The Poway News Chieftain and Rancho Bernardo News Journal won a total of 20 awards, including four first place honors, in the Society of Professional Journalists San Diego Chapter 2024 journalism awards competition.

The awards were announced at a June 27 ceremony at Stone Brewing in Liberty Station.

Reporter Elizabeth Marie Himchak won two first place honors, five second place and six third place awards in the Nondaily Reporting and Writing category:

Arts/Entertainment story (Visual Arts), second place: “Rancho Bernardo man to exhibit his black and white photography at Art San Diego”

Criminal Justice story, first place: “Seniors learn how to avoid being scammed during Rancho Bernardo seminar”

Education story, second place: “Poway Adult School graduates show resiliency, determination”

Education story, third place: “New Poway Unified Transition Program class has special needs students cooking up new skills”

Environment story, second place: “Infected citrus tree in RB leads to 95-square-mile quarantine zone”

Feature story (Light Subject): second place: “Rancho Bernardo couple shares their love of train village displays”

Feature story (Light Subject), third place: “Volunteers are the creative force behind Poway’s haunted house in Templars Hall”

Feature story (Serious Subject), second place: “Poway Backpackers alumni gather to honor group’s late founder, Eddie Lindros”

Government story, third place: “Road conditions in RB, Carmel Mountain Ranch continue to frustrate locals”

Health story, third place: “Breast cancer survivor gives up career to help other patients through treatments”

Multicultural story, third place: “Rancho Bernardo Library’s new branch manager comes full-circle in her career”

Profile, first place, “Academy Award winner Peter Berkos of Rancho Bernardo to turn 100”

Sports story, third place: “Reaching new heights: Teens flying high to follow in parents’ cirque footsteps”

Reporter Julie Gallant won two first place honors and one second place award in the Non-daily Reporting and Writing category:

Housing Insecurity story, first place, “Poway preparing to launch ban on homeless camping on Aug. 17”

Government story, first place: “Poway council OKs improved safety signs on Midland Road — the site of two traffic fatalities”

Environment story, third place: “Corpse flower a stinky sight at Walter Andersen’s Nursery in Poway”

Harvey Levine won second place in the Non-daily Reporting and Writing Columns category for “Just Sayin’: Understanding the fuss over ethnic studies” and other columns.

Clarence Schmidt won third place in the Non-daily Reporting and Writing Columns category for “Good Natured Gardening: Adaptive gardening eases tasks for those with physical limitations” and other columns.

The Union-Tribune Community Press received 29 awards, including 10 first place honors.