Newspaper staffers win multiple awards

KENNEWICK – Free Press Publishing staffers brought home several awards from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association annual gala celebration Saturday night, Oct. 7.

Cheney Free Press staffers Paul Delaney, John Myers and Roger Harnack were recognized individually.

Reporter Delaney won second-place for sports profile writing and graphic artist Myers won second-place in front page design.

Owner/Publisher Harnack won first place in sports action photography, as well as online photo galleries and photo essay. He won third-place in feature photography, as well.

Contributing artist Brad Skiff of Bridgeport swept the political cartoon category, taking first, second and third. For the sweep, he received a broom as his award.

Sister newspapers

Other Free Press staffers were also recognized for exceptional work during the last year.

Cheney Free Press sister newspaper, the Whitman County Gazette, received the General Excellence Award for being the best newspaper in the state in its size category. Justin Slayton, Olivia Harnack, Teren Kowatsch and Teresa Simpson were recognized as part of that award-winning team.

Simpson also won second place for spot news reporting with her coverage of a train derailment last year near Hooper, between LaCrosse and Washtucna.

Kowaltsch won first place in sports feature photography for his image of the Oakesdale girls volleyball team celebrating their sixth state title win in the last seven years.

Slayton, too, won an individual award for front page design. He brought home third place, just behind Myers.

In other Free Press awards, reporter Dale Brown or Ritzville received a third-place award for his coverage of the investigation in to the Adams County Elections Office alarm being tripped last year.

And reporter Byrne Bennett of Reardan received third-place award for his photography at the Haunted Train last year.