LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Staff report

The Sentinel-Echo news team proudly took home 10 individual awards in its class in the Kentucky Press Association’s Newspapers in Excellence annual competition in Lexington Friday.

“The competition was very tough,” Publisher Willie Sawyers said, “I want to congratulate the staff for their hard work and commitment to producing compelling content for our readers.”

The KPA excellence contest is held each year.  Newspapers of similar size competed for awards in writing, photography and design work published between October 2010 and September 2011.

Sentinel staff brought home three first place, four second place, and three third place awards this year.

Sports editor Denis House earned first place honors in best sports photo.  Judges said House’s photo was a “great example of a picture telling the whole story.” His photo was of a play at home plate during the Minor League girls’ All-Star tournament.

House also won a second place award for best sports photo essay and an honorable mention in best sports story.  

Sports writer Mitch Howard earned second place awards for both best sports feature story and best sports photo.

Staff writer Carol Mills and lifestyles editor Sue Minton also earned awards for their photography.  Both won third place awards in best general news photo and best feature photo, respectively.

Mills earned an honorable mention in best feature story as well.

Staff Writer Magen McCrarey won a third place writing award in the business/agribusiness category for her story about a record number of births at Saint Joseph-London last fall.  

Columnists Tara Kaprowy and Ike Adams, both featured in the Friday edition of the Sentinel-Echo, each took home awards Friday.  Kaprowy earned a first place award, while Adams took second place, in the best column category.  Judges praised Kaprowy for her “fun and entertaining” columns about navigating a computer meltdown and subsequent technical support, and judges were delighted by Adams’ sense of humor regarding a recent colonoscopy.

Staff writer Nita Johnson earned an honorable mention for her investigative series on the fate of the Pennington House.  Judges said the stories in the series were “covered extensively” and they continued to hold out hope until the end “that the Pennington House would be saved.”

Together as a news staff, the Sentinel-Echo won first place honors in special section for the fall 2010 Silver magazine featuring veterans of every war.