The Boulder Monitor has been recognized as the top weekly newspaper in the state in 2021, winning the Montana Newspaper Association’s Thomas Dimsdale Award.
The award was announced June 18 at the newspaper association’s annual convention in Glendive. New editor Charlie Denison accepted the award on behalf of The Monitor; he was joined by former editor Joshua Murdock.
The Monitor, which was edited in 2021 by Murdock and Diana McFarland, also was recognized for general excellence among papers with circulation of 1,250 and under.
It received 29 individual awards for reporting, writing, photography, and design. Among those, the paper took first place for:
- Murdock’s headline writing – notably, “A new leash on life: dumped dogs rescued near Boulder.”
- Publisher Keith Hammonds’ sports story about Renae Parker’s second-place finish at the state cross-country championship; and his portrait of “The Boys,” a group of Jefferson High seniors who had played football and basketball together since grade school.
- Coverage of the Basin Water and Sewer District Board following the resignation of its members in April, 2021.
- Aleka Kroitzsh’s story, “A truck, 200 pigs, and a fiery crash,” about a bizarre and sad truck accident near Bernice.
- Richard Krotz’s “Gardens” column, which drew on the expertise and wit of the late co-founder of Tizer Botanic Gardens.
- Design for Jefferson County’s promotion of last year’s Independence Day celebrations; and a marketing campaign for Tizer Botanic Gardens.
- Front-page design of the annual “Lives” issue, celebrating Jefferson County residents who died in the previous year; a graphic revealing population increases and decreases across Jefferson County; and a two-page series of graphics depicting the biggest stories of 2020.
The Havre Daily News won the Sam Gilluly Award for the top daily newspaper. And the Whitefish Pilot, Belgrade News, and Billings Gazette won general excellence awards in their respective divisions.
