EVERETT — Staff at The Daily Herald took home seven honors this week at the Society of Professional Journalists’ regional contest.

All three Herald photojournalists were recognized.

Ryan Berry took first place for General News Photography for pictures accompanied by a colorful story he wrote: “To grow a great pumpkin in Edmonds: seeds, water, brute force.”

Berry had followed up on a newstip originally called in to The Herald’s resident news-of-the-weird columnist, Andrea Brown. As the pumpkin grower, retired dentist Ross Haddow, 72, remarked: “It’s fun to grow a fruit that’s bigger than you are.”

But if you want to move it, say, to compete in a giant pumpkin competition? That takes muscle. And as many volunteers as Haddow could round up. The team tied a rope to the gargantuan gourd and pulled with all their might. That ended up being Berry’s prize-winning moment.

A judge for the contest commented: “This photo answers the question, ‘Just how big was it?’”

Since the pumpkin was bound for a guess-the-weight contest, Berry was unable reveal its poundage, until now. Just shy of a half-ton.

Annie Barker took second place in the “Photo Essay” category for images featured in a story by Janice Podsada: “Saving racehorses from slaughter, Snohomish rescue offers second chance.”

“Memorable photos convey the strong, intimate emotion, love of Snohomish rescue saving racehorses,” one judge wrote.

Olivia Vanni took second for “Spot News Photography,” for photos of record flooding on the Stillaguamish River, leaving pickup trucks stranded in hip-deep water on roads near Silvana.

Herald coverage of the December flooding also took second place in the “Breaking News” category, with credit to reporters Jordan Hansen, Aina de Lapparent Alvarez, Jonathan Tall, Maya Tizon and Ta’Leah Van Sistine.

The news crew ended up dedicating the better part of a week to coverage of the fast-changing forecast, the flooding and its aftermath. As the the disaster unfolded on Dec. 5, 2023, The Herald published 10 updated versions of its main story.

“The weather service has their forecast, then we see what the river actually does,” county Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Scott North told The Herald.

Another article, by Van Sistine, examined why flooding on the Stillaguamish River is so challenging to forecast. A judge remarked the team’s coverage offered an “in-depth look at effects of climate change on one community.”

Caleb Hutton took second place in “Crime & Law Enforcement” reporting on a man whose remains were known as the Spencer Island John Doe for 44 years. Snohomish County authorities identified him as Gary Lee Haynie, of Kansas, through forensic genealogy, using the combined powers of ancestry databases and advances in DNA technology.

One judge said: “This story was handled with thought and sensitivity in remembering this forgotten man in a manner he deserved — as a human being, not just a cold case.”

Sophia Gates won second place for “Poverty & Homelessness” coverage for an in-depth look at Everett’s expanded “no-sit, no-lie” ban in a series of stories last year. Her reporting offered a microphone to homeless people actually affected by the ban.

Kayla Dunn won second place in the “LGBTQ+ Equity Reporting” category for coverage of a church vigil, countering anti-LGBTQ+ pamphlets scattered across cars in Edmonds: “‘We can’t let hate scare us’: Edmonds vigil pushes back at hateful flyers.”

A judge wrote: “Very solid story with clear writing and interesting details that tell it in a way that matters to a community.”

The Herald competed in the “Large” newsroom category of SPJ’s Region 10, alongside news outlets like The Columbian, KUOW, The Idaho Statesman, Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon.

The region covers the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

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