Dee Ann Campbell, chairman of the APA Better Newspaper Contest Committee, announced the winners of the 2012 Alabama Press Association Better Newspaper Contest last week. Seventy newspapers submitted 2,477 entries in the annual contest. Nebraska Press Association judged the entries.

The awards will be presented June 7 at APA’s 141st summer convention at Sandestin Golf and and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla.. General Excellence, Best Pubic Service, FOI-First Amendment Award, Most Improved, Best Presswork, Best Newspaper Website, Photograph of the Year, Story of the Year, and Categories 1-8 will be announced during the awards banquet.

General Excellence awards are based on total points earned from five areas: issues submitted for the general excellence category, awards in eight general categories, awards in the public service and FOI categories, awards in the single event categories and awards from the advertising contest.

Winners of the awards are as follows:

• Kerry Whipple Bean, Publisher, first place in Best Editorial category for “ECHS only needs one queen.”

• Blake Bell, News Editor, first place in Best News Feature Story category for “Time for a change?”

• Chandler Myers, Sports Editor, second place in Best Local Sports Column category for “Change full of positives.”

• Chandler Myers, Sports Editor, third place for Best Sports Single Event Story category for “ECHS runs out of time.”

• Blake Bell, News Editor, third place for Best Spot News Photo for “Fire kills three toddlers home alone.”