by Leanne Loy
We here at the Newleaders would like to congratulate our very own Carolyn Bertsch on her recent award. Bertsch won first place for one of her photographs from the 2022 Better Newspapers Contest from the Minnesota Newspaper Association!
The winning photo was taken on Dec. 15, 2020, when most of the world was still in lockdown due to the pandemic. The photo shows Santa visiting a resident, Kay Peterson, of Edgewood Senior Living in Sartell from outside her window. The picture is both heartbreaking and beautiful.
Bertsch has been with the Newsleaders since 2017 as the Assignment Editor and 2015 as a freelance photographer.
We are all very proud of her for winning this prestigious award. Congratulations Carolyn! The Newsleaders is lucky to have you!

This award-winning photograph (above) earned Newsleader photographer Carolyn Bertsch first-place in the 2022 Better Newspaper Contest, sponsored by the Minnesota Newspaper Association. The cutline under the photo from December 2020 reads as follows: Kay Peterson, a resident of Edgewood Senior Living, Sartell, holds a framed photo to her window Dec. 15, when Santa asks, “How long has it been since we last saw each other, Kay?”