I’m ecstatic to announce The Other Hudson Valley is now an award-winning publication.

My article “Fentanyl is Hitting the Hudson Valley” won First Prize for Best Feature Article in its division at the New York Press Association (NYPA) awards.

Past President of the NYPA Board of Directors Mark Vinciguerra read the judges’ comments on the article before announcing it had won the top Feature prize.

“All news is local news, and this piece is a prime example of how to localize a nation-wide epidemic. The article explores the darkness of addiction and its larger impact on the state both from a human perspective and a credible research-based perspective. The author included key sources from the Department of Health to a local police chief, and skillfully tied in the compelling details of an individual facing addiction.”

The article was co-published last December with The River Newsroom, with edits by Managing Editor Phillip Pantuso.

NYPA’s annual contest has been held since 1930 and is open to the association’s more than 800 member newspapers and online publications. Approximately 4,000 submissions are received every year, according to NYPA.

To read the winning article, click here.