The annual Iowa Newspaper Association convention in Des Moines is the highlight of the year for many Iowa journalists. There are meetings, training sessions and opportunities to learn about the latest improvements in technology and journalistic practices in the 21st century.

It also is the time of year when we recognize the best and brightest in our profession within the Hawkeye State. So, I would be remiss if I did not, at some point, congratulate the folks at the Carroll Daily Times Herald for winning Iowa Newspaper of the Year.

By doing so, Doug Burns and Co. ended the three-year reign of the Des Moines Register. What makes the Daily Times Herald’s victory so special is that it is the first time since before I became a professional journalist that a newspaper other than the Register or the N’West Iowa REVIEW in Sheldon – a paper I worked at for nearly four years – took top honors.