The Journal’s Ryan Burns is first in investigative reporting, first in local government coverage and first in writing, says the California Newspaper Association’s Better Newspapers Contest.

And our whole staff comes in second in breaking news coverage, for our June 2012 election edition.

The honors, for weekly papers in our size category from all over California, were handed out in late April, while everybody at the Journal was scurrying to get our new website up and running. But we finally had a chance to take a deep breath and take notice. So go, Ryan!

Announced earlier, by the way, were five honorable mentions for illustration, cartooning, feature writing, environmental reporting and investigative reporting. You can find links to all the Journal's winning entries here.