Lahontan Valley News Editor Emeritus Steve Ranson, center, was recognized by the Nevada Association of School Boards Nov. 18 with its Media Award for Outstanding Education Reporting. From left are Churchill County School District Sandra Sheldon and trustees Kathryn Whitaker, Phil Pinder, Rich Gent, Ranson, Clay Hendrix, Matt Hyde and Tricia Dooley.
Lahontan Valley News Editor Emeritus Steve Ranson has been honored by the Nevada Association of School Boards with one of its top awards, the Media Award for Outstanding Education Reporting in a county with a population less than 100,000.
Ranson, who retired as general manager/ editor from the LVN on Aug. 1 after a 30-year career of both part-time and full-time, has built an impressive legacy as a journalist, as an English and journalism teacher in Nevada schools and as a Nevada Army National Guard military journalist. During his 30-year academic career, including 10 years as vice principal at Churchill County Middle School, Ranson was always involved in journalism: teaching it during the day and writing articles for the Lahontan Valley News covering school community news when he wasn’t in the classroom.
“I was totally surprised with the award,” Ranson said. “I am honored to be recognized for the years of covering education and sports and for a 30-year career as a teacher and administrator.”
Ranson began his teaching career as an English teacher at Wells High School in 1976. He also taught journalism and speech, advised the yearbook and newspaper, served as student council adviser and coached junior varsity football and basketball. In addition to teaching at the high school, Ranson served as a city of Wells councilman for four years and wrote sports for seven years for the Wells Progress.
Former colleague and retired vice principal of Wells Combined School Orlin Kinder said Ranson was heavily involved in teaching and the newspaper at the school.
Orlin worked with Ranson during his term in 1982.
“He was a very excellent teacher ,” Orlin said. “He was a friend to all of us when he was here.”
Ranson left Wells in 1984 to take a teaching position with the Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Panama, but he returned to Nevada in 1986 to teach English and journalism at Churchill County High School.
He retired from Churchill County School District in 2005 and went to work full time for the Lahontan Valley News. In addition to his academic career and his news reporting career, Ranson served as a military journalist for the Nevada Army National Guard from 1981 until his retirement as a lieutenant colonel in 2009 — writing military news from as far away as Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, the Arabian Sea and Southeast Asia.
CCSD honored Ranson with the Teacher of the Year Award in 1995; the Nevada Press Association named Ranson co-journalist of the year in 2012; and the Nevada Army National Guard inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2012.
CCSD Superintendent Sandra Sheldon said Ranson’s roles were a crucial part to the Fallon community.
“We are proud to honor him at the conference,” she said. “He has served the district well both as a teacher and administrator for the district, and as a respected journalist reporting on the district’s accomplishments.”