The Port Orchard Independent staff won awards in news, sports, layout and advertising in the 2011 Washington Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

Former editor Jeff Rhodes received first-place recognition in two categories: Best Editorial for “Judge correct to throw the book at ‘Bangor 5’”; and Best Crime and Court Story for an article headlined “Montessori students convoke Big Bad Wolf.” He also garnered a second-place award in the category of Best Front Page Design.

Sports editor Chris Chancellor was a finalist for the WNPA Sportwriter of the Year award, and he took third place in the Best Sports Feature category for the article “Sick & Tired of being Sick & Tired.”

In the Best General Interest Column, third place went to columnist Bob Meadows, whose column runs weekly on the Independent’s editorial page.

In the Special Events/Festivals Special Sections category, first place went to the Independent’s advertising staff of Mike Schiro, Rich Peterson, Nicole Stump and Tracy Keller for their production of Cruz 2010, a special section on Port Orchard’s big car show. Stump and Schiro got second place in the Use of Clip Art in Ad category for the Classic Car Show ad.

The Discover Kitsap visitors guide, which included contributions from the Independent staff and other newspapers in the Kitsap News Group of Sound Publishing Inc., took first in the category Advertising & Special Sections: Tourism/Community Guide Special Sections.

The complete list of contest award winners is at www.wnpa.com/static/files/2011Winners_NC.pdf.