Yellowknife (Oct 08/04) - Coverage of the NWT Liquor Licensing Board won Yellowknifer a top reporting award from Alberta's community newspaper industry.

Andrew Raven

Written by Yellowknifer reporter Andrew Raven, the story headlined "Liquor hearing bombshell" won Best Local News Story at the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association (AWNA) convention last month.

Raven's report was on a high-profile liquor board hearing in February of 2004, where charges against a local pub were unexpectedly dropped, giving rise to accusations of government interference.

A government inquiry into the matter later found no such interference.

Yellowknifer's ad design team won in the industry advertising category with a third place in effective use of colour (top left photo).

Former Inuvik Drum Editor Terry Halifax won third place for best editorial on a business topic. Halifax's column headlined "The gas chamber," was about the devastating effects an increase in gas prices would have on the people of Inuvik.

Publisher Jack (Sig) Sigvaldason attended the AWNA convention Sept. 18, to accept the awards on behalf of Northern News Services Ltd.