GENERAL EXCELLENCE:

1st    Idaho Mountain Express
2nd    The Star-News
3rd    The Wood River Journal

GENERAL NEWS STORY

1st    Michael Wells - The Star-News - "Digging out of the J-Ditch Mess"
2nd    Erika Harmon - Messenger Index - "Emmett wrestling coach resigns"
3rd    Greg Stahl - Idaho Mountain Express - "Land trust could double easements by year's end"

SPOT NEWS COVERAGE

1st    Joe Sova & Janet Monti - Messenger Index - "Pain from loss of children runs deep"
2nd    Carol Ryan Dumas - Ag Weekly - "Director calls off curtailment"
3rd    Erika Harmon - Messenger Index - "For many, election falls short"

WATCHDOG/ INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

1st    Andy Stiny - Idaho Mountain Express - "D.C. heavy hitter hired in Ketchum legal flap"
2nd    Shea Andersen - Boise Weekly - "Pizza for DUI"
3rd    Jason Kauffman - Idaho Mountain Express - "Roadless bill sparks opposition"
   
SERIOUS FEATURE REPORT

1st    Deanna Darr - Boise Weekly - "Who Holds the Keys"
2nd    Nathaniel Hoffman - Boise Weekly - "In the Shadows"
3rd    Lorie Palmer - Idaho County Free Press - "Restoring lost dignity"
Honorable Mention
    Bibeka Shrestha, Amy C. Wright - Teton Valley News - "Driving under the influence"
   
LIGHT FEATURE REPORT

1st     Deanna Darr - Boise Weekly - "Garden City Rising"
2nd    Andy Stiny - Idaho Mountain Express - "Paris and U.S. were night and day for Hemingway"
3rd    Jason Kauffman - Idaho Mountain Express - "Reflections of a Western saddle maker"
   
SERIES

1st    Jason Kauffman & Jon Duval - Idaho Mountain Express - "State of Emergency?"
2nd    Greg Stahl & Jason Kauffman - Idaho Mountain Express - "A Legacy is born"
3rd    Janet Monti - Messenger Index - "Hunger Awareness"

OUTDOOR FEATURE

1st    Terry Smith - Idaho Mountain Express - "Meet Vulpes vulpes"
2nd    Karen Bossick - The Wood River Journal - "Going wild with the Wildes"
3rd    Jason Kauffman - Idaho Mountain Express - "Fish and Game officer hangs up his badge"

SPORTS NEWS

1st    Jeff Cordes - Idaho Mountain Express - "Stone's deuce, Conn's cannon lift Fish 3-1"
2nd    Jon Mentzer - The Wood River Journal - "Ironman"   
3rd    James Cordes - Idaho Mountain Express - "Matt Zachary is on the road"

SPORTS FEATURE STORY

1st    Jeff Cordes - Idaho Mountain Express - "Week on Baldy makes Ancient Skiers feel young again"
2nd    Jeff Cordes - Idaho Mountain Express - "Emily Hughes makes normal look good"
3rd    Chad Dryden - THRIVE - Idaho Statesman - "A different kind of roller derby"   

GENERAL COLUMN

1st    Pat Murphy - Idaho Mountain Express - "Other Views - selection of three"
2nd    Erin Ryan - THRIVE - Idaho Statesman - "And she was - selection of three"
3rd    Karen Bossick - The Wood River Journal - "Eye on the valley - selection of three"

SPECIALTY COLUMN

1st    Kathleen Turner- The Wood River Journal - "Vital Signs"
2nd    Gregory Foley - Idaho Mountain Express - "Food for thought"
3rd    David Clark - River City Weekly - "Health & Fitness"

EDITORIAL

1st    Pat Murphy - Idaho Mountain Express - "Cheap gardeners, now cheap soldiers; Trickle-down costs of Iraq war begin to hurt; Craig: Give it up"
2nd    Tom Grote - The Star-News - "Godspeed, Mrs. Morgan; Vote ‘No' on unneeded 1/2% sales tax; Let public watch sewer mediation"
3rd    Kai Eiselein - Latah Eagle - "Photograph banned; The right to speak; Bio-terrorists"

HEADLINES

1st    Jody Zarkos - Idaho Mountain Express - "To air is human, to jib divine; Josey and other cool cats; Swell on wheels; and three others"
2nd    Sabina Dana Plasse - Idaho Mountain Express - "Beauty and the beat; Don't fret widespread panic; Cat power is ironclad; and three others"
3rd    Kelly Jackson - The Wood River Journal - "The Morel of the story; Make way for Segway; No spud nix; and three others"

PAGE DESIGN

1st    Amy Birch, Moira Dyer - Teton Valley News -"Bro Bra lingo; Feeding the Hungry; Natural Intelligence"
2nd    Amy Birch, Barbara Gibson - Teton Valley News - "Toasted Bagels; Renegade Reds and Wiley Whites; On the Farm"
3rd    Tony Barriatua - Idaho Mountain Express - "Jazz Jamboree; and two other examples"

SPOT NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

1st    Willy Cook - Idaho Mountain Express - "Bald Mountain on fire"
2nd    Trey Spaulding - The Wood River Journal - "Trail Creek Bomber"
3rd    David N. Seelig - Idaho Mountain Express - "Helicopter drop" 

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

1st    Willy Cook - Idaho Mountain Express - "God Bless the Sheep"
2nd    Willy Cook - Idaho Mountain Express - "Rare birds of prey returned to wild"
3rd    Michael Wells - The Star-News - "One million Chinook salmon smolts begin treacherous journey to Pacific Ocean"

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

1st    Jon Mentzer - The Wood River Journal - "12oz Cup"
2nd    Willy Cook - Idaho Mountain Express - "Rico's last-minute goal nixes New York's bid 3-2"
3rd    David N. Seelig - Idaho Mountain Express - "Field of Screams"

PHOTO ESSAY

1st    Dev Mukh Khalsa -  The Wood River Journal - "Dr. Mark Acker"   
2nd    David Rauzi, Lorie Palmer & Mark Vanderwall - Idaho County Free Press - "Fall's Palette"
3rd    David N. Seelig - Idaho Mountain Express - "Wood River Cup"

GRAPHICS

1st    E.B. Phillips - Idaho Mountain Express - "Castle Rock fire map"
2nd    Amy Birch - Teton Valley News - "Driving under the influence"

ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING

1st    Erin Ryan - THRIVE - Idaho Statesman - "Unspeakable"
2nd    Sabina Dana Plasse & Dana DuGan -  Idaho Mountain Express - "Ketchum becomes ‘Swing Town'"
3rd    Jennifer Tuohy - Idaho Mountain Express - Arts & Crafts Festival Special Section - "Finding life among the trees"

POLITICAL REPORTING

1st    Shea Andersen - Boise Weekly - "The Primary Problem"
2nd    Kelly Jackson - The Wood River Journal - "Bond vote: take 4"
3rd    Rebecca Meany - Idaho Mountain Express - "Downtown reform committees up and running"

EDUCATION REPORTING

1st    Karen Bossick - The Wood River Journal - "Educating families, one girl at a time"
2nd    Deanna Darr - Boise Weekly - "Held back"
3rd    Kelly Jackson - The Wood River Journal - "Technology program at Bellevue takes up space"
   
BUSINESS REPORTING

1st    Karen Bossick - The Wood River Journal - "Nickel and Dimed"
2nd    Andy Stiny - Idaho Mountain Express - "Boomtowns boom because they are nice places"
3rd    Jon Duval - Idaho Mountain Express - "Valley real estate market continues to seek balance"

AGRICULTURE REPORTING

1st    Rachael Horne, Amy C. Wright - Teton Valley News - "On the Farm"
2nd    Dana DuGan - Idaho Mountain Express - "Healthy farms can boost communities"
3rd     Carol Ryan Dumas - Ag Weekly - "A blow to Idaho Ag: Craig's resignation would have repercussions"
Honorable Mention
    Jason Kauffman - Idaho Mountain Express - "Bidding on an Old West legend"

CRIME / COURTS REPORTING

1st    Andy Stiny - Idaho Mountain Express - "Ketchum man: My ex-girlfriend tried to kill me"
2nd    Terry Smith - Idaho Mountain Express - "Prosecutor moves to disqualify district judge"
3rd    Ralph Bartholdt - St. Maries Gazette Record - "Gunfight kills three"

RELIGION REPORTING

1st    Karen Bossick - The Wood River Journal - "Hiking to Heaven"
2nd    Dana DuGan - Idaho Mountain Express - "New rector balances congregation with charm"
3rd    Karen Bossick - The Wood River Journal - "Leading Eagle:  The Sioux in him"

ENVIRONMENT REPORTING

1st    Peter Wollheim - Boise Weekly - "A Fish Problem This Big"
2nd    Deanna Darr - Boise Weekly - "Of Cattle and Fire"
3rd    Kathleen L. Turner - The Wood River Journal - "Downsizing the square footage:  How low can you go?"

HEALTH/MEDICAL REPORTING

1st    Jody Zarkos - Idaho Mountain Express - "Woman gets groundbreaking treatment"
2nd    Karen Bossick - The Wood River Journal - "From explosives to bitter cold"
3rd    Kathleen Turner - The Wood River Journal - "Alcoholism"

SPECIAL SECTION

1st     Gregory Foley - Idaho Mountain Express - "Fourth of July 2007"
2nd     Staff - The Wood River Journal - "Wood River Anthology"
3rd    Karen Bossick & Leslie Thompson - The Wood River Journal - "For Art's Sake"
       
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1st    Jon Duval - Idaho Mountain Express
2nd    Jonathan Mentzer - The Wood River Journal
3rd    Cody Cahill - The Adams County Record

GENERAL EXCELLENCE:

1st    The Star- News
2nd    Idaho Mountain Express
3rd    River City Weekly

GENERAL NEWS STORY

1st    Ralph Bartholdt – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Firemen lose home to fire”
2nd    Michael Wells – The Star-News – “Tamarack at a crossroads”
3rd    Tom Grote – The Star-News – “Local lambs have lost their Shepard”
Honorable Mention
R.J. Cohn – Boundary County Digest – “Bonner’s Ferry ‘Community Treasure’ ready to blossom”
Mike Polhamus – Teton Valley News – “How does your     receipt add up?”

SPOT NEWS COVERAGE

1st    Jon Duval – Idaho Mountain Express – “Heartburn in Ketchum”
2nd    Jason Kauffman – Idaho Mountain Express – “Gillett walks for now”
3rd    Michael Wells – The Star-News – “Former McCall public works chief, 2 grandchildren, dies when planes collide”

WATCHDOG/ INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

1st    Shea Andersen – Boise Weekly – “The Nuclear Option”
2nd    Ralph Bartholdt – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Calls went unanswered”
3rd    Scott McIntosh – Kuna Melba News – “What is tax benefit of a big-box store?”

SERIOUS FEATURE REPORT

1st    Rachael Horne – Teton Valley News – “Saying good-bye to the cowboy lifestyle”
2nd    Rebecca Long Pyper – River City Weekly – “Amber waves of green”
3rd    Jason Kauffman – Idaho Mountain Express – “Digging into Idaho’s hunter-gatherer past”
Honorable Mention    
Bill Cope – Boise Weekly – “Still Outside the Wire”
Deanna Darr – Boise Weekly – “Split Decision”

LIGHT FEATURE REPORT

1st     Garret K. Woodward – Teton Valley News – “Chasing the American Dream of breakfast”
2nd    Ralph Bartholdt – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Pink is for maggots”
3rd    Deanna Darr – Boise Weekly – “Headbanger”
Honorable Mention
Terry Smith – Idaho Mountain Express – “Houseless but not homeless”
Kendra Evensen – River City Weekly – “Neighborhood     garden produces friendship, pride”

SERIES

1st    Scott McIntosh – Kuna Melba News – “Will Best Bath smell?”
2nd    Jason Kauffman – Idaho Mountain Express – “Living with wolves”
3rd    Michael Wells – The Star-News – “The Fires of 2007: The Aftermath”

OUTDOOR FEATURE

1st    Tony Evans – Idaho Mountain Express – “Out on the ice”
2nd    Shea Andersen – Boise Weekly – “Spoke Word”
3rd    Mark Steele – Caribou County Sun – “I’d rather be fishing”

SPORTS NEWS

1st    Jeff Cordes – Idaho Mountain Express – “Big Blue defense makes Richfield see red 59-51”
2nd    Jeff Cordes – Idaho Mountain Express – “Wolverines battle to the final pitch at state”
3rd    Jeff Cordes – Idaho Mountain Express – “Nate, Callan make SBX noise”

SPORTS FEATURE STORY

1st    Scott McIntosh – Kuna Melba News – “Thousands donated toward Kuna’s first wheelchair racer”
2nd    Jeff Cordes – Idaho Mountain Express – “Can Dara Torres swim in her fifth Olympics”
3rd    Mike Polhamus – Teton Valley News – “Running to help”
Honorable Mention
Jeff Cordes – Idaho Mountain Express – “A championship team is saluted 62 years later”

GENERAL COLUMN

1st    Gretchen Anderson – Eagle Independent - “Random Thoughts”
2nd    Shauna Belknap – River City Weekly – “Up in the Night”
3rd    Bill Cope – Boise Weekly – “You commence, girl; Full circle; The Secret”
Honorable Mention
Mark Steele – Caribou County Sun – “I’d rather be fishing”

SPECIALTY COLUMN

1st    Jon Duval – Idaho Mountain Express – “Wanderlust Interrupted”
2nd    Gregory Foley – Idaho Mountain Express – “Food for Thought”
3rd    Kyla Sawyer – The Current News – “The Reel Report”

EDITORIAL

1st    Pam Morris – Idaho Mountain Express – “All Ears; Economic growth illusion; No workers, no resort”
2nd    Pam Morris – Idaho Mountain Express – “Bad attitudes; Funeral for Chinook salmon; Stay home Blaine County”
3rd    Tom Grote – The Star-News – “Pancake House; Pest District; Wilderness”

HEADLINES

NO  ENTRIES

PAGE DESIGN

1st    Tomi Grote – The Star-News – “When planes collide; and two other examples”
2nd    Amy Birch, Barbara Gibson – Teton Valley News – “Teaching new technologies; Mighty familiar faces; Hurray for volunteers”
3rd    no third

SPOT NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

1st    Willy Cook – Idaho Mountain Express – “Storm, avalanches wallop Blaine County”
2nd    Gary Ertter – The Star-News – “A Hearty Party”
3rd    Lauren Hall – Teton Valley News – “Up in Smoke”

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

1st    Willy Cook – Idaho Mountain Express – “Keeping the Wild West in Wood River Valley”    
2nd    Willy Cook – Idaho Mountain Express – “Lack of Friction, instant access”
3rd    Matt Moehr– The Star-News – “Wet ‘n Wild”

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

1st    Willy Cook – Idaho Mountain Express – “What a weekend”
2nd    Gary Ertter – The Star-News  – “H-2-Ohhh!”
3rd    Willy Cook – Idaho Mountain Express – “On your mark, get set….WHOA”

PHOTO ESSAY

1st    Ralph Bartholdt – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Island in a stream”
2nd    Ralph Bartholdt – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Trees, rocks & creeks”
3rd    Kai Eiselein – Latah Eagle – “Thunderstorm rolls through”

GRAPHICS

1st    Barbara Gibson – Teton Valley News – “Cloud Seeding”
2nd    Amy Birch – Teton Valley News – “Cloned meat”

ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING

1st    Rachael Daigle – Boise Weekly – “Homemade Elixir”
2nd    Sabina Dana Plasse – Idaho Mountain Express – “Where did the music go?”
3rd    Amy Atkins – Boise Weekly – “Raising the barre”

POLITICAL REPORTING

1st    Shea Andersen – Boise Weekly – “Real Western”
2nd    Shea Andersen – Boise Weekly – “The Accidental Pol”
3rd    Brendan Giusti – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Counties frustrated by lake process”
Honorable Mention
Kelly Taylor – Emmett Messenger Index – “GOP retains control”

EDUCATION REPORTING

1st    Terry Smith – Idaho Mountain Express – “Two-language program produces results”
2nd    Kelly Taylor – Emmett Messenger Index – “School board examined”
3rd    Tony Evans – Idaho Mountain Express – “Home-building 101”

BUSINESS REPORTING

1st    Rachael Daigle – Boise Weekly – “The Business of Art”
2nd    Scott McIntosh – Kuna Melba News – “Pazzles gets shot on national stage”
3rd    Sabina Dana Plasse – Idaho Mountain Express – “Young, restless and quite successful”
Honorable Mention
Scott McIntosh – Kuna Melba News – “Indian Creek named winery of the year”

AGRICULTURE REPORTING

1st    Mike Polhamus – Teton Valley News - “September Agriculture”
2nd    Terry Smith – Idaho Mountain Express – “Hemp advocates tout plant’s virtues”
3rd      Dana DuGan – Idaho Mountain Express – “Horses saved from slaughter”
Honorable Mention
Carol Ryan Dumas - Ag Weekly – “Farmers face off with LDS Church”
Rachael Horne – Teton Valley News – “International year of the potato”

CRIME / COURTS REPORTING

1st    Terry Smith – Idaho Mountain Express – “Former rape suspect claims he’s a prophet”
2nd    Ralph Bartholdt – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Search for body continues”
3rd    Lisa Nyren – Teton Valley News – “Teton Springs sued in U.S. District Court”
Honorable Mention
Ralph Bartholdt – St. Maries Gazette Record – “Investigators locate body”

RELIGION REPORTING

1st    Scott McIntosh – Kuna Melba News – “Grieving and healing at Kuna First Baptist Church”
2nd    Kai Eiselein – Latah Eagle – “New church provides room to worship”
3rd     no third place

ENVIRONMENT REPORTING

1st    Mark Steele – Caribou County Sun – “Industrial Pollution – two stories, one editorial”
2nd    Jason Kauffman – Idaho Mountain Express – “Do bighorn sheep roam the Pioneers?”
3rd    Jason Kauffman – Idaho Mountain Express – “Critter collisions are on the rise”
Honorable Mention
Jason Kauffman – Idaho Mountain Express – “Saving white bark pines one tree at a time”

HEALTH/MEDICAL REPORTING

1st    Carissa Wolf - Boise Weekly – “Country Medicine”
2nd    Dana DuGan – Idaho Mountain Express – “Achoo!  Allergy Season”
3rd    Dana DuGan – Idaho Mountain Express – “Operating with function in mind”

SPECIAL SECTION

1st    Gregory Foley – Idaho Mountain Express – “Fourth of July 2008”
2nd    Melody Marler Forshee & Staff – River City Weekly – “Idaho Falls Health”
3rd    Kendra Evensen – River City Weekly – “Election Special – Up close and personal”

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1st    Tara Morgan – Boise Weekly
2nd    Robert J. Taylor – Mountain Home News
3rd    Brendan Giusti – St. Maries Gazette Record
Honorable Mention
Kathryn Star Heart – Boundary County Digest