Wednesday, April 23, 2025
The Blade-Empire was notified by the Kansas Press Association (KPA) that it had won two awards in the KPA's annual newspaper excellence competition.
In the Best Professional Service Ad category, the Blade-Empire's graphic designer Kathy Hart won First Place, Division IV, for her design of the advertisement for Bowers Land & Home Realty, LLC in the Plowshares Special Section.
"The Blade-Empire has a long and storied history in the newspaper business, and we are proud to continue its award-winning tradition," said Russell Gagnon, the general manager of Blade-Empire Publishing. "Kathy Hart is an outstanding designer who works closely with our clients. It's nice to see her receive recognition for the hard work she puts in each day."
In the Best Newspaper Redesign category, the Blade-Empire won Third Place in Division IV.
The Blade-Empire Publishing Company and its four newspapers, plus the Print 5 business, was purchased by Sweet Tea Media in February of 2024. The most immediate change under new ownership was to redesign the newspaper and switch from black-and-white to full color printing.
"To also win an award for how the paper was redesigned is especially satisfying," Gagnon said. "This is a very tough competition involving newspapers across the state of Kansas. To be recognized among your peers is validation for the effort put forth by the entire team at Blade-Empire Publishing."
