September 17, 2009 in City

S-R wins Cowles Cup, other photo awards

• Print
• Email
• Share

Kathy Plonka photo

Brayden Godin, 6, displays a drawing he did on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The drawing was part of counseling sessions that have been donated to the family after their story was featured in The Spokesman-Review. Brayden along with his three sisters from left, Keira, 9,Macaylee, 5 and Destiny, 8 are being raised by the great grandparents Shirley and Chuck Young of Coeur d’Alene.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)

Spokesman-Review photographer Kathy Plonka won the Cowles Cup, the annual award for best overall entry in the Washington-Oregon Associated Press Photo Contest, for her photographs of a Coeur d’Alene couple raising their four great-grandchildren.

The photo essay, titled “Difficult Blessings,” was praised by contest judges as “wonderful storytelling through touching moments.” The winner was announced Thursday at the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association annual meeting.

The Cowles trophy, awarded each year since 1952, is named for William Hutchison Cowles, former publisher of The Spokesman-Review. It goes to the best entry in the two-state photo contest, regardless of category.

The Spokesman-Review won six other awards in the photo contest:

News photo: first place, Colin Mulvany.

Sports photo: first, Dan Pelle; second and third, Christopher Anderson.

Feature photo: second, Christopher Anderson.

Multiple photos: first, Kathy Plonka.

No comments on this story so far. Add yours!