For the eighth time in 10 years, the Cassville Democrat has been named the best small weekly newspaper in Missouri.

My wife, Jordan, and I embarked on an expedition to Wildwood, just outside St. Louis, on Friday — which also happened to be her ninth 25th birthday — to accept a total of 34 awards in the Missouri Press Association’s (MPA) Better Newspaper Contest. We hoped the effort would be good enough to win another Gold Cup — and it was.

This go-around at the MPA’s 159th Annual Conference and Trade Show was unlike any other. On top of being Jordan’s first time attending, I also committed to covering the Wildcats football game via live stream from the hotel; and, did I mention it was Jordan’s birthday?

We arrived about 5:30 p.m. and got settled in while I prepped for the game. After being on the phone with the kiddos, who stayed behind with Nana, we ordered some delivery sushi and the game kicked off.

A tie score at the break, the contest was a close and enjoyable one, and the delivery timing could not have been better. It showed up promptly at halftime for us to enjoy the meal together.

After finishing up game coverage of Cassville’s exciting fourth-quarter finish and 24-14 victory over East Newton, Jordan and I headed across the street to do one of her favorite activities on her birthday, or any other day for that matter.

As we headed to the B&B movie theater, lights and sirens started going off in the building. The fire alarm had sounded, and everyone was evacuating. We loitered outside the theatre nearly to showtime watching the fire trucks arrive and first responders clear the hotel. A faulty sprinkler was the cause of the alarm. Leave it to a hotel full of journalists to figure that out in a heartbeat.

Safety secured and excitement passed, we were two of about six people in the theatre for a showing of The Conjuring: Last Rites. Horror films are Jordan’s favorite, and this one did not disappoint.

Saturday morning, on account of having no kids along, we slept in. Fully rested, we prepared for the MPA awards luncheon with anticipation high.

Of our 34 recognitions this year, we collected 10 first-place awards, nine second-place, and 15 third-place. Reaching double digits in the first-place awards is always a good sign, and the excess of third-place awards is what can push a paper over the top in the points totals.

Another big boost comes in the extra points from winning General Excellence, an entry comprised of three issues from 2024, two in a specific time period and one of choice. Considered the most competitive category because the entire paper is judged as a whole, we’ve only won a handful of firsts in the past decade.

We were honored Saturday to win our second in a row, representing the first two years of Jordan’s and my ownership.

Personally, I picked up four first-place awards, the paper as a staff received two, and Sheila Harris and Jordan each won two. In total, I received 15 awards, Sheila took 14, and Jordan got three, the final two going to the staff.

In General Excellence, the judge, from the New York Press Association, commented: “A lively, community-oriented newspaper that knows its audience and isn’t afraid to have a bit of fun with kids’ turkey-cooking ideas, eclipse coverage, and first-person commentary by the publisher.”

One of our issues submitted was last Thanksgiving, when we asked a dozen kindergartners how they would cook a turkey.

Sheila’s environmental pieces on wastewater land application and buried fuel tanks in the area were big hits, winning her first and third in Investigative Reporting, as well as first in Best Story About Government.

“Excellent sustained in-depth and probing coverage of a key issue with environmental, health, economic, and political angles,” the judge said of Sheila’s sludge coverage. “Loved the headlines. Some people think small-town papers can’t do investigative work. Your work is proof that they are wrong. The clear winner.”

Jordan’s first places came in Best Health Story, for her breast cancer coverage, and in another highly competitive category, Best Serious Columnist.

“This entry isn’t just ‘serious’ column writing — it is ‘courageous’ column writing, too,” the judge said of her work, comprised of three columns (two in consecutive months and one of choice) written in 2024. “The writing is clear, compelling, and from-the-heart. This is the best entry from this very solid and competitive category.”

That best entry ousted me from the column-writing throne. I typically win first in this category, but I settled for second this year, and I couldn’t be more proud.

My firsts came in Best Story About the Outdoors, for Opening Day coverage, which almost feels like cheating; Best Sports Pages, a submission of three sports sections akin to General Excellence requirements; Best Sports Feature Story, for the Thanksgiving issue’s story on how many people it takes to put on a home football game; and Best Sports Feature Photo, for my shot of Faith James winning the state wrestling championship back in February 2024.

We always take great pride in our work, but days like Saturday also always give us a boost in morale and enthusiasm.

This year, I could not be more proud of our small team. With a staff of just three, we prove year-in and year-out we put out some of the most engaging and well-curated content across the state when it comes to weekly newspapers. Receiving recognition of those hard-boiled efforts is one of the biggest honors we can receive in our industry, and it humbles us as we continue striving for that effort each day, each week.

Finally, I say every year and will say again, none of this is possible without being embedded in a place like Cassville. From our triumphs to our tribulations, through telling stories of our neighbors and our friends — Covering Barry County like the Morning Dew — it is a humbling honor to be the mirror to our community.

We hope to keep showing the state how spectacular we have it in our speck on the map.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a three-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-8472610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat. com.