A Peninsula Beacon writer captured three awards in a recent newswriting competition among local media. Scott Hopkins was honored by the San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) during a recent banquet at the Bali Hai restaurant on Shelter Island. A first-place plaque went to Hopkins for his account of a Point Loma High School (PLHS) student who won both local and national science fairs with his innovative “wing” design for sailboat hulls. The entry was judged the “Best Education” story. John Murphy, PLHS athletic director, gave Hopkins exclusive access to news of the hiring of major league all-star and PLHS alumni David Wells and Jesse Nunez, who were charged with guiding the Pointer baseball program. Hopkins turned the piece into a second-place winner in the “Breaking News” category.  Hopkins’ interview and story about Ocean Beach optometrist Dr. Eli Ben-Moshe, focusing on children’s eye-health issues, was awarded honorable mention in the “Health” story category. The competition included entries from local television stations, newspapers, magazines, Internet sites and blogs. Entries were judged by an SPJ chapter in Florida.  Hopkins, also a PLHS alum, has been writing for The Peninsula Beacon for nearly four years.