Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association – Better Newspaper Contest – July, 2013
Polk County Itemizer-Observer was a BIG winner – Congratulations to the IO team!
FIRST PLACE AWARDS
GENERAL EXCELLENCE – Itemizer-Observer (I-O staff)
Best Special Section or Issue – Explore Polk County (I-O Staff)
Best Headline Writing – Pete Strong
Best Graphics – Pete Strong (Money Makers)
Best Feature Photo – Pete Strong (Balloons in Independence)
Best Photo Essay – Pete Strong (CHS boys hoops state championship)
Best Sports Photo – Nicole Watkins (state track meet long jumper)
Best Web Design – I-O
Weekly Newspaper Division Sweepstakes Award – I-O
SECOND PLACE AWARDS
Best Coverage of Business and Economics Issues – Jolene Guzman and Craig Coleman (Soaring to the rescue; Birds can devastate wine grape crop)
Best Enterprise Reporting – Nicole Watkins (Doing more with less)
Best Feature Story: General – Jolene Guzman (Soaring to the rescue)
Best Headline Writing – Kurt Holland
Best Lifestyle Coverage – Craig Coleman (Nourishing Nettles)
Best Sports Story – Nicole Watkins (Doing more with less: Is WOU athletic department fighting an uphill battle based on funding?)
Best Page One Design – Kurt Holland and Pete Strong
Best Graphics – Pete Strong (Doing more with less)
Best Feature Photo – Pete Strong (Here Comes Santa Claus)
Best News Photo – Pete Strong (Flooding and school bus at LVCS)
THIRD PLACE AWARDS
Best Special Section or Issue – Dallas Summerfest 2012 (I-O Staff)
Best Educational Coverage – Jolene Guzman (Extending an Education)
Best Enterprise Reporting – Jolene Guzman (Falls City: To patrol or not to patrol)
Best Feature Story: General – Craig Coleman (Capturing History)
Best Local Column writing – Nicole Watkins
Best Writing – Nicole Watkins
Best Graphics – Pete Strong (Polk County school district student numbers)
Best Sports Photo – Pete Strong (Central’s Tanner Omlid heads to the hoop)
27 total awards…Way to Go!
