The "Commuter," Linn-Benton Community College's student newspaper, won 17 awards, including seven first-place honors, in the Oregon's Newspaper Publishers Association (ONPA) annual state-wide college newspaper competition.

Individual awards went to:

• Managing editor Adam Peoples of Lebanon: first and second in best graphic, honorable mention in best review, and first in best selection for "In Focus," which he edits and designs.

• Photographer Lewis Forquer of Lebanon; first and second in best sports photo, and second in best photography overall.

• Sports editor Jacob Espinoza of Keizer: second place in best news story and second in best columnist.

• A&E Editor Peggy Issacs of Corvallis: second best in headline writing and honorable mention in best section for the Arts & Entertainment, which she edits.

• Former contributing editor: Thomas Linn: first in best news series for a two-part series on LBCC budget cuts that appeared last spring term.

• Thomas Benham of Albany: first in best cartoonist.

• Israel Helfrich of Sweet Home: first in best house ad.

• Joleen Bartelds of Corvallis: honorable mention in best house ad.

The editor-in-chief of the "Commuter" is Michelle Bertalot, a 2002 graduate of Lebanon High School.

The awards were presented May 7 at the ONPA's Collegiate Day Conference at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. Seventeen college dailies and weeklies competed in three divisions, with judging performed by professional journalists from around the state.

The Commuter, competing in a field of seven community college weeklies, earned more first place awards than any other paper in its division. In addition, staff members won six second-place awards and four honorable mentions, including an honorable mention in the general excellence category.