Times, P-I take top honors in C.B. Blethen Awards

PORTLAND — The Seattle Times took top honors for enterprise and consumer reporting Thursday in the C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards for Distinguished Newspaper Reporting.

Times reporter Jonathan Martin won the Distinguished Enterprise category for "What's best for Baby M?," the story of a homeless couple's attempt to regain custody of their infant girl from the state of Washington.

Frank Blethen, publisher of The Seattle Times, presented this year's awards at the annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association. It marked the 30th year the awards have been given in memory of the man who published The Seattle Times from 1915 until his death in 1941.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Eric Nalder and Lewis Kamb won top honors for investigative reporting for "Conduct Unbecoming," an investigation of the King County sheriff's office.

Among newspapers with a circulation of under 50,000, reporter Peter Zuckerman and the staff of the Post Register in Idaho Falls won for "Scouts' Honor," a series about the Boy Scouts program in eastern Idaho and its decade-long problem with child molesters.

In the other categories:

Distinguished Deadline Reporting

Under 50,000 circulation: 1. The Chronicle in Centralia; Staff; "Iraq ambush kills Centralian." 2. Yakima Herald-Republic; David Lester, Mark Morey; "Four at large in jailbreak."

Over 50,000 circulation: 1. The News Tribune of Tacoma; Staff; "Shooting at the Tacoma Mall." 2. The Oregonian in Portland; Helen Jung; "Flying around a racetrack at 10,000 feet."

Distinguished Feature Writing

Under 50,000 circulation: 1. Post Register in Idaho Falls, Idaho; Nicole Stricker; "Of meth and motherhood." 2. Yakima Herald-Republic; Jane Gargas; "Grandparent-turned-parent."

Over 50,000 circulation: 1. Seattle Post-Intelligencer; Carol Smith; "The cipher in room 214." 2. The Oregonian; Tom Hallman Jr.; "The courage of his convictions."

Distinguished Enterprise Writing

Under 50,000 circulation: 1. The Daily News of Longview; Tony Lystra; "Living in the Highlands." 2. Walla Walla Union-Bulletin; Terry McConn; "Many waters, many uses."

Distinguished Coverage of Diversity

Under 50,000 circulation: 1. Yakima Herald-Republic; Philip Ferolito; "Native Sons." 2. Tri-City Herald in Kennewick; Anna King; "Off the land."

Over 50,000 circulation: 1. Seattle Post-Intelligencer; Staff; "Hard work, hard times." 2. The Idaho Statesman in Boise, Idaho; Tim Woodward; "nimiipuu: The story of the Nez Perce."

Debby Lowman Award for Distinguished Reporting of Consumer Affairs (no circulation distinction)

1. The Seattle Times; Staff; "Consumer Reporting."

2. The Oregonian; Bill Graves; "Payday loans."