Local News
Lehi Free Press earns Best News Coverage award and more at Utah Press Association event
Each year, newspapers and news agencies all over Utah submit their best work to the Utah Press Association to compete for awards. Other state news organizations judge the submissions to keep the awards fair and impartial. This year, the Maine Press Association judged Utah’s submissions.
On Saturday, May 13, the Lehi Free Press and its reporters, photographers and graphic designers won several awards at the annual Utah Press Association awards dinner, including “Best News Coverage” in “Group II.” The Best News Coverage award represents a cumulative award for Lehi Free Press’s news coverage, including city and government news, education, arts, and sports reporting throughout the prior year.
The Lehi Free Press competes in the “Group II” category, which consists of news entities all over Utah with circulations of 3,000 or more. There are over 15 publications in the grouping.
The Lehi Free Press won the following awards for stories, photography and graphic design in the 2022 calendar year:
• First Place, Best News Coverage (all reporters and photographers)
• First Place, Best Sports Page (Jeralyn Brewer, design; Beky Beaton, sports editor; Jennifer Thomas, reporter; Matt Paepke, Jim Ballard, Michael Mills photographers)
• First Place, Best Photo Page (Nicole Kunze, photography and design, Matt Paepke, Michael Mills, photographers)
• First Place, Best Public Notice Story (Skyler Beltran)
• First Place, Best Sports Photo (Jim Ballard)
• Second Place, Best Feature Story (Beky Beaton)
• Third Place, Best Government/Political Story (Skyler Beltran)
• Third Place, Best Editorial (Beky Beaton)
• Third Place, Best Education Story (Nicole Kunze)
• Third Place, Best Sports Story (Beky Beaton)
“We know we are doing important work in our community, and it’s great to have that validated by peers in the news industry,” said Lehi Free Press publisher Sally Fowler Francom. “Our staff is a talented and committed group of reporters, photographers and designers. We have a limited budget, but do it because we love Lehi.”
