Times/News publisher Jerry Robinson has been awarded a first place for humor writing in the annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Better Newspaper Contest.

Robinson, 87, writes a regular column that appears in the Times/News and its sister paper, the West Seattle Herald/White Center News.

He began his newspaper career in 1947 and a year later, won his first award, also a first place, for a sports story.

Over time, Robinson has written thousands of columns, often about local people. While building the seven-flag newspaper group that became Robinson Newspapers over the last 60-plus years, he still found time to write columns and three books.

Times/News editor Eric Mathison won the same award in 2006.

The annual Better Newspaper Contest recognizes excellence among more than 100 newspapers in communities across the state.