“Santa’s Arrival,” by former Lincoln County News reporter Molly Rains, received first place honors for news photography in the Maine Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
The Lincoln County News collected 22 first, second, and third place awards in the 2025 Maine Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.
Included among the awards were second place honors in the General Excellence – Advertising category and third place recognition in the General Excellence – Print category.
Lincoln County Magazine, a seasonal publication produced by the LCN staff, received numerous awards, including first place honors for “Back to Lincoln County” and third place for “Farm and Table” in the Supplement/Special Section category.
Amber Clark, the graphic designer responsible for the magazine, also received first place recognition for “Back to Lincoln County” and second place honors for “Made in Lincoln County” in the Best Supplement Cover category.
The newspaper received the honors during the Maine Press Association’s annual awards ceremony and banquet at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in South Portland on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The contest divides newspapers into three categories: dailies and large and small weeklies by circulation. The LCN competes in the category for the state’s large weekly newspapers.
Entries are judged by industry professionals from outside of Maine, with this year’s judges working in New Jersey.
The awards ceremony is the final event of the Maine Press Association’s annual conference, which includes a full day of professional development and talks about industry trends.
Established in 1864, the Maine Press Association works to protect the freedom of the press and the public’s right to know, and to promote and foster high ethical standards in journalism.
“Outnumbered,” by Mic LeBel, received first place honors for sports photography in the Maine Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
A complete list of LCN honors follows:
First Place, Best Supplement Cover: Amber Clark, “Back to Lincoln County”
First Place, News Photo: Molly Rains, “Santa’s Arrival”
First Place, Sports Photo: Mic LeBel, “Outnumbered”
First Place, Political Story: Piper Pavelich, “Candidates Tackle Rising Costs, Affordable Housing at Final Forum”
First Place, Education Story: Molly Rains, “Six Years In, RSU 12’s Anti-Bullying Committee Sees Results”
First Place, Supplement/Special Section: Staff, “Back to Lincoln County”
Second Place, General Excellence – Advertising: Staff
Second Place, Local Ad: Amber Clark, “Louis Doe Home Center”
Second Place, Best Supplement Cover: Amber Clark, “Made in Lincoln County”
Second Place, Editorial Cartoonist: Glenn Chadbourne
Third Place, General Excellence – Print: Staff
Third Place, Local Ad: Staff, Spectacles
Third Place, Spot News Photo: Johnathan Riley, “Movie Pizza Shoppe”
Third Place, Scenic Photo: Molly Rains, “Daylily”
Third Place, Picture Story: Johnathan Riley, “Graduation”
Third Place, Sports Photo: Paula Roberts, “Air”
Third Place, Game Story: Mic LeBel, “Gritty Wiscasset Girls Basketball Team Breaks 122-Game Losing Streak”
Third Place, Political Story: Piper Pavelich, “Conversations Center on Rising Costs, Education at Second Candidates Forum”
Third Place, Community Columnist: Johnathan Riley, “Characters of the County”
Third Place, Feature Headline: Johnathan Riley, “Churning Back Time: Round Top Ice Cream Celebrates 100 Years”
Third Place, Outdoors Story: Molly Rains, “Waldoboro Sno-Crawlers Celebrate Snowy Winter with More Trail Work”
Third Place, Supplement/Special Section: Staff, “Farm and Table”
