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The News wins 17 AP contest awards
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The Covington News won 17 awards in this year's 2011 Georgia Associated Press contest, nabbing the second most awards among papers in its class size behind only sister paper The Statesboro Herald.

The News won four first place awards, headlined by an award for public service for Gabriel Khouli's reporting on the changes to local government, with a particular focus on the switch to a county manager system.

Other first place awards included:

• best online coverage of a single story for the reporting, including audio and video, on the sign-stealing exploits of Covington mayoral candidate Bobby Sigman

• graphics and illustrations for the full-page "The Game of SPLOST" graphic, which played off the Monopoly theme to present the 2011 SPLOST projects in a different way

• sports action photo, "Rams Top Dogs," by photographer Anthony Banks

The News also won nine second place awards and four third place awards.

Here is a list of all The News' awards:

CLASS A

Public Service:
1st place, The Covington News, Gabriel Khouli, "City, county leadership to change."

Deadline Reporting:
2nd place, The Covington News, Gabriel Khouli, "Bobby Sigman arrested for campaign sign theft."

Sports:
3rd, The Covington News, Josh Briggs, "Rough Times."

Business:
2nd place, The Covington News, Gabriel Khouli, "Owners, house seekers resort to renting."

Beat Reporting:
2nd place, The Covington News, Gabriel Khouli, "Covington city government."

Editorial Writing:
2nd place, The Covington News, "Back in the race."

Best Online Coverage of a Single Story:
1st place, The Covington News, William Brawley, Gabriel Khouli and Tyler Smith, "Bobby Sigman drops out of mayoral race."

Best Website:
2nd place, The Covington News, www.covnews.com.

Freedom of Information:
2nd place, The Covington News, Gabriel Khouli, "Water authority exploring benefit of railroad corridor."

Graphics & Illustrations:
1st place, The Covington News, Lee Sandow, Tyler Smith and Gabriel Khouli, "The Game of SPLOST."
2nd place, The Covington News, Gabriel Khouli and Lee Sandow, "How Fireworks Work."

Feature Photo:
2nd place, The Covington News, Amber Pittman, "More than a victim."

Sports Action Photo:
1st place, The Covington News, Anthony Banks, "Rams top Dogs."

Sports Feature Photo:
3rd place, The Covington News, Josh Briggs, "Perfecto."

Picture Story:
3rd place, The Covington News, Gabriel Khouli, "Eggs abound."

Photo Illustration:
2nd place, The Covington News, William Brawley, "The slow grind."
3rd place, The Covington News, Josh Briggs, "Rough times."