Newspaper receives open government award

Representatives of the Washington Coalition for Open Government awarded “La Conner Weekly News” editor and publisher Sandy Stokes with a Key Award on Thursday for advancing the cause of open government after the paper was awarded a $24,500 judgment in a lawsuit against Fire District 13 for violating the state’s Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act.

“I want to say that it takes courage to stand up for open government and to advocate for transparency,” said George Erb, a director for the Washington Coalition for Open Government and former editor of the “Puget Sound Business Journal.”...