North Star was recently named a First Class high school news publication by the Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA). The organization of Midwestern school publications is based at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

In the 2012 competition, KEMPA reviewed approximately 90 high school publications. Each publication, both print and online, was reviewed by an experienced, third-party judge in the categories of coverage and content, breaking news, design and navigation, interactivity and community and rich media.

Each category had certain point values.  North Star scored 515 out of 600 possible points, ranking the online student publication as a First Class publication.

“There is so much to be very proud of on northstarnews,” the judge said in North Star‘s KEMPA critique. “The site currently provides viewers with a good amount of variety and is really starting to use all the avenues available for digital media.” The judge also remarked that northstarnews had one of the best logos.

The First Class award from KEMPA is North Star‘s first award as an online publication. Northstarnews.org went online after school on Feb. 23, 2011. “That makes the award an early birthday present,” sports editor Jake Kaufman said.