Contest judging finishes; program set for convention

Judges in Montana have finished looking over our Better Newspaper Contest entries, and the letters announcing the winners will go out July 27.

Convention registration will open the same day.

The annual meeting and awards dinner this year will be Oct. 6 &7 at the Red Lion Hotel - Kennewick Columbia Center.

The WNPA Board and staff have planned a great conference that includes several guest speakers.

Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands, Hillary Franz, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address during the awards luncheon on Oct. 7.

Presenting workshops are Kevin Slimp, a nationally known newspaper consultant, and Bill Ostendorf of Creative Circle Media.

Both will present workshops that everyone in your company can enjoy.

Make your plans to attend today.

Celebrated Wahkiakum publisher passes away

Rick Nelson, publisher of the Wahkiakum County Eagle, passed away June 2 from cancer.

He announced his grim diagnosis in the newspaper, and the community turned out in support.

Gov. Jay Inslee in a letter to Nelson, noted Nelson’s devotion to journalism and the community.

Lots of great jobs open around the region! Page 8

Nelson’s parents, Bob and Lois Nelson, bought the paper in 1966. Rick started working there as a seventh grader, cleaning up.

He graduated from Wahkiakum High School in 1969, then attended Western Washington University where he studied French and journalism. Although he worked in the woods, he returned to newspapering and took over as publisher when his father died in 2006.

He leaves a wife, MaryAnn, and two sons, Jacob and Jamie.