The DAILY LEADER has captured 11 awards in theLouisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Managing Editors competitionin results released this week.

The annual writing and photo contest judges news stories,editorials, photos, graphics and headlines published during 2005 inLouisiana and Mississippi AP member newspapers.

“These awards, representing both Mississippi and Louisiana,brings even more prestige and honor as there are some very goodcommunity newspapers in both states,” said Bill Jacobs, editor andpublisher of newspaper. “It shows The DAILY LEADER staff isdedicated to producing a top-notch newspaper for its readers.”

The number of awards won by the staff is especially significantfollowing the carnage of Hurricane Katrina in both states, hesaid.

Many newspapers struggled to provide coverage of the storm andto assist in the ensuing recovery efforts while continuing to keepabreast of other news.

“I would like to thank the entire staff for all of theirdiligent efforts in a year of additional obstacles followingHurricane Katrina,” Jacobs said.

The newspaper received three first place, three second place andsix third place awards for its coverage of events before, duringand after the storm.

Staff Writer Scott Tynes, Managing Editor Matt Coleman, formerstaff photographer Joel Bonner and Jacobs all won awards for newscoverage.

Tynes was awarded first place in the Spot News category for hiscoverage of the manhunt for a pair of armed robbers that began nearTopeka and ended the next day with a raid on a McComb hotel room.Tynes was also awarded a second place award in the Spot News Photocategory.

Coleman received a first place award in the Personality/PortraitPhoto category. He also received a third place award in the SpotNews category for coverage of the death of Jimmy Furlow, a cityemployee of more than two decades and a popular civic leader whodied tragically on the job.

Jacobs was awarded third place in the Editorial category for hisOpinion Page writing.

Bonner placed third in the Spot News Photo category.

The entire newsroom was credited with a second place award inthe Continuing Coverage category for a series of articlesimmediately following Hurricane Katrina about the storm’s effectsand recovery efforts.

In the sports department, Sports Editor Tom Goetz and SportsWriter Richard Dube earned one first place, one second place andtwo third place awards.

Goetz’s sports column, Time Out, was awarded first place in thatcategory.

Goetz dominated the Spot Sports category, capturing both secondand third place honors for game coverage.

Dube received third place honors in the Sports Feature Photocategory for Brookhaven High School Lady Panthers softball playerscelebrating a score.

The contest was judged by AP member newspaper editors inMinnesota.

The winners will be honored at an awards luncheon at the annualLouisiana-Mississippi APME convention May 19 at the Imperial Palacein Biloxi.