Newsleaders Editor Mike Knaak was honored with an award in the annual Minnesota Newspaper Association contest.

Knaak won second place for columnists in the contest among the state’s 300 weekly and daily newspapers.

The award was for a selection of columns that included the conclusion of the Wetterling case, Rep. Tom Emmer’s rising status in the Republican Party and local women who have led the quest for gender equality in sports.

There were more than 3,900 entries in the contest, judged by journalists in Indiana.

The awards were presented Jan. 30 during the association’s annual convention in Brooklyn Park.

Mike Knaak

Author: Heidi L. Everett

Heidi joined The Newsleaders Oct. 30, 2020 after being a fan of the St. Joseph edition for 15 years. When she is not sharing local news and stories, she is a professor of strategic communications at St. Cloud State University.