Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Austin Daily Herald came away with several awards from this week’s Minnesota Newspaper Association’s Convention and Trade Show.

The Herald won second place for its editorial page as a whole and third place for Special Section, specifically its annual Southern Exposure.

Individually, Heather Biwer was recognized with a third place award for her Schmitz Electric Co. ad that ran in the Dec. 14, 2024 edition of the Herald in the Institutional Advertising category.

Sports writer Rocky Hulne won third place in the Sports Story category for his rundown of the Southland Rebels baseball team’s win over Lyle-Pacelli in May of last year.

Editor Eric Johnson won third place for both Human Interest Story and Photography Portrait and Personality categories. The story focused on the Ruzek family’s gift of books to kindergarten students, honoring dedicated teacher and matriarch Susan Ruzek, who had passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve in 2023.

The portrait photo was of Distiller David Wray and Traditionalist co-founder Justin Osborne from Four Daughters Winery & Vineyard for a story announcing awards won in a national contest for a new line of bourbon.