The Inter-Mountain photo Displaying 2022 West Virginia Press Association Newspaper Contest first-place awards won by The Inter-Mountain are, from left, Content Editor Anthony Gaynor, Sports Editor Joey Kittle, Account Representative Sue Blankenship, Account Representative Lori Smith, Advertising Director Michelle Smith, Commercial Print Manager Joyce Becker and Executive Editor Brad Johnson.

The Inter-Mountain photo
Displaying 2022 West Virginia Press Association Newspaper Contest first-place awards won by The Inter-Mountain are, from left, Content Editor Anthony Gaynor, Sports Editor Joey Kittle, Account Representative Sue Blankenship, Account Representative Lori Smith, Advertising Director Michelle Smith, Commercial Print Manager Joyce Becker and Executive Editor Brad Johnson.

Kelley

ELKINS –The Inter-Mountain took home an array of West Virginia Press Association Newspaper Contest awards from the 2022 West Virginia Press Association Convention in Charleston earlier this month.

Both The Inter-Mountain’s Advertising and Editorial Departments placed in the top three newspapers in Division 2 statewide while winning multiple first-place awards.

“It was great to see the recognition The Inter-Mountain staff received this year at the West Virginia Press Awards banquet,” IM Publisher Steve Herron said. “Both the Advertising and Newsroom staff did really well for their efforts in 2021.

“The competition is always tough every year as The Inter-Mountain is one of the smallest daily newspapers in the state. The Inter-Mountain staff has a long-standing tradition of bringing home many awards each year. The 40 awards that were won this year will fit nicely on the walls at the newspaper that are already filled with awards that have been earned over the last 20 years.

“Although Chongo Skidmore wasn’t around this year to hear his name called for the entries he won, I’m sure he would have been extremely pleased,” Herron said.

“The staff at The Inter-Mountain won all of these awards through their talent and effort, but we are really sharing these awards with all of the citizens in our communities that we have written about and all of the businesses that have let us partner with them in contributing to their success.”

The Inter-Mountain Advertising Department took Second Place statewide in Division 2.

The IM Advertising Department brought home eight first-place awards, including:

Best Ad Campaign — Half Page or Larger, “Almost Heaven” by Sue Blankenship, Michelle Smith and Joyce Becker;

Best Single Black & White Ad — Quarter Page or Less, “YMCA” by Sue Blankenship;

Best Ad Campaign — Smaller than Half Page. “Autumn Lake/Nellas” by Chongo Skidmore;

Best Agency Advertisement, “WV Division of Highways” by Sue Blankenship;

Best Online Motion Ad, “Jimbos Place” by Lori Smith;

Best Online Political Ad, “Liz MacVean” by Chongo Skidmore;

Best Single Black & White Ad — Larger than a Quarter Page, “Betterway Carpet” by Sue Blankenship;

Best Special Section, “Randolph County Hometown,” Sue Blankenship, Chongo Skidmore and Joyce Becker.

The IM Advertising Department also won nine second-place awards and eight third-place awards.

Also during the convention, the Inter-Mountain Editorial Department took Third Place in Division 2.

The IM Editorial Department brought home four first-place awards, including:

Best Sports Events Reporting, “Smoak Wins Title” by Joey Kittle;

Reporting Generated from Public Notice, “IOOF Property Sale” by Edgar Kelley;

Best Lifestyles Feature, “Sweet Treat” by Edgar Kelley and Anthony Gaynor;

Best Sports Special Section, “Pigskin Preview” by the IM Staff.

The IM Editorial Department also won five second-place awards and six third-place awards.

The press association, which represents West Virginia newspapers, held its 2022 convention Aug. 5-6 in Charleston.