Free Press staff awarded

CHENEY – Two Free Press Publishing staffers were honored Friday night for their newspaper work in 2019.

Graphic artist Walter Willand and Publisher Roger Harnack were among those recognized in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.

Willand and Harnack contribute to all of Free Press Publishing’s newspapers and websites, including the Whitman County Gazette.

Willand received second place for his 2019 Outdoors section cover design.

Harnack, was recognized for his photography, taking third-place in color portrait, second in color sports feature and first in color sports action photography. His awards also prompted judges to name him 2019 newspaper Photographer of the Year.

Harnack also won the newsroom Community Service Award for documenting the efforts of Colville Interact students who spent a couple weeks helping indigent Ecuador residents high in the Andes Mountains.

In addition to the two staffers, Free Press Publishing freelance political cartoonist Brad Skiff of Bridgeport received both first and third in the political cartoon division of the contest.