Ozaukee Press receives top awards in state newspaper competition

Ozaukee Press was honored for its news reporting, editorial writing, sports coverage and photography during the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s annual convention in Madison Friday, March 7.

The Press won six first-place awards as well as other accolades in the WNA Better Newspaper Contest, which drew 2,134 entries from 105 weekly and daily newspapers in Wisconsin.

The entries were judged by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

Sports Editor Mitch Maersch’s sports pages were judged the best in the state, not just among newspapers in the largest-circulation weekly newspaper category but also among dailies.

Maersch also won the best sports story award in the largest-circulation weekly division for his piece on the Cedar Grove Belgium High School girls’ soccer team capping its undefeated season with a state title, which ran under the headline “‘Chicken Fried’ gold ball.”

“The writing in the story held up to the brilliant headline,” the judges said. “Great blend of play-by-play expected in a news story with comments from players to make a lively narrative.”

Publisher Bill Schanen III received a first-place award for editorial writing.

“Compelling editorials with a local focus,” the judges said.

Bill Schanen IV and Kristyn Halbig Ziehm won the top award for enterprise/interpretive reporting for their series on plans for a microchip manufacturing facility in Port Washington.

Halbig Ziehm also received the first-place award for reporting on local government.

“Excellent work on all the stories,” the judges said. “Clear, informative, quality journalism that stood out among all of the entries reviewed.”

Schanen IV’s photo of two flamingos that formed a heart shape with their necks on Port Washington’s south beach, which ran on the cover of the Sept. 28, 2023, edition of Ozaukee Press, received the first-place feature photo award.

“Just a stunning photo,” the judges said. “The news was big enough that a standard photo of the birds would probably have worked, but the photographer didn’t stop there. This sums up what wildlife photography should really be all about. An amazing moment that took patience and perseverance.”

Other Ozaukee Press staffers whose work was recognized during the convention were Becky Casarez for advertising design, Dan Benson for health coverage and Sam Arendt for photography.