Hanford Sentinel wins statewide award for series 'Valley fever: Flying under the radar'
May 31—The Hanford Sentinel has received second place recognition in the category of enterprise news story or series from the California News Publishers Association for a two-part series by reporter Don Promnitz on the local impact of Valley fever.
The series, which published in July 2021 and can be read at hanfordsentinel.com, put a face on the pain caused by the delay in Valley fever diagnoses due to a lack of medical resources, and the fact that Black people are more susceptible to Valley fever dissemination.
The series also received first place recognition in April at the George F. Gruner Awards. The awards aim to recognize quality journalism in the Central Valley and are sponsored and coordinated by the Fresno State Department of Media, Communications and Journalism.
"The Hanford Sentinel is committed to local journalism and serving our community. This recognition speaks to that commitment and the dedication of our newsroom," said Terri Leifeste, vice president and group publisher for Santa Maria California News Media Inc., which owns the Sentinel.
Santa Maria California News Media Inc. also publishes the Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record, Santa Ynez Valley News, Porterville Recorder, the Antelope Valley Press and other papers throughout central and southern California.
