Lincoln County Record honored for General Online Excellence at state awards

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FALLON – The Lincoln County Record earned top honors for its digital presence at the Nevada Press Foundation’s annual Awards of Excellence Dinner on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Fallon.

The paper received the General Online Excellence award for the rural division. This award recognized the work of owner and publisher Ben Rowley and consultant Brendon Schumaker.

Ben Rowley, owner and publisher of the Lincoln County Record, holds a plaque recognizing the newspaper for general online excellence.

The annual event brought together journalists, editors and designers from across Nevada to honor outstanding achievements in reporting, design, advertising and community service.

“These awards reflect the critical role Nevada journalists play in keeping our communities informed, engaged and connected,” said Brian Allfrey, Executive Director of the Nevada Press Association and Nevada Press Foundation. “We are proud to recognize the incredible talent and dedication across all divisions of Nevada media.”

Rowley took ownership of the Record in March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has focused on putting the historic newspaper on a sustainable footing, significantly growing its digital presence while maintaining the weekly print edition.

“I’m grateful for this recognition,” Rowley stated. “I’m particularly grateful to work with a great group of writers and staff to put together this newspaper each week, and for our readers and advertisers who support us. I’m looking forward to continuing to strengthen our local newspaper.”

The Record’s award was one of several top honors presented. Other winners in the General Online Excellence category included The Nevada Independent for urban publications, edible Reno Tahoe for magazines and Nevada Ag News for college media.