2021 WNPA Better Newspaper Contest

KP News Wins General Excellence Award — and 16 More

For the fourth consecutive year, the “little community paper” won top honors for writing, photography and advertising.

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Key Peninsula News won second place for its first time win in the Newspapers of Excellence category. The award is judged on content, layout and overall impression from three issues: September 2020, October 2020 and May 2021

KP News staff and contributors earned 17 awards at the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association statewide 2021 Better Newspaper Contest, held virtually Oct. 8.

Executive Editor Lisa Bryan, Design Editor Tim Heitzman, and Associate Editor Ted Olinger shared the second place trophy for general excellence, competing against much larger publications. General excellence is scored on points per section, including sports, arts, and lifestyle — sections KP News doesn’t publish.

Now in its 134th year, WNPA gives awards for work published the previous 12 months. This year, 51 newspapers submitted almost 1,400 entries judged by the Kentucky Press Association. KP News won 14 awards in 2020, eight in 2019, and three in 2018.

Lisa Bryan won second place in the editorial category for her July 2020 “Page 2,” where she wrote, “As a rural community our greatest challenge is not winning the war against COVID-19 –– a feat currently beyond our capacity — but working together to hold the line against it.”

Tim Heitzman won second and third place for best ad campaigns for Glen Cove Repair and KP News in-house campaigns.

Krisa Bruemmer took first place in education reporting for “KP Students Win First Place for Writing and Art” (Dec. 2020), and second place in sports personality feature for her story “Jonah Derrick — Proud Unified Athlete, Leader and Friend” (June 2020). “This is the kind of story that can be overlooked if reporters (and editors) aren’t paying attention,” the judges wrote in their comments. “The topic is great, the interview with Jonah and his parents hit on more than just sports and brought out the boy’s dreams. Solid writing.”

Bruemmer also won third place for her black-and-white portrait “Dance Party” at the KP Co-op Preschool (April 2020).

Chris Rurik won first place in environmental reporting for “On Foot, Deep in Rocky Creek Preserve” (Feb. 2021), and first place for an animal feature story for “When the Silver Salmon Return” (Nov. 2020). About the latter, the judges wrote, “Both lyrical and informative; the writer didn’t get in the way but left (us) wanting more.”

Caleb Galbreath took third place for a lifestyle feature with “Chicken Whisperer” (April 2020).

Ted Olinger’s “Another Last Word” earned second place for a topical column with his three-part series “Journal of the Plague Year.” He also won third place in sports features for “Seahawks Notch Historic Win in (Empty) Fish Bowl 42” (March 2021).

The dynasty that is Carolyn Wiley continued to dominate the humor column category with her fourth consecutive win, taking second place for “Devil’s Head Diary.” The judges commented, “(We’d) love to spend a day with this columnist because she makes life seem funny no matter what happens.”

Rookie Dan Clouse won first place in history features for his KP Reads article “The Chinook Jargon Pocket Dictionary” (Dec. 2020). “The effort this writer took with his subject was very evident. He used example after example in an engaging way, with humor and style,” wrote the judges.

Guest writer Anna Brones won third place in history features for “Women Who Dared” (Oct. 2020). According to the judges, “The writer did a fine job of showing these women’s grit — and giving them credit.”

First place for a photo essay went to the Aug. 2020 Out & About page, which included photos from Caleb Galbreath, Ed Johnson and Tina McKail.

Second place for a photo essay went to the March 2021 Out & About Snow Edition, with photos from Cinda Baldwin, Britta Brones, Ed Johnson, Brandon McNerney, Gayle Shriner, Steve West and Sam Yost.


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