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The Anniston Star captured 16 awards, including eight first-place finishes, in the 2007 Alabama Associated Press Managing Editors contest.

Star photographer Stephen Gross won first place in three categories. Sports editor Bran Strickland won three awards, two for writing and one for illustration. Members of the 2006-07 Knight Masters Program for Community Journalism as well as one of their instructors, Ed Mullins, won second place in the non-deadline reporting category for an examination of the Alabama National Guard in a post-9/11 world.

"I believe this recognition is a salute to the hard work done by this community newspaper," Star editor Bob Davis said.

Winners will be honored Saturday at the annual meeting of the Alabama APME at Orange Beach. The contest was judged by AP member newspaper editors in Maryland.

The Star was judged against newspapers of a similar circulation. Winners from the Star are:

• 1st Place Best Non-Deadline Reporting: The Anniston Star, Steve Ivey, "Field Gold"

• 2nd Place Best Non-Deadline Reporting: The Anniston Star, Mary Jo Shafer, Nick Cenegy, Deirdre Nunan, Markeshia Ricks, Amanda DeWald, Joan Garrett, Ed Mullins, "Old Guard, New Battle"

• 1st Place Best Lifestyle Features: The Anniston Star, Brett Buckner, "Brave Facade"

• 1st Place Best Business News: The Anniston Star, Mary Jo Shafer, "Labor Unions in Alabama"

• Honorable Mention Business News: The Anniston Star, Matt Kasper, "Cutting Corners"

• Honorable Mention Best Sports Deadline Reporting: The Anniston Star, Bran Strickland, "Monster Pig"

• 1st Place Best Sports Column Writing: The Anniston Star, Joe Medley, "Quiet reigns on the Plains this summer"

• Honorable Mention: The Anniston Star, Bran Strickland, "Today, I'll be forced to just grin, Bear it"

• Honorable Mention Best Feature Photo: The Anniston Star, Stephen Gross, "Willie B & Joe"

• 1st Place Best Photo Illustrations: The Anniston Star, Stephen Gross, "Who's the Real Turkey"

• 1st Place Best Humorous Moments: The Anniston Star, Stephen Gross, "Stop! Why Certainly"

• 1st Place Best Sports Action Photo: The Anniston Star, Stephen Gross, "Tiptoe through the Wildcats"

• Honorable Mention Best Illustrations: The Anniston Star, Bran Strickland, "Picking the Bracket? Easier said than done"

• 2nd Place Best Community Service: The Anniston Star, Brian Lyman, Markeshia Ricks, Bob Davis, John Fleming, "Dam Inspection"

• 2nd Place Best Freedom of Information: The Anniston Star, Al Muskewitz, Steve Ivey, "JSU Coaches Contracts"

• 1st Place Best Investigative Reporting: The Anniston Star, John Fleming, "Jimmie Lee Jackson"