HDN journalist wins investigative award

Havre Daily News reporter Tim Leeds has won a first-place award from Inland Press Association.

Leeds won the top prize in the investigative journalism category for newspapers with a daily circulation of 10,000 or less.

His award was for the story "National media focuses on Montana Legislature," which was about how national news programs, newspapers and late-night talk shows were discussing the activities of the 2011 legislative session.

Leeds' award was announced at the IPA's annual meeting in Chicago this morning.

"It was an interesting topic to cover. It was interesting trying to get people's take on the issues from both sides of the aisle," Leeds said.

"The Havre Daily News is very proud of Tim for winning this award," Publisher Stacy Mantle said. "This is part of our commitment to put out the best news stories we can."

Leeds covers politics and county government, among other things, for the Havre Daily News. He has been on the staff since January 2000.

This is the second year he has won the top award in the investigative category. Last year, he won for an exposé of the pay-day loan industry and its connection to Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. That story also won a major award from the Montana Newspaper Association.

Read the award-winning story here.