Parry Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper two journalists from The Columbia Paper last week received awards in the New York Press Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. The Thomas G. Butson Award for In-Depth Reporting Division 1 Second Place went to Associate Editor Diane Valden and to The Columbia Paper for Valden’s continuing coverage of Sal Cascino’s so-called Copake Valley Farm and his ongoing practice of illegally dumping tons of construction debris and solid waste. Valden has been covering the Copake Valley Farm story for more than 20 years. Photographer and reporter David Lee placed third for Spot News Photo, Division 1, for a photo he took depicting Chatham volunteer firefighter Chris Knable at the top of a ladder truck apparatus placing holiday lights on the village Christmas tree. A full moon shines overhead. The contest judges are journalists from other states. More than 170 newspapers in New York participated and overall there were 2,918 entries. Division 1 includes papers up to twice the size of The Columbia Paper. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.