Staff report

October 2, 2026 - 4:50 am

The Pahrump Valley Times won nine awards, with five first-place honors, in the Rural Division at the 2026 Nevada Press Foundation Awards of Excellence.

Reporter Robin Hebrock won first place for her Business Spot News Story ‘Making Memories with the Moonshiners.’ Her Entertainment Feature Story ‘Winter Wonder Slam brings Santas and suplexes’ and News Photo Coverage on the ‘Spring in Bloom’ Quilt Show each won third place.

Reporter Elijah Dulay earned first place in Food/Dining Writing for his feature of Jeanne Wright closing her local hot dog stand. His coverage of America’s oldest high school band’s performance at the Amargosa Opera House won second place for Entertainment Spot News Story.

Reporter Bill Evans captured first place for Breaking News Reporting of the Joey Perry murder at Ian Deutch Memorial Park in July 2025.

Freelance photographer John Clausen won first place in News Photo Coverage for his images of the 2025 Fall Festival. Judges called it a “great collection of photos capturing the best aspects of this festive event.”

Former Graphic Designer Abigail Fitzpatrick’s 2025 Fall Festival Guide special section won second place.

Former Sports Editor Jacob Powers won third place for Local Sports Column in the Tonopah Times-Bonanza for his coverage of the Tonopah vs. Pahranagat Valley 1A championship rematch.

Editor and Page Designer Jessica Sterling won first place for Overall Design of the Tonopah Times-Bonanza newspaper. Judges complimented the publication as “a solid community-newspaper design with dependable organization, effective local photography and clearly identified sections.” For the Pahrump Valley Times editions, she brought home third place for Cover Design.

The 2026 Nevada Press Foundation Awards of Excellence honored outstanding journalism published between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

Judging was conducted by the Montana Newspaper Association and winners were announced during a banquet held at the Springs Preserve Event Center on Saturday, September 26.