The results are in, and writers for The Times were showered with honors for their work in 2024.

The Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association presented the awards in its Better Newspaper Contest on Friday, July 18, at the Boulder Falls Center in Lebanon. The Times staff was awarded a total of five awards for their coverage of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood.

Veteran reporter Ray Pitz took home first place for Best Writing, which included “Raising the bar(n)”, “Like a food bank, but for furniture” and “Yield to the sound of sirens” and well as third place in Best Educational Coverage for “Raising the bar(n).”

Reporter Nick LaMora brought home first place in Best Enterprise Reporting for “Questions remain around man’s death after he was dragged by TriMet train” for The Times. In the News-Times, covering Hillsboro and Forest Grove, LaMora won two second-place awards and one third-place.

Former Times photojournalist Jaime Valdez won first place and third place in Best News Photo for “Beaverton mourns Melissa Jubane” and “Picking up the (thawing) pieces”, respectively. Valdez won a total of 10 ONPA awards for 2024.

The association recognized reporters and editors from The Times and other sister publications, among other media outlets across Oregon, for their outstanding coverage.

Lauren Bishop, editor for The Times, the (Forest Grove and Hillsboro) News-Times, the Columbia County Spotlight, The Newberg Graphic and the Woodburn Independent received one solo second-place award and first-place and third-place accolades for a story written in conjunction with colleagues.

Assistant editor Kaelyn Cassidy was honored with two second-place solo awards for her reporting at the Columbia County Spotlight and another two first-place honors in conjunction with colleagues through ONPA in 2024.