NEW ORLEANS – L’Observateur won 16 awards at the 122nd annual convention of the Louisiana Press Association, held recently at the Le Meridien Hotel.

L’Observateur competed with newspapers published two to four times a week, including the Bossier Press-Tribune, Denham Springs-Livingston Parish News, Ville Platte Gazette, St. Charles Herald-Guide, Eunice News and The News Banner.

Brooke Goldman and Leonard Gray earned a first place for best continuing coverage of a single news event and the newspaper earned first place awards for best family news coverage and best special section.

Goldman and Gray combined covered the drowning deaths of two Catholic priests in St. Charles Parish – the Rev. Benedict Quang of St. Gertrude’s and Msgr. John Phuc of St. Charles Borromeo – following through on their disappearance, discovery and funerals in December.

The newspaper’s “Channels” special section of summer 2001, titled “Hurricane Season,” won its category.

Second-place awards were as follows: Managing Editor Robert B. Roan for best news photograph (a water-balloon contest at St. Charles Borromeo School), to Gray for best single editorial (on improving coverage of high school girls’ sports), and to the newspaper for best front page and best Web site.

Third-place awards were as follows: to Roan for best sports story (on the Riverside Academy/Red River high school football game), to Gray for best individual feature writing for an article on Gov. Michael Hahn, and to the newspaper for general excellence in editorial content.

Publisher David Marlowe received an honorable mention for best regular column, Sports Editor Robert L. Lee received an honorable mention for best sports story on Greg Gathers from East St. John High School and Georgia Tech University, and the newspaper received honorable mention awards for best news coverage, best overall sports coverage, best special section for the Fall/Winter edition of “Riverlands” and for best total newspaper design.

Newspaper of the Year honors went to the West Side Journal of Port Allen, the Ascension Citizen of Gonzales, the Bossier Press-Tribune of Bossier City, the Slidell Sentry-News, the Courier of Houma, the Advertiser of Lafayette, the Advocate of Baton Rouge and the Times-Picayune.

A total of 86 newspapers, publications and university student newspapers submitted 2,529 contest entries, which were judged by members of the Arizona Press Association.