News photo by Kayla Wikaryasz Staff Writer Reagan Voetberg, left, and Community Editor Steve Schulwitz, right, are seen holding their Michigan Press Association awards in the The Alpena News office lobby on Friday..

ALPENA — The Alpena News won four awards in the Michigan Press Association’s (MPA) 2025 Better Newspaper Contest. Community Editor Steve Schulwitz won a pair of awards, while reporter Reagan Voetberg earned one award; and Darby Hinkley, previous community editor, won an award, as well.

The News competed against papers statewide with similar circulation sizes in various categories. The MPA announced Thursday that the Alpena paper won the following awards:

– Third place for Spot News Story for Voetberg’s “Pets kept warm through local community efforts.

– Second place for Education/School News for Schulwitz’s “Candidate Gordon Snow sent ‘problematic’ emails to school staff, attorney says.”

– Honorable mention for Spot News Story for Schulwitz’s “Power restoration in progress following ice storm.”

– Second place for Best Columnist for Hinkley’s commentary.

Schulwitz’s awards recognize stories he wrote while he was still a reporter. Schulwitz took over as community editor in late October.

His winning story, “Candidate Gordon Snow sent ‘problematic’ emails to school staff, attorney says,” covers an incident in September 2024 when Alpena Public Schools trustee sent campaign-related emails to school staffers. An MPA attorney reviewed the emails and called them “problematic,” possibly violating state elections law.

Schulwitz’s “Power restoration in progress following the ice storm” story documented challenges Northeast Michigan power companies faced when restoring power for tens of thousands of people in the region after the 2025 ice storm.

Schulwitz said that he appreciates the recognition from the MPA for his work. He also said that he is most proud of his staff writer, Voetberg, who was honored for the first time.

“It always feels good to be recognized by your peers, but I am more thrilled for Reagan, who is a first-time winner, than I am for myself,” Schulwitz said. “Reagan, and the rest of the newsroom staff, work hard each day to make sure our community is informed about what is going on around them.”

He added that he believes that his full team deserved recognition.

“It’s my opinion that the rest of my team deserved awards, too,” Schulwitz said. “I know they will continue to work hard and strive to earn them next year. Northeast Michigan is lucky to have such capable and dedicated reporters working for it.”

For her award winning story, “Pets kept warm through local community efforts,” Voetberg reported on animal shelters and pet owners throughout Northeast Michigan and the challenges they faced to keep animals warm despite power outages during the 2025 ice storm.

“I am super honored to receive an award for this story!” Voetberg said. “I wouldn’t be here without the support of all the newsroom staff.”

Voetberg added she is proud to have won an award for a story she wrote during the 2025 ice storm in Northeast Michigan, while navigating power outages and uncertainty in a town she had just moved to earlier that year.

Hinkley won an award for the editorials she wrote while serving as community editor at The News. Hinkley said that she is honored to have received the award and that the MPA recognized her for her storytelling.

“I’m humbled and honored to receive this award,” Hinkley said. “In my columns, I have tried to tell interesting, relatable stories that readers can enjoy and possibly get a kick out of, as I pepper in humor and silly observations. I have fun writing and it’s nice to be recognized for my writing.”

News General Manager Christie Werda took over as general manager in 2025 and this is her second MPA awards cycle.

“I am very proud of the editorial staff and their accomplishments,” she said in response to the MPA awards.

The News staff will submit their stories for the 2026 MPA award cycle in August.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.