The Society of Professional Journalists' Rocky Mountain chapter presented its "Top of the Rockies" Excellence in Journalism Awards Saturday night in Denver. The contest, with participants from the four-state region of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, attracted more than 500 entries. The Colorado Springs Independent took home nine awards, including first-place wins for Arts and Entertainment Reporting, Science/Environmental/Health Care Reporting, and Education Reporting. Salt Lake City Weekly won five awards, including first-place finishes in the General Reporting - Business and Investigative/Enterprise - Business categories. Boulder Weekly was given one award, a first-place finish in the Legal Affairs category.

Continue ReadingThree AAN Members Win at Rocky Mountain Regional SPJ Contest

John Weiss has been named the recipient of the Citizens Project's 2010 Divine Award, which is given each year to someone who "create[s] a vibrant democracy in which equal rights are protected and differences are respected." Weiss' "leadership has created a more diverse, progressive and green Colorado Springs over the last 27 years," the Project says.

Continue ReadingLocal Nonprofit Honors Colorado Springs Independent Publisher

"I wore a suit at my wedding, and between 1993 and 1994 I wore a suit at work," Colorado Springs Independent publisher John Weiss says in a Colorado Springs Business Journal piece about -- you guessed it -- suits. "I was trying to fit in and be legitimate ... But then I realized that the whole point of being the publisher of an alternative weekly was that you didn't have to wear a suit."

Continue ReadingA Perk of Publishing an Alt-Weekly: No Suit Required