Post earns two dozen awards, including 1st place for breaking news, photo essay and writing in statewide journalism contest

Roughly 400 journalists from California gathered for the banquet at the Westin in Long Beach. The contest included more than 3,100 entries in digital, print and college newspapers.

The Long Beach Post was nominated for a total 24 awards in the digital category. The first-place winners included:

• First place for breaking news coverage of the June 25 fatal shooting of Capt. David Rosa. The coverage was led by breaking news editor Jeremiah Dobruck. The judges wrote that the coverage was an example of “coverage at its best,” with the stories providing answers to questions that readers were asking, along with poignant and thoughtful observations.
• First place for photo essay for photos of Alford family memorial by Thomas Cordova. The judges noted that Cordova “managed to convey strong emotion without making the viewer feel too intrusive.”
• First place for writing to Asia Morris for a piece on an Oaxaca-born artist who painted life in the fields. The judges said the story had a great lead and was a well-written, unusual story. The Post also claimed second-place in that category for a piece by Brian Addison on a restaurant that received a negative review, and then met with the critic.

Other awards included:

• Fifth place for local government reporting for coverage of the southeast land swap by Jason Ruiz.
• Fifth place for column writing for two columns by Tim Grobaty about a would-be molester.
• Second place for coverage of youth and education for a story about crime in the Washington neighborhood by Kelly Puente, and fourth place for a story about disparities among kids walking to school by Valerie Osier and Stephanie Rivera.
• Second place for feature photo, “A Father’s Grief,” by Thomas Cordova; third place for feature photo for “Mexika dancer” by Thomas Cordova; and fifth place for feature photo, “Dad’s Big Day,” by Thomas Cordova.
• Third place for informational graphic showing pedestrian-involved collisions by Dennis Dean.
• Second place for land use reporting for the closure of KH Market in Cambodia Town by Brian Addison; fourth place for a story on a North Long Beach development by Brian Addison; fifth place for a story about the city’s land use element by Brian Addison.
• Second place for news photo of the Corrales memorial by Thomas Cordova; third place for a photo of a crash on Wardlow by Thomas Cordova; fourth place on a photo of firefighters embracing in the street by Thomas Cordova.
• Second place for public service journalism for the Post’s Safe Streets project.
• Third place for news video on Jim Danno by Thomas Cordova; fifth place for video on Maxwell Wilson by Thomas Cordova.
• Second place for another video of an Oaxaca-born artist by Narsiso Martinez; fifth place for a video on Long Beach being a pie town by Thomas Cordova.