The Haliburton Echo and sister publication the Minden Times have been nominated in numerous categories for this year’s Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s Better Newspapers Competition.

The Echo is nominated for general excellence in its circulation class, and former editor Jenn Watt is nominated for stories in the education, health and heritage categories, as well as best headline writing. Darren Lum is nominated in the arts category for a story about an artist capturing self-portraits in self-isolation, as well as in the sports category. Sue Tiffin is also nominated in the environment category for a story about forest schools. The Echo is nominated for best sports photo, best sports section, and Lum is nominated for the OCNA’s Photographer of the Year.

For the Times, Tiffin is nominated in the education writing category for a story about families facing back-to-school decisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Chad Ingram is nominated for news writing for a story about a fatal police shooting last July, stemming from a dispute that occurred when a customer was asked to put on a face mask to enter a local grocery store. Times columnist Jim Poling Sr. is nominated for Columnist of the Year.

A nomination means either a first, second or third place finish, with the results to be announced virtually on April 23.