By LEONARD GRAY

Managing Editor

BATON ROUGE — L’Observateur brought home a total of 27 awards from the Louisiana Press Association’s Better Newspaper Competition at the organization’s 126th convention, held last weekend in Baton Rouge.

The list of awards included five first place awards, four second-place awards, seven third-place awards and 11 honorable mention awards.

The first-place awards received by L’Observateur included the following:

€ Publisher Kevin Chiri won for best investigative reporting for his story on Katrina aid fraud. Judges commented, &#8220This was the best of all entries in this category because it looks at the story from a different angle and draws the reader into it. Well-organized and informative.”

€ The Advertising Department for best staff-generated color ad, half-page or under for a Time-Warner Cable ad for their Road Runner service. Judges said, &#8220This is far and away the best ad in this category – no one else came close. I only wish the advertiser realized it and said Let’s make it bigger!” The department also won second and third place awards in this category.

€ Best Community Service for the bullet-proof vest drive in cooperation with the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office. Judges wrote, &#8220Great results! Great way to build rapport with sources.”

€ Former staff reporter Vicki Jambon for best continuing coverage of a single news event for her series on River Region clergy coming together to stand against crime in the area.

€ Staff reporter Molly Dryman won for best feature

photo for her photograph of a downed tree, with the limbs framing the picture and showing the upset resident in the center. The judges commented, &#8220The picture space speaks volumes about the woman’s predicament. Cropping highlights the tree which feels so oppressive. Wonderful!”

Dryman also won a third-place award for best investigative reporting for her story on gasoline price-gouging at a LaPlace gas station.

Dryman and former staff reporter Jessica Daigle won an honorable mention for best continuing coverage of a governmental issue with the St. John Civic Center coverage.

Sports editor Johnny Peppo won two honorable mention awards for best sports story.

Former sports editor David Folse II won a third-place award for best sports story, an honorable mention for best sports column and an honorable mention for best sports photo.

Chiri also won a third-place award for a news story on Marathon Oil and an honorable mention for best investigative reporting on growth in St. John Parish.

Managing editor Leonard Gray won a second-place award for a feature story on a heart transplant recipient, a second-place award for a photo feature on ultralight aircraft, a third-place award for best regular column, a third-place award for best headline writing and an honorable mention for best feature photo.

Daigle also won an honorable mention for her story on the arrest of the Lutcher police chief and an honorable mention for best continuing coverage of a single news event (the St. John school superintendent contract negotiations).

Other awards won by L’Observateur included a third-place award for best news coverage, an honorable mention for best overall sports coverage, and an honorable mention for general excellence.

Newspaper of the Year awards went to the Times-Picayune, the Advertiser of Lafayette, the Courier of Houma, the Ruston Daily Leader, the Bossier Press-Tribune, the St. Charles Herald-Guide, the Rayne Acadia Tribune and the Bunkie Record.

In the various competitions, 84 newspapers, publications and college/university student newspapers submitted 4,765 entries.