BAR HARBOR — The Aroostook Republican & News received eight awards during the Maine Press Association’s annual banquet Saturday night at the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel and Conference Center.
The daylong conference drew more than 240 people. A total of 30 newspapers entered the contest, submitting a total of 1,443 entries in 57 categories.
Staff reporter Natalie De La Garza took first place in the feature photo category with her photograph entitled “Sledders.” De La Garza also took second place in the scenic photo division for her photograph entitled “Spring Delicacies Vary.”
Staff reporter Lisa Wilcox received a second-place award in the people photo category entitled “Past Meets Future.”
Wilcox and De La Garza shared a first-place award in the business section category.
In the sports photography judging, freelance photographer Jane Mavor Small took second place with an action shot of a local Little League player.
The entire Aroostook Republican staff — including advertising reps Gayle Jackson and Lisa Anderson — won first place in the sponsorship page category of the annual Better Newspaper Contest for their salute to National Honor Society. They also took second place in the same category for their annual Business Honor Roll.
In other Maine Press Association news, Lewiston Sun Journal reporter Lindsay Tice was named Journalist of the Year for her investigative reporting on health care and school security. Michael Shepherd, a reporter for the Kennebec Journal, was presented with the Bob Drake Young Writer Award, which is presented each year to a journalist with less than two years experience whose work demonstrates ability and great potential.
The Bangor Daily News took second place in the General Excellence categories for daily and weekend papers. The Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram took first in those categories, respectively.
The Mount Desert Islander and York County Coast Star won top General Excellence awards in their respective weekly newspaper categories.
Earlier in the day, former BDN photographer and photo editor Scott Haskell was inducted into the MPA Hall of Fame. Also inducted were former Portland Press Herald editorial page editor Don Hansen and former sportswriter and publisher of the St. John Valley Times Emery “Legs” Labbe.
The Hall of Fame, begun in 1998, honors people with Maine ties who have made outstanding contributions to the newspaper profession.
Kelly Morgan, editor of the York Weekly and managing editor of Seacoast Media Group’s Maine weeklies, was elected MPA president during the organization’s annual business meeting.
