Prevailer honored for excellence

For the first time in its existence, the Hill City Prevailer News was named the best newspaper among newspapers its size in the State of South Dakota.

At the South Dakota NewsMedia Association (SDNA) Better News Media Contest last Friday in Aberdeen, the Prevailer won the General Excellence Award in its size division, meaning it was deemed the best overall newspaper.

The Prevailer competed in Division I of the completion, which is for cities and towns which are under 3,000 in population.

The judges said this was a difficult category to judge.

“I liked the layout and stories in this paper. Kids on the front page are always a great way to get a second look,” the judges wrote. “Meetings, new school teachers, etc., add to a well-rounded paper. Columns like ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ were enjoyable. I loved the question for the students, seniors collecting gifts and the sports. Great ads. Congrats.”

The entries for the 2024 SDNA Better NewsMedia Contest were judged by members of the Louisiana Press Association.

“We are honored to win the General Excellence Award for the first time,” said Prevailer general manager Jason Ferguson. “It further illustrates what I have known for years. Leslie (Silverman) and Esther (Noe) went above and beyond with great work to ensure a great newspaper for the people of Hill City and Keystone.”

The Prevailer received a pair of first-place awards at the contest, including Silverman in the Best Feature Story Non-Profile category for her reporting on the proposed expansion of the Pennington County Jail.

“Well written. Detailed. I was thoroughly engaged throughout the entire story,” the judges wrote. “Even the construction specifics which can sometimes be complex were described in such a way that readers should easily understand.”

Photographer Carl Hansen also picked up a first-place photo in the Best Feature Photo category for his photo of a girl running an obstacle course while holding a beer and a leash for her dog at an event at the Miner Brewing Co.

Silverman was awarded second place for Best Headline Writing; Noe was third in the same category.

Noe rounded out the Prevailer winning by finishing third in Best Sports Reporting for her coverage of the Hill City High School state championship-winning boys cross country team.