Toot, toot

The Chico News & Review came away with three first-place awards and one second-place award in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s annual Better Newspapers Contest, in the categories of Column Writing, Environmental Reporting, Front Page Design and Feature Story, respectively. The paper goes up against others in the largest circulation category for weekly papers (see Second & Flume, page 5, for specifics on the winners).

Additionally, the CN&R took home five honorable mentions: Contributor Dave Waddell’s cover piece on the city of Chico’s exorbitant public-safety compensation (Local Government); Alastair Bland’s timely cover story on tank cars carrying Bakken crude oil through Butte County (Environmental Reporting); CN&R staff’s annual Goin’ Chico issue (Special Section); overall arts coverage led by Arts Editor Jason Cassidy (Arts & Entertainment); and overall design (Layout & Design) by CN&R Art Director Tina Flynn and designer Sandra Peters.