Reader wins Idaho Press Club awards

By Reader Staff

The Sandpoint Reader won several accolades from the Idaho Press Club, which announced its statewide awards online April 25, rather than at its typical annual banquet in Boise, to observe social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Reader earned six awards for its 2019 reporting in the weekly print newspaper category. Editor Zach Hagadone took first place in election reporting for his story, “October Surprise.” Hagadone and staff writer Lyndsie Kiebert won a dual second-place award for watchdog/investigative reporting for their story, “Bonner County Sues City of Sandpoint over Festival Gun Ban.” 

Hagadone placed second in political reporting for his story, “Sandpoint Mayor: White Nationalism Gives North Idaho a Black Eye, Here’s How to Fix It,” as well as third place in the same category for his story, “Rep. Heather Scott Features in WA House Investigation into Matt Shea’s Domestic Terrorism.”

Kiebert placed second in arts and entertainment reporting for her story, “The Artists in Repose,” about the celebrated late-area artists Nancy and Ed Kienholz. She also placed second in crime and courts reporting for her story, “A Tale of Two Guns,” which explored the arrest of Judith Carpenter in the Shirley Ramey murder case.