Broadcast Story of the Month

DECEMBER
Alexa Klang, KMSP-TV, Eden Prairie, for offering the script of a Trish Van Pilsum report on St. Paul police subpoenaing the cell phone records of KMSP reporter Tom Lyden and the phone records of a Ramsey County sheriff's office employee. That was after Lyden had obtained an old arrest report that should have been public data.

NOVEMBER
Steve Murphy, WCCO-AM, Minneapolis, for his tip about a Nov. 30 federal court hearing on whether former Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick should be allowed to keep nearly $20 million in bonus money.

OCTOBER
J.P. Cola, KWLM-AM/KQIC-FM, Willmar, for alerting AP to a train derailment that forced the evacuation of one-third of Clara City on Oct. 29 and for providing updates. Cola also arranged for a listener's photo of the derailment to be e-mailed to the AP.

SEPTEMBER
Axel Gumbel, KAAL-TV, Austin, for offering a story about allegations that a school bus driver was seen drinking at a local bar after dropping off the Houston, Minn., volleyball team for a road game in Grand Meadow.

AUGUST
Mark Butcher, WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, for alerting the AP that WCCO had posted audio of Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's post-arrest interview on its Web site, and later sending a transcript. Darryl Smelser, KAGE Radio, Winona, for updates on the deadly flooding that followed heavy rains in southeastern Minnesota.

JULY
Debbi Klein, KSTP-TV, St. Paul, for a Sunday story about a Minnesota National Guard soldier recently home from Iraq who rushed into his burning Fridley home to make sure his family got out safely.

JUNE
Don Haney, KFGO Radio, Fargo, for coverage of a train derailment that forced an evacuation in the western Minnesota town of Lake Park on June 20.

MAY
Darryl Smelser, KAGE Radio, Winona, for updates May 16-17 on the recovery of the bodies of three of the four family members who disappeared after their fishing boat was pulled underwater near a dam near Dresbach on the Mississippi River.

APRIL
Jim Maurice, WJON Radio, St. Cloud. Woman saves herself and her 9-month-old daughter from drowning after her car landed in a water-filled ditch near Albany on April 3.