Pilot named Montana's best weekly newspaper

The Whitefish Pilot has earned the Thomas Dimsdale Award, recognizing it as the best weekly newspaper in Montana among all circulation sizes.

The award was presented at the Better Newspaper Contest awards banquet Saturday during the annual Montana Newspaper Association convention in Big Sky.

The Pilot also earned a General Excellence award as the best weekly in its division.

All totaled the Pilot won 28 awards in 19 categories.

Whitefish Pilot reporter Heidi Desch took first place in the feature story category for her profile on Brendan Friel’s battle with multiple sclerosis.

Desch’s article on the WATCH D.O.G.S. program at Muldown Elementary earned recognition, as did her news coverage of Whitefish’s pursuit of a “no hate” ordinance.

Former Pilot reporter and photographer Brianna Loper earned top honors in the lifestyle category for her colorful story on the pickleball craze sweeping through Whitefish.

Loper’s first-person account of flying in a float-plane took second in the outdoor writing category, while she also earned honors for feature photography.

Student columnist Grace Kurtz earned honors for her Campus Views piece “It’s ridiculous to use the ‘R’ word.”

Pilot sales representative Stacia Sifers earned recognition for her print and online display ads, garnering two second-place awards.

Pilot editor Matt Baldwin’s detailed look at the shortage of workforce housing in Whitefish earned first place for enterprise journalism.

Pulling double duty as a sports writer, Baldwin took top honors for his article on the Bulldog soccer team’s remarkable playoff comeback led by a hat trick from Casey Ling.

Baldwin’s photo of the fireworks barge catching fire on the Fourth of July was picked as the best news photo, while action from the annual pond skim contest was chosen as best lifestyle photo.

The Pilot staff was recognized for best website and best headline writing.

Hungry Horse News editor and regular Pilot contributor Chris Peterson earned the Mel Ruder Photograph of the Year award for his image of a goat at the Hidden Lake Overlook in Glacier Park.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle earned the Sam Gilluly Award as the best daily newspaper in Montana. Other newspapers earning general excellence honors were The Big Timber Pioneer, Lone Peak Lookout and the Flathead Beacon.