MiBiz Associate Editor Joe Boomgaard awarded

MiBiz Associate Editor Joe Boomgaard was awarded by the Michigan Associated Press bureau for work he did last year for the Ludington Daily News before coming to MiBiz. He was given a second-place prize in enterprise reporting for an in-depth report titled "Fruit trees don't lie," which localized how climate change was impacting farmers in Mason and Oceana counties. The report debuted the paper's complete redesign last fall and highlighted topics Boomgaard investigated after successful completion of the Great Lakes Environmental Journalism Training Institute sponsored by the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.

Boomgaard's "Snagger Nabber" article profiling a day in the life of a Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer took top honors in the Sports Enterprise category. The feature story profiled a well-recognized officer who has a reputation for being strict with fish and game law violators.

The Ludington Daily News competed in Division I against other state newspapers with circulations up to 15,000.

Boomgaard joined the MiBiz in October as a staff writer and has since been named the associate editor of the publication in February. He had been with the Ludington Daily News for more than two years.