ONPA – Better Newspaper Contest…and the winners are…

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!