BizWest wins 4 regional journalism awards

DENVER — BizWest writers took home four awards Saturday at the Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism competition, sponsored by the Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

The awards, for work published during 2024, were handed out during a ceremony at the Slate Hotel in Denver.

BizWest reporter Dallas Heltzell won two awards for his May 3, 2024, article, “Estes Park’s taffy tycoon now has more pull,” about Mark Igel, a store owner who went from one of the most vocal critics of the Estes Downtown Loop project to a place on the tourism-dependent mountain town’s Board of Trustees. The story won second place for a short-form feature and third place for its headline.

Heltzell’s Feb. 4, 2024, story, “Liquor stores at a crossroads,” took third place for business enterprise reporting. The article centered on the intersection of 17th Avenue and Hover Street in Longmont as a symbolic battlefield in the war between Colorado’s independent alcoholic-beverage retailers and large grocery chains that have recently been allowed to sell wine and full-strength beer.

BizWest editor and publisher Christopher Wood won second place in business reporting for his May 8, 2024, story, “In fiery meeting, Weld vacates right-of-way for BNSF.” The article explained a dispute between the towns of Hudson and Lochbuie and allegations of “appearances of collusion” between Weld County officials and BNSF Railway Co., which plans a massive intermodal facility and logistics park along its tracks on the east side of Interstate 76.

More than 80 news media outlets and 20 freelancers from Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico entered the contest, which was judged by the Los Angeles Press Club. In all, the contest saw more than 1,850 entries.

Top of the Rockies is a regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations in the four-state area. The contest grew from a Colorado-only contest on the heels of the closure of the Rocky Mountain News in 2009 to ensure a robust and competitive field. Entries compete in four divisions based on newsroom size.The full list of winners can be downloaded here.

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