Mercer Island Reporter wins 8 awards in Washington state journalism contest

Mercer Island Reporter and Reporter Newspapers photographer Chad Coleman was named Photographer of the Year in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association's 2010 Better Newspaper Contest.

Coleman's award was one of eight earned by Mercer Island Reporter staff members that included four first-place awards, one second-place award, and three third-place awards.

The Mercer Island Reporter is part of Sound Publishing, whose individuals and staffs won 174 awards in the statewide contest. Awards were presented on Oct. 1 at the WNPA's annual conference and banquet in Wenatchee, with a contingent of 14 Sound Publishing executives, publishers and editors in attendance.

Individual award winners at the Mercer Island Reporter include:

Coleman won first place in the Best Sports Action Photo category for a picture of an Islander swimmer's final at the team's fifth state championship, and first place for his blog, Focus Northwest, where he discusses photography and photo techniques.

Mary L. Grady, editor, won first place in Best Sports Feature for a story about a former Islander who, as an Olympic torchbearer in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, proposed marriage to his girlfriend, torch in hand. Grady also won third place in Best Story on the Arts for a piece titled Alone Around the Mountain, which featured Islander Fred Milkie Jr. and his photography of Mt. Rainier.

Rebecca Mar won first place in Best Lifestyle Feature for a story about a Mercer Island fashion designer who landed a career in New York with Narciso Rodriguez. She also won third place in Best Feature/Scenic Photo for a picture of a mother and daughter flying a kite in an Island park.

Former city reporter Elizabeth Celms, now pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University in New York, won first place in Best News of the Weird for covering the case of shredded cash found by an Island garbage man; and third place in Best General Long Feature Story for profiling a ride-along patrol with the MIPD.

The Mercer Island Reporter staff won second place in Best Special Section: Lifestyle/Culture for the March 2010 "Home Works" edition of 98040: Mercer Island Living.

The Reporter papers as a group won first place in Best Special Section: Topical/Non-Tourism for "Navigate the Future," which took an in-depth look at transportation issues in the region.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.