Chilkat Valley News current and former staff brought home six awards from the Alaska Press Club last weekend, including first place for Best Picture Story in 2024.
Editor Rashah McChesney won first place in the picture story category for photos she took documenting the fire that burned down the Quick Shop business complex and four apartments, and its aftermath.
She also took second place in the headline-writing awards for stories including “Bach to the Stacks: Librarian sees dozens of students for piano lessons” about music classes at the Haines library; “This is not a drill: Museum seeks funds to replace Main Street’s iconic hammer,” about the hammer museum, “Moose-taken Identity: Hunters’ illegal haul becomes school lunch lesson in Klukwan, Haines,” about sub-legal moose taken to students; and “Looking for somebunny to love?” about giant rabbits at the animal shelter. First place in that category went to KCAW’s Rob Woolsey with “Sitka schools may drain savings account, swimming pool to make ends meet in 25.”
Former editor Lex Treinen took second place in both the culture writing category for his story about hooligan oil being cooked at culture camp and for his profile of pilot Drake Olson. First place in those categories went to Alena Naidan for her piece in the Anchorage Daily News’ Arctic Sounder about whaling in Point Hope and the Kodiak Daily Mirror’s Andrew Wellner for his piece about a benefit show for the Hospice of Kodiak respectively.
Former summer reporter and occasional freelancer Francisco Martínezcuello took second place for Alaska history reporting with his story about the emotional impact of the Navy’s apology for bombarding in Angoon. The judge said his story could have easily won first had it not been for the Anchorage Daily News’ Tom Kizzia and Josie’s Story which takes the reader from 19th-century Sitka to an escape from the Holocaust. The judge said he doubted many people knew about this story before Kizzia wrote the piece.
Freelancer Molly Dischner took third place in the public safety reporting category for her story about Klukwan’s new mother and son Village Public Safety Officers. Ahead of her were The Sun Star’s Manny Melendez with a story about Legionella found in UAF buildings and KTVF’s Patrick Gilchrest with a story about the state imposing weight limits on a bridge on the Richardson Highway as data suggested a mining venture’s trucking contractor had been exceeding weight limits.
The Chilkat Valley News was edged out of competition for the best newspaper in the state this year. That honor went to the Nome Nugget first, then the Wrangell Sentinel and finally the Skagway News.
Every story that the Chilkat Valley News produces is a collaboration between the community, the journalist and the audience. The paper relies on questions, insights, tips, letters to the editor, and feedback from the people who live in the region.
Much of our success can be attributed to business manager Jane Pascoe, former advertising manager Polly Palmieri, current advertising manager Katherine Perry, sales manager Chuck Jones as well as an army of proof readers including Nancy Nash, Bonnie Hedrick, Tripp Crouse and Angie Pappas who make each story shine.