GREENFIELD — Greenfield Recorder Staff Writer Domenic Poli was recognized by the New England Newspaper & Press Association with two awards in its 2023 New England Better Newspaper Competition this past weekend, including a first place honor for news reporting.

The staff of the Recorder also was recognized for the newspaper’s Climate Change at Home series, taking a second place honor in the category of climate change and weather reporting. The reporting project was a collaboration with the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Athol Daily News.

In addition, columnist Jim Johnson took a second place honor for his monthly sports column Fit to Play, and former Recorder Staff Writer Mary Byrne received a third place honor in the category of local personality profile for a story on Kirsten Levitt, executive director and chef of Stone Soup Cafe in Greenfield.

“I am pleased that the quality work produced by the Recorder newsroom was recognized by our peers and judged worthy of honor across New England,” Recorder Publisher Shawn Palmer said. “I’m very happy for our entire staff and thrilled for Domenic to be honored for his general news reporting, as well as for a compelling human interest story.”

Poli received a top honor for his reporting on a case of stolen valor. Poli’s coverage helped expose a former U.S. Marine from Franklin County who embellished his military service and received a Purple Heart medal and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs he had not earned. The former Marine was later arrested and pleaded not guilty to charges in the case.

Poli also took a second place award in the category of human interest reporting for his story on a man who hikes with his slain father’s boots to keep his memory alive. The boots belonged to Tom Harty, of Orange, who was wearing them when he was killed at age 95 during a home invasion in 2016. The story detailed Donald Harty’s four-year pursuit to retrieve his father’s boots, which had been taken as evidence by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.

“Domenic is a fearless reporter who is not afraid to tackle tough stories and pursues leads relentlessly,” Executive Editor Dan Crowley said. “He’s also a go-to reporter on stories of human interest and takes a lot of pride in his work.”

The Climate Change at Home reporting project, which ran for more than year, began in the fall of 2022 and chronicled the important work being done at the local level in the fight against climate change and how our changing environment is impacting the Connecticut River Valley.

“The recognition is nice,” Palmer said, “but each day we are driven not by awards, but to tell the stories of Franklin County.”