The annual press contest is in the books, and the Seward County Independent and Milford Times brought home 25 awards between the two papers.
Each year, newspapers in the Nebraska Press Association have the opportunity to submit their best work from the preceding calendar year to be judged by another press association. Each category, from ads to articles to artwork, is judged and the top three in each are recognized at the annual convention banquet.
The 2026 contest was judged by the North Dakota Press Association.
“It’s always exciting to see what other newspapers are doing and how we stack up against them,” SCI editor Stephanie Croston said. “I was pleased to see Milford go out with a bang.”
In its final year as a stand-alone newspaper, the Milford Times earned third place in the general excellence category. The judge said the Times was a “great community newspaper.”
Additional awards for the Milford Times were:
Second place—sports page; youth coverage; and a feature photo called “Color our … arms, legs, hair, etc.” by Craig Jones
Third place—a sports feature called “Eagles win first state volleyball title” by Stephanie Croston; and a photo page called “Hands That Help” by Craig Jones.
The Seward County Independent earned 19 total awards. Finishing first in their categories were:
• n ad for the Seward Booster Club soup supper
• signature page wishing good luck at state cross country
• ports columns by Craig Jones about a Husker game and the Eagles’ volleyball championship; “Smooth, enticing reads. Plenty of historical flashbacks without jamming up the columns. Enjoyable, and that stood out,” the judge said.
• profile on Jean Kolterman by Lori Shriner called “She always served from her heart;” “Wonderful memorial piece celebrating the life of someone who clearly gave a lot to her community,” the judge said.
• outh coverage; “The emphasis on the area kinder class is exciting and shows the future generation from the first class,” the judge wrote.
Additional advertising awards for the Seward County Independent were:
Second place—an ad for liver and onions; an ad for Highway 15 Repair
Third place—an agricultural ad for Briggs Cattle Co.; an ad for the Goehner Spaghetti Feed
In the editorial categories, additional SCI awards were:
Second place—a sports feature photo by Doug Carroll called “An eye on the prize;” a feature photo of fireworks by Carroll; a breaking news photo called “Hanging power” by Stephanie Croston; a feature series by Lori Shriner about digital literacy; the Milford state volleyball championship section; personal columns by Croston
Third place—a sports action photo by Stephanie Croston called “Takedown to Win;” a sports feature photo called “Runner-up selfie” by Croston; a feature photo called “It’s a magic key” by Croston
In addition, Croston’s “Takedown to Win” photo finished third in the overall Sports Photo of the Year contest.
“This image captures a dynamic moment in the championship match. The photographer timed the action well, clearly showing the technique and intensity of the sport,” the judge wrote.
