DES MOINES — The Times-Republican and the Tama-Grundy publications took home a total of eight first-place awards across editorial, photography, website and advertising categories during the annual Iowa Newspaper Association (INA) awards banquet at the downtown Marriott in Des Moines on Thursday evening.

On the news side, Assistant Sports Editor Jake Ryder won a pair of top prizes in Multi-day Class IV (Circulation 3,750 and under), one for Best Feature Story about former BCL wrestling state champion Craig Schwienebart and the lifelong bond he has formed with his high school coach, Bruce Altenhein, and another for Best Photo Story alongside Meskwaki Media’s Wendy Witt for their coverage of the 108th annual Powwow, which featured a delegation from Hawaii and a visit from acclaimed actor Viggo Mortensen.

On the advertising side, Rhonda James and the T-R won best ad idea for a community promotion with the popular “I Believe in Marshalltown” series as well as best ad promoting furniture, furnishings, appliances or hardware for an ad featuring McGregor’s Furniture.

The team of Ryder and Sports Editor Ross Thede took second place for Best Sports Section, and the news team of Robert Maharry and Lana Bradstream took third for their coverage of government and politics. Contributor Sara Jordan-Heintz took second place in Best Personality Feature for a story about ER doctor and fantasy author Lance Vangundy, and the T-R editorial staff also placed third in headline writing.

Elsewhere in advertising, James took second and third place for Best Ad Featuring Financial, Insurance or Other Professional Service, third place for Best Ad Featuring Grocery/Food/Entertainment and third place for Best Ad Featuring Miscellaneous. James and Nick Manwarren took third place in Best Special Section Advertising.

In Weekly Class 1 (755 circulation or under), the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle won first place for both Best Editorial Page and Best Newspaper Website and tied for third with the West Branch Times in the General Excellence category. James and the North Tama Telegraph won first place for a community event with an ad promoting the Meskwaki Powwow, and Editor Ruby McAllister won both first and second place in the Best News Feature category. The winning story was a feature about the BobLarry Custom Leather shop in Dysart. She also took second in the Best Breaking News Story category for her coverage of the arrest of Karina Cooper, who is charged with first degree murder in connection with her husband Ryan’s 2021 death.

The News Chronicle took second place for its coverage of government and politics, second place in headline writing and third place for coverage of court and crime. McAllister and Correspondent Michael Davis took second place for a story about Tama County residents being left on the hook for improperly passed septic inspections. Editor Robert Maharry took second place in the Best Personality Feature story for his piece on 2024 Weatherperson of the Year and STC alum Mike Buresh, and correspondent Jonathan Meyer placed third in the Master Columnist contest.

“We are proud of all of the efforts our staff and correspondents have put in to earn these awards, and we hope it speaks to the dedication and commitment we continue to show in the communities we cover every day. It truly takes a team, and we’ve got some of the best people in the business on ours,” Maharry said. “As always, we intend to do even better next year.”

The Daily Iowan was crowned the 2025 Newspaper of the Year across all classes.