For the third straight year, the student newspaper at Northwest College, the Northwest Trail, received national recognition as a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker award.

The Trail’s entries for the 2005-2006 academic year included a series on binge drinking and coverage of the demolition of Bridger Hall. Kara Bacon of Sheridan, Wyo., and AAron Ontiveroz of Laramie, Wyo., served as co-editors for the year. Ontiveroz is also a finalist for sports story of the year.

“To be named a finalist as one of the top two-year college newspapers in the nation honors the hard work and dedication by the staff of the Trail,” said adviser Dennis Davis, assistant professor of journalism/mass communication at Northwest. “To receive this recognition for three straight years indicates the talent and the tradition of the Trail staff to bring readers in-depth coverage.”

Newspaper Pacemakers are judged in three categories — four-year dailies, four-year non-dailies and two-year papers — with about 20 papers in each category.

Judges select Pacemakers based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.

The ACP will announce the Pacemaker awards at its national convention in St. Louis Oct. 26-29.

A complete list of the finalists is available at http://www.studentpress.org/acp/winners/npm06.html.