Editor’s Word: There may be proud celebrating, bordering on bragging, and an ask to subscribe forward. Proceed at your personal danger.

The Argus Chief gained 29 awards on the South Dakota Newspaper Affiliation’s annual “Higher Newspapers” contest. The winners had been introduced Friday on the group’s conference in Mitchell.

Among the many highlights had been wins in Public Service reporting, Freedom of Info challenge, Greatest Use of Social Media and Digital Promoting. The Argus competed in opposition to all day by day newspapers in South Dakota and was judged by journalists from the Washington (State) Newspaper Publishers Affiliation.

We additionally positioned first within the day by day Sweepstakes award, primarily based on whole factors collected from particular person awards earned. It is the equal of a group successful an total observe meet: After medals in every particular person self-discipline are awarded, the group (or on this case, information operation) with essentially the most factors wins. 

In the event you’re studying this, it is extremely probably you are already a subscriber (thanks!), however should you’re not, this is a quick plug:

Beneath is strictly the breadth of journalism, group protection and storytelling that solely the Argus Chief offers in our metropolis and area. Take a scroll and a few clicks by way of the awards under, after which swing on again right here to THIS LINK to start out subscribing. Solely $1 for six months proper now (or should you watch for the pop-up advert, you will get $49 for a whole yr!). 

I am so happy with the work we do, and the group that does it. On to the awards.

Right here is the complete checklist of SDNA awards the Argus Chief gained:

Sweepstakes:

First place – Employees

Freedom of Info challenge:

First place – Employees

Sequence:Youngster pornography, secret courtroom proceedings and the ‘implicated particular person’

The Argus Chief spent nearly all of 2021 (and greater than a yr, whole) underneath a gag order, attending secret, unpublicized courtroom proceedings and ultimately on the South Dakota Supreme Court docket combating for entry to public information within the federal youngster pornography investigation of our state’s most distinguished businessman and philanthropist, Forbes’ international billionaire checklist’s T. Denny Sanford.

A four-state investigation yielded a number of search warrants, which the Argus Chief tried to acquire, however had been sealed.

After successful entry to this public data on the state Supreme Court docket, we’re nonetheless combating. We’re in courtroom for the underlying police affidavits that sparked the investigations, in addition to to search out out if this investigation is even nonetheless ongoing, and what this case means for a area and metropolis who sees this man’s namesake in every single place, from our dominant well being care system, Sanford Well being to Sioux Falls’ fundamental live performance and athletics venue, the T. Denny Sanford Occasions Heart.

The Argus Chief repeatedly, yearly, fights these sorts of battles, although this was unprecedented.

Public Service award:

First place – Employees

Story: Secret votes on Legal professional Basic Impeachment

When lawmakers maintain a particular legislative session within the state of South Dakota, the votes that set off it are allowed to be saved secret.

Or at the very least they had been till the Argus Chief acquired concerned.

Greater than two-thirds of members of each the Home and Senate final fall submitted petitions to chamber management calling for a particular session to conduct hearings associated to the impeachment of Legal professional Basic Jason Ravnsborg, who killed a pedestrian together with his automotive in September 2020. However when requested to make copies of the signed petitions public, each Home Speaker Spencer Gosch and the Legislative Analysis Council denied the request.

Gosch stated particular person lawmakers are free to share with their constituents, the press and basic public in the event that they signed a petition in assist of a particular session, however nothing in legislation, he argued, requires a complete checklist of petition signers or the petitions themselves be made publicly accessible.

That clarification ignored the truth that the petitions are an act of the state legislature prompting Legislative motion. And it could require any get together sooner or later to contact 105 lawmakers individually to search out out who supported a particular session and who didn’t.

That prompted litigation to drive the petitions to be turned over. However earlier than the matter was resolved in courtroom, the Legislature’s govt board put in coverage that particular session petitions – whether or not associated to the impeachment of Ravnsborg or every other topic – are a part of public report.

So whether or not as we speak, tomorrow or 20 years from now, and no matter lawmakers’ potential (if deceased) or willingness to share publicly how they voted on holding particular classes, there can be a public report due to the Argus Chief and the great sense of legislative leaders who bucked their very own Home Speaker. We’re additionally nonetheless pursuing getting precise statute modified as well as. 

Excellent Younger Journalist:

Erin Woodiel.

From the nomination letter:

“As with every ‘of the yr’ dialogue, Erin’s nomination comes with way over ability at her craft. She is considerate, keen and type. The type of colleague and buddy that energizes a group and makes the troublesome work of being a journalist just a bit bit simpler figuring out she’s in your aspect.

At this level in my tenure on the Argus Chief, I’ve labored with dozens of younger journalists (and loads of them photographers), and it’s a uncommon few that would maintain a candle to Erin Woodiel.” – Cory Myers, information director. 

Spot Information Photograph:

First place – Erin Woodiel 

Authorities Reporting:

First place – Morgan Matzen

Story: ‘Left to rumors and nothing’: South Dakota’s privateness legal guidelines preserve households within the lurch about instructor self-discipline

Third place – Makenzie Molnar

Story: South Dakota lacks client safety legal guidelines for used automotive gross sales. Here is what to know before you purchase.

Information Sequence:

First place – Makenzie Molnar and Alfonzo Galvan

Story: Smithfield spent thousands and thousands on COVID-19 precautions. A yr later, staff say it isn’t sufficient.

Second place – Morgan Matzen

Story: South Dakota DOE eliminated Indigenous matters from social research requirements earlier than remaining draft

Sports activities Columns:

First place – Michael McCleary for a set of columns, together with: De Smet’s Kalen Garry scores 87 factors, hits game-winner and creates nationwide headlines in whirlwind week

Second place – Matt Zimmer for columns together with this ode to John Madden after his passing. 

Sports activities Photograph:

First place – Erin Woodiel for O’Gorman observe exhaustion 

Sports activities Reporting:

First place – Michael McCleary for the way Tea Space grew to become a soccer powerhouse

Sports activities Sequence:

First place – Brian Haenchen for ‘Season of Sacrifices’: The unseen toll of COVID-19 for highschool athletes on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Second place – Matt Zimmer for beginner baseball challenge.

Third place – Alfonzo Galvan for his Little League World Sequence protection.

Greatest Use of Social Media:

First place – Employees

Greatest Web site:

First place – Employees

Greatest Particular Situation:

First place – Employees

Greatest Typography/Design:

First place – Employees

Digital Promoting:

First place – Employees

Basic Excellence:

Second place – Employees

Characteristic Profile Story:

Second place – Erin Woodiel –  ‘We’re your neighbors’: How does it really feel to be transgender or nonbinary in South Dakota?

Native Column:

Second place – Views writing group, an ongoing sequence of columns from South Dakota’s African American, Latinx, Indigenous, South Asian, immigrant and refugee communities.

Third place – Jonathan Ellis for a sequence of columns, together with: Kristi Noem’s aggression at ousting Ravnsborg might have backfired

Spot Information Story:

Third place – Annie Todd and Alfonzo Galvan for Police shoot and kill man after home violence incident.

Characteristic Sequence:

Third place – Employees for Meals Style Assessments

Burritos: Greatest categorical burrito in Sioux Falls? It isn’t Chipotle. And it isn’t Giliberto’s.

Pizza: What’s the perfect pizza in Sioux Falls? You may need to go off the primary roads for this neighborhood slice

Chislic: The very best chislic in Sioux Falls? It is from a bar that apparently not sufficient of you recognize about

Characteristic (Non-profile):

Third place – Makenzie Molnar for ‘It type of breaks my coronary heart’: As Sioux Falls swallows up city farmsteads, these are the final holdouts

Photograph Sequence:

Third place – Erin Woodiel for Tribes welcome stays of Rosebud kids again to South Dakota.