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:
- Tragic loss: Dedicated cafe owner missing, historic treasure lost to fire (print only) by former staff reporter Ralph Schwartz
- Bellingham’s Terminal Building, destroyed in Fairhaven fire, had 135-year history by Alden
- Body recovered Tuesday in fire-ravaged Terminal Building by Alden
- Bellingham blazes, one fatal, put fire code and safety checks in spotlight by Simonelli
- Dramatic 911 calls paint scene of fatal Fairhaven fire by Simonelli
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:
- Life dances with light, rhythm ensues
- It’s time to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- Gifts of mountain life countered by the pain of its take
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
General news photo — “Fentanyl takes a deadly toll on Whatcom families” by Hoffman
Feature photo — “Nooksack Days Pow Wow” by Hoffman
Portrait photo — “Kaelin Blakley softball” by Bronson and Wendt
Sports action photo — “Munson raises fist in the air” by Bronson
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:
- What Bellingham REALLY needs: A waterfront monument to dumb government
- A new fight in old war for a free press? Sign this kid up
- Our newfangled car is trying to kill me
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
Feature photo — “Dairy cow greeting” by Hoffman
Pictorial photo — “Starlink streaks through sky” by Hoffman
Sports feature photo — “Kayak water polo” by Hoffman
Newspaper website — cascadiadaily.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
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
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.