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CDN nabs 49 awards at WNPA’s Better Newspaper Contest

Photo, design, sports, news, features, opinion among work honored

Second graders say hello to Courtney Irvin Jimison's 9-month-old baby during a Roots of Empathy visit in March 2023 at Cordata Elementary School. The nonprofit brings babies into classrooms to encourage empathy in students. Visual journalist Hailey Hoffman was given first- and third-place awards for the story and its photos at the WNPA's 2024 Better Newspaper Contest. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Bellingham-based Cascadia Daily News earned 49 awards from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association 2024 Better Newspaper Contest, including the prestigious Community Service Award for the second year in a row.

Categories ranged from design to news and sports and opinion coverage to photography, and this year, submissions were judged by the Arizona Media Association. CDN falls into a contest group comprising print newspapers with a circulation of 6,500 or more.

“It’s gratifying to see CDN’s journalists honored by their peers at WNPA for the hard work they do for their community every day,” said Ron Judd, CDN’s executive editor. “It’s even more pleasing to see awards for stories, photographs, videos, columns, design work and other journalism across such a broad spectrum of CDN’s daily and weekly content.”

CDN earned the first-place community service award for its 2023 Citizens Agenda process, in which election coverage was powered by reader involvement. CDN’s editorial board interviewed candidates, posing reader-submitted questions to each, and then published endorsements of candidates and issues. Submitted materials included editorial columns, explanatory pieces and the publication’s 2023 Voter Guide. Citizens Agenda has been expanded and repeated by CDN for the 2024 election season.

Contest judges called the staff-wide Citizens Agenda effort “journalism as a community service and a way to hold politicians accountable to the people … while providing content that will be more engaging to the reader.”

“Citizens Agenda is at the top of our mission list, as creating and maintaining an informed electorate was a primary objective when CDN was formed three years ago,” Judd said. “This award would not be possible without the active and ongoing participation of our readership.”

A number of CDN staff members were honored for statewide “journalist of the year” awards, based on multiple examples of their work.

Reporter Isaac Stone Simonelli was named News Writer of the Year for stories including a detailed look at Bellingham fire codes in the wake of the tragic Terminal Building Fire in Fairhaven last December, the regional power grid and Skagit County’s Farm to Food program. Reporter Charlotte Alden finished second in the same category with pieces on partisan school board politics, the balance between city cleanups and the rights of homeless people in Bellingham, and Whatcom County’s mental health court.

Assistant Editor Audra Anderson was named Feature Writer of the Year for a package of stories that included a humor piece, “Couches in Bloom,” about sofas and other furniture discarded on city streets. Her submission also included a story about our region’s “spider season,” pastor spouses and a popular profile of Jeff James, a longtime WTA bus driver. Judges called her work “wonderful writing … excellent examples of how to write for both lifelong locals and those new to the area.”


Former CDN sports editor Connor Benintendi won honors for Sportswriter of the Year for stories on topics including motocross, the memorable rise of Anacortes High School’s football team, and ties to the University of Washington Huskies by Ferndale football players.

Visual journalist Hailey Hoffman’s Photographer of the Year award led the way for a large number of individual awards to the CDN visuals staff of Hoffman, visual journalist Finn Wendt and veteran photographer Andy Bronson, who finished second in the Photographer of the Year category.

Hoffman was also awarded the “sweep” of the feature photo category in which she placed first, second and third. Wendt was awarded first and second place in the video category (which included all four circulation groups and did not have a third-place winner).

CDN’s design work for both its print and digital editions also received contest honors, with digital editor Jaya Flanary sharing awards with Bronson and Hoffman for front-page and special section design.

Journalism from some of CDN’s regular contributors also drew honors; judges called out writer Elliott Almond’s in-depth piece of an encounter on a local trail that led to a stabbing; the evocative nature writing in outdoor columnist Kayla Heidenreich’s monthly pieces, and the deep reporting of business contributor Frank Catalano.

The WNPA, founded in 1887, is an advocate group for community newspapers, freedom of the press and open government. The Better Newspaper Contest evaluated content published in print between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, organizing the awards into four groups based on a publication’s circulation. 

Other local publications also fared well in the contest. The Anacortes American, Islands’ Sounder, Journal of the San Juan Islands, La Conner Weekly News, Lynden Tribune, Whidbey News-Times and Blaine’s Northern Light also brought multiple WNPA awards home to Northwest Washington.

Judd said the region’s strong newspaper performance is a credit to an engaged, active readership across the northwest corner of the state.

“People in our region are plugged-in,” he said. “Many of them see regular, professional journalism as central to their lives and they are getting that from a variety of sources, which is important.”


First-place awards

Overall

Community Service — “Citizens Agenda 2023” by Judd and CDN Staff

News Writer of the Year — Simonelli

Feature Writer of the Year — Anderson

Sports Writer of the Year — Benintendi

Photographer of the Year — Hoffman

Writing

Comprehensive coverage — Five stories covering the Terminal Building fire in Fairhaven by CDN Staff:

Investigative reporting — “Bellingham blazes, one fatal, put fire code and safety checks in spotlight” by Simonelli

News story long — “A chance encounter between a mountain biker and hiker changed their lives” by Almond

Business news story — “Bellis Fair mall retail grows as downtown Bellingham struggles” by Catalano

Education story — “Whatcom students learn empathy from tiny teachers — babies” by Hoffman

Social issue story — “City’s homeless cleanups weigh compassion against public cleanliness, complaints” by Alden

Business feature story — “An institution for decades, Hardware Sales emphasizes people — and e-commerce” by Catalano

General feature story, short — “Late-in-life love at Bellingham’s Senior Activity Center” by lifestyle editor Cocoa Laney

Sports personality profile — “Breaking the sound barrier: Deaf Lynden football player embraces being unique” by news producer Eric Trent

Personality profile, long — “Rearview reflections: Longtime WTA bus driver finds purpose in the front seat” by Anderson

Editorial — “Suggested Bellingham schools course: Intro to Public Accountability” by Judd

Topical columns — Three columns by CDN contributor Kayla Heidenreich:

CDN also congratulates sports reporter Nick Zeller-Singh for his first-place win in the sports feature category for his story in the Bainbridge Island Review.

Digital

Breaking news photo — “Morning after the Terminal Building fire” by CDN contributor Steve Rice

Pat Wickline and Sharon Streams hug near a firetruck.
Pat Wickline and Sharon Streams hug Dec. 7, 2023 outside the Terminal Building in Fairhaven after a significant fire the night before. Wickline and Streams live two blocks away and were regulars of the Independent Coffeehouse and Harris Avenue Cafe, both housed in the building. (Photo courtesy of Steve Rice)

General news photo — “Fentanyl takes a deadly toll on Whatcom families” by Hoffman

Feature photo — “Nooksack Days Pow Wow” by Hoffman

Dressed in full colorful regalia and black feathers attached to his back and arms, Jeremiah Wahchumwah dances.
Dressed in full regalia, Jeremiah Wahchumwah, 8, of the Puyallup Tribe, dances — leaping and spinning — to the beat of a drum Sept. 24, 2023 during a competition at the Nooksack Days Pow Wow. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Portrait photo — “Kaelin Blakley softball” by Bronson and Wendt

Sports action photo — “Munson raises fist in the air” by Bronson

Sehome’s Zach Munson pumps his fist as he wins the 800-meter race at the State Track & Field Championships May 27 at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
Sehome’s Zach Munson pumps his fist as he wins the 800-meter race at the WIAA 2A state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School on May 27, 2023 in Tacoma. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)

Sports feature photo — “Ski to Sea race at 50” by Hoffman

Video — “Made in Cascadia: The Goat’s Coat” by Wendt

Front page design — “Working Waterfront / metal shredder” by Flanary and Hoffman

Event/special sections — “Ski to Sea: A preview of Bellingham’s biggest event” by Flanary and Bronson


Second-place awards

Overall

News Writer of the Year — Alden

Photographer of the Year — Bronson

Writing

Education story — “A day at Point Roberts Primary, one of Washington’s smallest public schools” by Hoffman

Social issue story — “Farm to food bank: An innovative plan that feeds and funds the Skagit community” by Simonelli

Editorial pages — (Print only) by Judd, et al

General interest columns — Three columns by Judd:

CDN also congratulates Zeller-Singh for his second-place win in the sports news category for his story in the Bainbridge Island Review.

Digital

General news photo — “Kim Lund reacts to election results” by Wendt

Incoming mayor of Bellingham Kim Lund reacts to the slim margins in the mayoral race read out loud by an older woman.
Incoming mayor of Bellingham Kim Lund reacts to the slim margins in the mayoral race Nov. 7, 2023 at an election night party at Penny Farthing in Bellingham. (Finn Wendt/Cascadia Daily News)

Feature photo — “Dairy cow greeting” by Hoffman

Pictorial photo — “Starlink streaks through sky” by Hoffman

Sports feature photo — “Kayak water polo” by Hoffman

Kayak water polo players swirl around the basket as they aim to score a point while playing offshore.
Kayak water polo players swirl around the basket as they aim to score a point while playing offshore from Marine Park on April 12, 2023. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Newspaper websitecascadiadaily.com by Flanary and CDN staff

Video — “Whatcom Creek salmon” by Wendt


Third-place awards

Writing

Comprehensive coverage, single writer — “Time to Spare: Bowling clears a lane for sport, community” by Flanary

Business feature story — “Faithlife repositions as its new CEO marks 18 months” by Catalano

Environmental story — “Salmon management 50 years after the Boldt Decision focuses on survival” by Simonelli

News story, long — “Fentanyl takes a deadly toll on Whatcom families” by Schwartz

Lifestyle feature story — “Far from clue-less, CDN crossword creator Matt Jones has made his mark” by Flanary

Digital

Sports feature photo — “Bernardy battles at the net” by Trent

Meridian's Rylan Bernardy screams in celebration as her team behind her do the same.
Meridian’s Rylan Bernardy screams in celebration after the Trojans score in the first set against La Center at the 1A state tournament Nov. 11, 2023. (Eric Trent/Cascadia Daily News)

Portrait photo — “Kai Johnson on the bleachers” by Wendt

Sports action photo — “Mutton-busting competition” by Bronson

Breaking news photo — “Hotshots head home” by Bronson

The Baker River Hotshots, all wearing red safety hard hats, head to their trucks to head hom in a single line.
The Baker River Hotshots crew head to their trucks to head home for the night on Aug. 30, 2023 after fighting the Lake Whatcom Fire. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)

Feature photo — “Roots of Empathy” by Hoffman

Front page design — “Our Boys in the Boat / Fairhaven fire” by Flanary

A caption for the Terminal Building fire photo had the incorrect year – the fire occurred in 2023. Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.


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