SAM finishes second weekly contest, staff receives 31 awards

The Advocate-Messenger earned 31 awards in the 2025 Better Newspaper Competition and ended in second place for the Allen & Linda Beerman Community Newspaper Sweepstakes Award, which includes weekly newspapers from all classes.

The Stanton Register took top honors and the Aurora News-Register ended in third.

SAM finished second in Division A, based on circulation and, in the digital sweepstakes division, SAM placed third.

The Paper picked nine first-place awards in categories, including building circulation, reader interaction/contest, single ad - black and white; creative ad writing; use of color - news; editorial page; feature story profile; feature series; and best use of social media.

Second-place awards were earned in building circulation; community promotion advertisement; signature Page; single classified ad - color; sports action photo; sports feature photo; breaking news photography; single feature story; editorial; youth coverage; newspaper organized or sponsored event; entertainment story; preserving local history - story/series; and sports column.

SAM staff picked up third-place honors in signature Page; single classified ad - black and white; photo Page; news photography; news writing; general excellence; entertainment story; and feature story - profile.

SAM staff and freelancers earning awards included Jeremy Buss, Faith King, Amy Kerkman, Elizabeth Odell, Sandy Schroth, Caydence Schumacher and LuAnn Schindler.

Winning pieces of work include:

Nebraska Press Association Better Newspaper Contest

2nd Place - Class A (Based on subscriber numbers)

2nd Place - Allen & Linda Beerman Community Newspaper Sweepstakes Award

3rd Place - Digital Sweepstakes Award

First Place:

Building Circulation - Get the Scoop - LuAnn Schindler

Reader Interaction/Contest - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - LuAnn Schindler

Single Ad: Black/White - Be a Smart Puppy - LuAnn Schindler

Creative Ad Writing - Telling Our Stories - National Newspaper Week - LuAnn Schindler

Use of Color: News - Merry Christmas - Caydence Schumacher & LuAnn Schindler

editorial page - Sandy Schroth & LuAnn Schindler

Feature Story: Profile - "I Refuse To Be A Statistic" - LuAnn Schindler

Feature Series - FFA Supervised Ag Experiences - LuAnn Schindler

Best Use of social media - TikTok videos, poll questions and giveaways - SAM staff

Second Place:

Building Circulation - Gift Subscription - LuAnn Schindler

Community Promotion Advertisement - Antelope County Fair - Staff

Signature Page - Orchard Free Days - LuAnn Schindler

Single Classified Ad - Color - Antelope Memorial Hospital - LuAnn Schindler

Sports Action Photo - Bobcats Shipwreck Pirates w/Sam Cheatum catch - Amy Kerkman

Sports Feature Photo - Dreams Dashed - Amy Kerkman

Breaking News Photography - Surveillance at O'Neill Explosion - LuAnn Schindler

Single Feature Story - blood Runs Deep, Jesse Thiele story - LuAnn Schindler

Editorials - Voting; Littering; Postal Service - LuAnn Schindler

Youth Coverage - FFA Week, Page turtle races, Christmas letters and Art - SAM staff

Newspaper Organized or Sponsored Event - Fall Festival and Pumpkin Party - LuAnn Schindler

Entertainment Story - Celebrating tradition and talent: Christmas Musical - LuAnn Schindler

Preserving Local History - Maulding instrumental in securing second Clearwater Legion charter - LuAnn Schindler

Sports Columns - Isms - LuAnn Schindler

Third Place:

Signature Page: Thank You For Shopping Locally - Elizabeth Odell and LuAnn Schindler

Single Classified Ad: Black & White - AMH - LuAnn Schindler

Photo Page: Clearwater Rodeo - Jeremy Buss, Faith King, LuAnn Schindler

News Photography: High Lines and Hiways - LuAnn Schindler

News Writing - The Cost of snow removal - LuAnn Schindler

General Excellence - May 8, May 15 and Oct 16 Editions - SAM staff

Entertainment Story - Two Bills Steakhouse - LuAnn Schindler

Feature Story - Profile - Kurpgeweit family 'learning as we go' after son's diagnosis with rare brain condition - LuAnn Schindler