Hartley Sentinel-News Wins 4 Iowa Newspaper Association Awards

Local newspaper takes home 3 first place honors in annual statewide competition

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News, a weekly newspaper in northwest Iowa, won four awards at the 2026 Iowa Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contests, including first place in three categories: Excellence In Editorial Writing, Best Newspaper Website, and Best Breaking News Photo. The newspaper also placed third in the Best Feature Page category.

Why it matters

The Iowa Newspaper Association's annual awards competition recognizes excellence in community journalism across the state. For the Hartley Sentinel-News to win multiple first place awards is a significant achievement that highlights the high-quality reporting and production work of the small-town newspaper's staff.

The details

The Hartley Sentinel-News is published by The Press, Inc., of Ocheyedan, which is owned by Arlyn Pedley and Jan Reiste Pedley. The couple also owns and publishes the Ocheyedan Press-Melvin News. This year's INA competition was judged by the Minnesota Newspaper Association and included approximately 3,160 entries across dozens of categories, with the Sentinel-News competing in the Weekly Class I (circulation under 700 subscribers) division.

  • The awards were presented on February 5, 2026.
  • The Hartley Sentinel-News won the awards at the annual Iowa Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contests.

The players

The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News

A weekly newspaper serving the Hartley, Iowa area, owned and published by The Press, Inc. of Ocheyedan.

The Press, Inc.

The company that owns and publishes the Hartley Sentinel-News as well as the Ocheyedan Press-Melvin News.

Arlyn Pedley

Co-owner of The Press, Inc. and publisher of the Hartley Sentinel-News.

Jan Reiste Pedley

Co-owner of The Press, Inc. and publisher of the Hartley Sentinel-News.

Iowa Newspaper Association

The statewide trade association representing Iowa's newspaper industry, which hosts the annual Better Newspaper Contests.

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The takeaway

The Hartley Sentinel-News' strong performance in the Iowa Newspaper Association's annual awards competition demonstrates the continued vitality and high-quality journalism of small-town community newspapers, even in the face of industry challenges. The newspaper's multiple first place wins highlight its commitment to excellence in editorial writing, web presence, and photojournalism.