News receives five first-place awards in ONPA contest

“The staff does an excellent job covering the community with a good mix of hard news, community, features and sports. I liked the clean layout that was easy to navigate,” commented one judge (judging is anonymous).

Columbia Gorge News Publisher/Owner Chelsea Marr took third place in Best Editorial; hers was on community concerns following a shooting incident in Hood River Feb. 2, 2023. “Marr’s column is one that resonates with community media outlets that frequently find themselves in the position of defending our actions against social media onslaughts,” said a judge.

Managing Editor Trisha Walker took first in Best Editorial, where she wrote about Hood River County School District’s 2023 bond levy. “Walker’s editorial is written in an accessible and concise manner,” said a judge. “She provides tangible supporting arguments for her stance on the option levy, reminding readers (or maybe informing them) why the issue is important.”

Walker also took third in Best Writing.

Reporter Laurel Brown took first in Best Lifestyle Coverage for her story on Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue’s Marine Patrol team. “A wealth of information through engaging writing in a condensed format,” said a judge. “It achieved its goal of informing the reader about the rescue crew while addressing the humanity of those being rescued.”

Brown also took first for Best Feature Photo.

Reporter Flora Gibson took second in Best Lifestyle Coverage for their story on new statues arriving at the Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple. “A unique story that is relevant and engaging,” said a judge. “It addresses many points, including culture, spirituality and inclusion, which continued to draw my attention.”

Sports Editor, Photographer and Reporter Noah Noteboom took both first and third in Best Sports Story for “Embrace Disability” and “HRV grad sets new heights,” respectively. Judges commented on Noteboom’s descriptive writing, quotes gathered and style.

Staff took first and second place in Best Online Coverage of Breaking News for “Shots fired, police standoff” and “Tunnel 5 Fire,” respectively. Judges said staff captured the beginning and end of the police standoff story that included community reactions; for Tunnel 5, important lifesaving updates were noted.

“It feels good to have recognition for this work on the state level. And even better to know we have awards coming from our national newspaper contest entries as well,” said Marr. “Readers have no idea the hours that go into each of our weekly editions. We work hard from beginning to end — writing, advertising, design and delivery, all of which have places to stumble or go wrong along the way. We have a small but mighty crew and I appreciate all they do for our news.”

“Our staff works incredibly hard to produce our weekly regional newspaper,” said Walker. “It’s especially gratifying to see our younger writers taking home awards in competitive categories. They are all very talented.”

“All of these honors for our team show their dedication to community journalism and I’m proud to work for Columbia Gorge News,” said Noteboom. “I learned a lot and was happy I could tell the success stories of local athletes Maddie Woo, Elena Kroll and Sarah Sullenger.”

National contest awards

Columbia Gorge News also won several awards in the National Better Newspaper contest for 2023, including a second place in General Excellence.

“This is a big win for us,” said Marr. “This says our newspaper is not only exceptional in our state, but turned judges’ heads across the country.”

“Receiving a second place General Excellence award at the national level is amazing,” said Walker. “It’s a reflection of staff as a whole, and it’s heartening to be recognized this way.”

In addition, Columbia Gorge News placed second for its online coverage of breaking news, “Shots fire, police standoff.”

Noteboom took third place for best sports photo, “HRV Topples TD.” He also won second place for his story, “Embrace Disability,” and third place for “HRV Grads set new heights.”

“It was a great year for Columbia Gorge News as we strive to improve our work on a weekly basis throughout the year,” said Marr. “We hope our readers agree.”