By LEONARD GRAY – Managing Editor

BATON ROUGE – L’Observateur brought home 13 awards from the 124th annual convention last weekend of the Louisiana Press Association, held at the Marriott Hotel.

A total of 85 newspapers, publications and university student newspapers submitted 4,871 entries.

L’Observateur earned a first-place award for best continuing coverage of a single news event from the team effort of former reporter Kathy Hanrahan, managing editor Leonard Gray and sports editor George Mahl in covering the Reserve tornado last June.

The newspaper also earned a first-place award for best staff-generated color advertisement (half-page or under) for a Weber’s ad published on June 18, 2003.

Second-place awards were received for best investigative reporting by former reporter Melissa Peacock on St. John Parish’s water crisis, for best staff-generated color advertisement (half-page or under) for a Rainbow Chevrolet ad, for best multiple-advertiser page (Total Look, published on March 26) and for best professional services ad, for Eliana DeFrancesch on Aug. 3.

Third-place awards were received for best investigative reporting by Gray for the fallout over a shooting incident in Paradis on Feb. 27, 2003,

(See Awards, Page 2A)

(From Page 1A)

for best news coverage and for best staff-generated black and white ad (half-page or under) for a Mayeaux’s ad.

Honorable mention awards were also presented to photographer/circulation director Tommy Williams for best feature photo for a Spring Festival picture published April 30, best staff-generated color ad (half-page or under) for a Jacob’s Andouille ad, for best staff-generated color ad over half-page for a Weber’s ad published Jan. 15 and for in-paper promotion black and white ad for Best Along the River published June 18.

Overall, Wick Communications newspapers in Louisiana fared well, with Sweepstakes awards going to the News-Banner in Covington, the Slidell Daily News and The Daily Iberian in New Iberia in their respective categories.

Publisher Ellen Ishmael commented, “I’m very, very proud.”