VALE – The Malheur Enterprise has received eight first-place awards in the annual Oregon Newspapers Publishers Association newspaper contest.
The newspaper’s 2021 investigation into a lease between Americold and the Malheur County Development Corp. for the Treasure Valley Reload Center garnered two first-place awards. The report found favorable conditions that would allow the multinational company to buy the complex for $1.
“A Most Unusual Deal,” prepared by former reporters Joey Cappelletti and Abbey McDonald, was awarded first in best enterprise and best business and economics issues coverage.
The eight first-place honors for the Vale paper for work published in 2021 tied three other newspapers for the most first-place finishes – The Oregonian/OregonLive, the Grants Pass Daily Courier and the Yamhill News-Register.
The Enterprise also took second in general excellence among Oregon newspapers of its size. The winner was the Sweet Home Era.
Overall, the Enterprise won 16 awards.
“This recognition from our peers is rewarding, especially because of the challenging and sometimes unpopular work we do in investigative reporting,” said Les Zaitz, editor and publisher. “Most noteworthy to me is that every single member of our reporting staff was honored, underscoring the success the Enterprise has had in bringing top journalism talent to Malheur County.”
The Enterprise swept the best enterprise reporting category. Besides winning first, former reporter Liliana Frankel and Cappelletti won second place for their investigation of Ontario’s code enforcement practices and reporter Pat Caldwell and Zaitz clinched third place for one of their reports on the troubled Nyssa reload project.
Caldwell also was awarded first place in the best feature story-personality category while former intern Angelina Katsanis won third place. Caldwell won third for best coverage of business and economic issues.
Former intern Austin Johnson was awarded first place for best sports story for his profile of a rodeo clown, best feature photo for a mutton busting photo and best news photo for a picture of Adrian’s superintendent during an emotional public meeting last year.
Frankel also won first in best general feature story, second in best government coverage, and claimed a third-place award for best spot new coverage.
Zaitz won second in the best editorial category.
Former Enterprise editor Scotta Callister won a third-place award for best page one design.
The Argus Observer of Ontario won five awards, including first for best website.
Cappelletti and Johnson were University of Oregon students participating in the prestigious Snowden internship program during the summer of 2021. McDonald, also from the University of Oregon, worked as an intern at the newspaper during the summer of 2021.
Cappelletti is now a reporter for the Associated Press in Michigan while Johnson is a staff photographer for the Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune. McDonald is a reporter for The Daily Astorian in Astoria. Katsanis is a senior at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and is an intern at the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Frankel is now a writer living in Mexico and attending graduate school.
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