Local journalists honored at CV Journalism Foundation Awards

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) - Local journalists gathered under one roof Tuesday to celebrate great accomplishments in storytelling.

The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation Awards, honoring local reporters and journalists, were held at the Omni Rancho Mirage resort in Rancho Mirage. It's the 3rd annual event that's quickly become the organization's most important fundraiser.

"It's our biggest fundraiser of the year, and the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation raises money so that we can financially help support local media organizations, whether that's through staff positions, funding interns, helping to underwrite reporting projects so that they can do more work," said

Kevin Fitzgerald from the Coachella Valley Independent won Journalist of the Year, and News Channel 3's Shay Lawson won the Rising Star Award, which honors an early-career journalist.

"This means everything to me. I am so grateful for the Coachella Valley community for allowing me to tell their stories. I have met extraordinary people over my time here in the desert. It just has a special place in my heart," Lawson said.

Journalists were also added to the Coachella Valley Journalism Hall of Fame, including:

-- Lina Robles, co-host of morning radio show "El Show del Grenas" on our sister station La Poderosa.

-- Jimmy Boegle, founding editor at the Coachella Valley Independent;

-- Larry Bohannan, golf writer at The Desert Sun;

-- Ric and Rozene Supple (posthumously), radio station owners and philanthropists.

Over the past year, the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation has raised a quarter of a million dollars to support local journalism students.

For more information, visit cvjf.org.