital”
Light Feature:
Nicole Foy and Nicole Blanchard, first place, “Is there a Robert E. Lee Campground in the Boise National Forest? We went to find out”
Series:
Sami Edge and Nicole Foy, second place, “Latino Listening Project”
Sports Feature:
Rachel Roberts, first place, “From NBA ball boy to NBA prospect: The remarkable story of Boise State’s Alston Jr.”
Sports News Coverage:
Rachel Roberts, second place, “‘Remarkable. Improbable.’ Boise State freshman delivers the impossible against Utah State”
Sports Prep Story:
Michael Lycklama, second place, “She’s the first girls wrestling coach in Idaho. But she won’t be the last”
General Column:
Katherine Jones, third place, “COVID-19 nursing: A profound honor and oh, so hard. ‘We can’t see where it will slow down’”
Specialty Column:
Michael Lycklama, second place, “Sports Column”
Editorial:
Scott McIntosh, third place, “’You are failing us.’ Idaho’s handling of unemployment claims has been a disgrace.”
Opinion:
Bob Kustra, second place, “Republicans desert their governor as he protects Idahoans from coronavirus”
Environment:
Scott McIntosh, second place, “Everyone wants a trail from Stanley to Redfish Lake, but is it in the right place?”
Headlines:
Michael Deeds, first place, “Idahoans are cheapest tippers in the nation? This new study makes zero cents. (Ahem.)“
Michael Deeds, second place, “You’ll choke at Idaho’s ranking in new U.S. air study. Take a deep breath, expert says”
Michael Deeds, third place, “Honk if you’re thorny: Idaho drivers are among nation’s rudest, study says. Here’s why”
Page Design:
Jim Keyser, first place, “The Idahoan Project”
Elections:
Ruth Brown, second place, “Idaho House candidate touts conspiracy theories, false claims on COVID, vaccines, more”
Arts/Entertainment:
Michael Deeds, second place, “‘We are devastated’: 41 restaurants that said goodbye to Boise in 2020”
Pandemic Report:
Audrey Dutton and Nicole Foy, second place, “How many people have COVID-19 in Idaho right now? Nobody knows. Here’s why”
Spot News:
Ximena Bustillo and Christina Lords, second place, “A peaceful vigil at Idaho’s Capitol is followed by late-night tension, but no violence”
Education:
Michael Lycklama, second place, “Will students return to Boise State this fall? Millions of dollars depend on the answer”
Michael Lycklama, third place, “Is COVID-19 in your school? Many Treasure Valley schools won’t tell you”
Business:
Audrey Dutton, first place, “She thought she was buying health insurance. She learned a $40,000 lesson”
John Sowell, third place, “Coronavirus drives lumber prices up sharply. What that’s doing to Boise-area home prices”
Agriculture:
Nicole Foy, first place, “Coronavirus is forcing some Idaho dairies to dump thousands of gallons of milk — a day”
Nicole Foy and Sami Edge, “Idaho coronavirus school closures mean more teens now work essential agriculture jobs”
Crime/Courts:
Ruth Brown, first place, “‘Terrorizing behavior’: Suspect in Idaho girl’s 1982 killing abused, victimized females”
Religion:
Ruth Brown, first place, “13 Idaho children died while their parents relied on faith and rejected medical care”
Health/Medical:
Audrey Dutton, second place, “With 1 in 4 patients sick with COVID-19, an Idaho hospital tries to weather the storm”
Specialty Column (Weekly):
Michael Deeds, third place, “Stop spewing ignorance droplets at me, Boise. I’m obeying the mask order. Even on your hike.”
Best Online-Only Video, News Story:
Darin Oswald, second place, “Defund Police and Counter Protest at City Hall”
Darin Oswald, third place, “George Floyd vigil”
Best Online-Only Video, Feature Story:
Darin Oswald and Katherine Jones, “The Idahoan Project: Finding Common Ground”
Best Website Graphics:
Michael Lycklama, first place, “COVID-19 hot spots map”
Spot News Photography:
Darin Oswald, first place, “Ammon Bundy Arrest”
Darin Oswald, third place, “Anti-maskers at Central District Health”
Feature Photography, Serious:
Darin Oswald, third place, “Essential Farmworkers”
General News Photography:
Darin Oswald, first place, “George Floyd Vigil”
Photo Essay:
Darin Oswald, third place, “The Idahoan Project”
Photo Package:
Katherine Jones, “Defund Police and Counter-Protest”
Portrait Photography:
Darin Oswald, tied second place, “Student Nurse in Pandemic”
Best Use of Drone:
Darin Oswald, first place, “Aerial Artist”
Photographer of the Year, Publication:
Katherine Jones, second place
Watchdog/Investigative Report (TV):
Nicole Blanchard and Frankie Katafias, “Meridian pet store connected to at least a dozen parvo cases”
Website General Excellence, Daily:
Statesman staff, first place
General Excellence, Daily Print:
Statesman staff, second place
This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 4:02 PM.
