The News, Goldman earn Suburban Newspapers’ top awards

Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007 | 7:20 a.m.

Las Vegas Sun

The News, eight weekly newspapers operated by the Greenspun Media Group, has won five first-place awards in the Suburban Newspapers of America contest, including journalist of the year.

Former News reporter Abigail Goldman, now with the Las Vegas Sun, was named SNA Journalist of the Year for nondaily newspapers. She also captured a second-place award for her series on methamphetamine problems in the community.

The News won three other second-place awards, five third places and an honorable mention in the contest that featured a record 3,600 entries from its membership of about 2,000 suburban newspapers.

The contest was judged by the American Press Institute.

The judges said Goldman's "meth package in particular shows that Goldman knows how to tell a compelling story and to dig for interesting and important facts."

Born in San Francisco and raised in Marin County, Goldman, 26, is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She has worked previously for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, an alternative news weekly, and the Norwood News, a Bronx weekly.

The News includes the Henderson Home News, Boulder City News, Green Valley News, South Valley News, Silverado News, West Valley News, Summerlin News (North and East) and Summerlin News (South and West). Combined, the papers have a circulation of about 250,000.

The Boulder City News won two first places - Best Special Section and Best Front Page. The Green Valley News/Henderson Home News/South Valley News won first place for Best Sports Section and Best Feature Photo.

The News staffers Leila Navidi, Aleza Freeman, Jason Scavone and F. Andrew Taylor also won individual awards.