very interesting…..

June 21, 2009 in Montana

by problembear

john adams posted something very interesting a few days ago.  of course, i suspected as much.

if it is what you want matt, i wish you well. you have worked hard to earn it. i differ with you on nuances of some matters regarding health reform and max baucus, but believe you could do the job well.

National Rally for Health Care Reform

June 21, 2009 in Healthcare

by jhwygirl

Thought I’d post this – I know there are people who have been wondering if there would be a national rally in Washington D.C. It’s short notice, I know. First I heard (sorry).

1payer.net is calling for The Great American Sickout, a National Rally for Health Care For All Now for Thursday, June 25th.

Here is a flyer with information – here is an online registration form.

2008 Montana Newspaper Association Awards

June 21, 2009 in Media, Montana, newspapers

by jhwygirl

The Montana Newspaper Association gave out its awards last night – and here’s a list of those north of the line on the various categories. No direct link to the list, yet, on the MWA site, so this is pieced together from the various state newspapers.

The Great Falls Tribune raked in 24 awards at last night’s dinner. Among them were:
~Také Uda for FRONT PAGE (“”Visually arresting, strong to the point heds. Solid news judgment.”)
~Kim Skornogoski for EDUCATIONAL REPORTING (“The submitted body of work is exemplary when it comes to education reporting,” judges wrote. “This is about real people … a homecoming king candidate with Down syndrome; the voice of a teen editorial opinion piece and its controversy, and an outdoor camp that changed people’s lives.”)
~Zachary Franz for several pieces in JUSTICE SYSTEM REPORTING (“Consistent strong coverage separates this entry from the rest.”)
~Gary Moseman for EDITORIAL WRITING (for several pieces, including “Verdicts from commission leave few happy.”)

The Billings Gazette was picked as the state’s best newspaper in the category of large dailies. The Dillon Tribune won as the top weekly or small daily. The Billings Gazette also garnered 12 first place awards, including the following:
~James Woodcock PHOTO OF THE YEAR (& BEST NATURE PHOTO) for for a dog-chases-ducklings image. (OK – I don’t know about the judgment on that one for ‘Best Nature Photo…)
~Ed Kemmick BEST COLUMN WRITING for a selection of City Lights commentaries.
~Matt Hagengruber BEST GOVERNMENT REPORTING for a package on drilling for methane gas at the city landfill.
~BEST SPORTS SECTION
~Greg Rachac BEST SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE for his story on the 2008 Cat-Griz football game.
~BEST OVERALL DESIGN/COMPOSITION

The Missoulian didn’t walk away empty handed:
~Written by Michael Jamison and Vince Devlin and photographed by Michael Gallacher and Tom Bauer, BEST ENVIRONMENTAL/NATURAL RESOURCES REPORTING for their four-part “Glacier Park: The Next Century”.
~Betsy Cohen BEST AGRICULTURAL REPORTING for “Horses with no home,” about how the animals are suffering from neglect as the economy falters.

The Daily Interlake, Kalispell’s paper, took a very well deserved HONORABLE MENTION for GENERAL EXCELLENCE, with the judges saying that the Interlake was “more newspaper than a town of its size should expect.” There’s a long list, too, of other honorable mentions – but here’s some bigger ones:
~Managing Editor Frank Miele BEST EDITORIAL PAGE (“sheer volume and differing opinions makes [the Inter Lake] a hands-down winner”)
~Frank Miele also took second-place for Best Editorial Writing (behind the Tribunes Gary Moseman)

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle didn’t do any bragging in today’s edition, but the Missoulian makes mention of their community service award for “Homeless Teens.” (No author attribution, sorry.)

Same with the Helena Independent Record – no bragging over there today, but the Missoulian mentions their BEST ONLINE NEWS PRODUCT for “mtprepsorts.com.”

There are some surprises in there for me, for those who are missing – reporters like the Missoulian’s Tristan Scott (the trial for the murder of Forrest Clayton Salcido? the W.R. Grace trial? hello?!) and Great Falls Tribune’s John S. Adams (legislative coverage? hello?!) But enough about that –

Congrats to all!