Rapid City Journal reporter Kayla Gahagan has been named Outstanding Young Journalist for 2009 by the South Dakota Newspaper Association. The award is given annually to honor the best journalist in the state younger than 30.

Gahagan, 26, of Hermosa, covers education for the Journal. She will receive the honor at the association's annual convention on Saturday in Watertown.

"Kayla is a terrific reporter with a lot of talent and potential," Michael LeFort, editor of the Rapid City Journal, said. "She is covering one of the more interesting, newsworthy beats in our community (education), and has helped educate and inform our readers about the impact that school district decisions have on their lives."

Among Gahagan's notable stories from 2008 was coverage of Wanblee residents stranded in the community's school for days after the November blizzard.

In August, Gahagan wrote about local families who have children with Down syndrome and their efforts to get others to accept and appreciate their children.

In the spring and summer of 2008, she wrote a series of stories about the Rapid City Area Schools budget, examining expenses in light of proposed cuts. And in February, she traveled to Pierre to learn why fewer than 20 percent of state lawmakers are women, and how that affects decision-making in South Dakota.

"She is producing outstanding stories every week, which go well beyond just covering the meetings, and families in Rapid City rely on Kayla as their source for fair and objective information," LeFort said. "We're thrilled that the judges discovered what we already knew: Kayla is a truly gifted young journalist."

South Dakota Newspaper Association general manager Dave Bordewyk said each year there are about a dozen nominations for the award and that it's "very competitive" because of the quality of the entries.

"It's hard to pick a winner because they're all very good," he said.

Gahagan, a native of Powell, Wyo., graduated from Northwest College in Powell in 2003, and from the University of Montana School of Journalism in 2005.

In her spare time, Gahagan is active in her church, volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Black Hills and teaches dance classes.