Well, he’s too modest to say anything, so sometimes we just have to toot his horn for him.

Hank Sims, founding editor of the Lost Coast Outpost, has been named a finalist in the 2011 AltWeekly Awards , given to the best in alternative media across the US and Canada.

Hank’s piece in the North Coast Journal last July, has been nominated in the SPECIAL TOPIC — DRUGS REPORTING (circulation under 50,000) category. It profiles famed Oaksterdam University founder Richard Lee and his efforts behind Prop 19 and other initiatives to legalize pot while building an empire around medical marijuana. Despite that ballot measure’s defeat, the article remains an excellent analysis of the pressures that are building on Humboldt’s famed cash crop.

So hear, hear, Hank Sims! A well-earned congratulations. Here at LoCO, we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.