PEORIA -- The Pantagraph, its Web site and its weekly newspapers were recognized for outstanding achievement Friday, and several newsroom members earned individual awards during the Illinois Press Association's joint meeting with the Illinois Associated Press Editors Association.

Photo Editor David Proeber took top honors in both contests in spot news for his pictures of an armed robber running across Interstate 55 just before he was shot dead by police in January. Proeber also took first place placed in the photo series category for his I-55 work in the IPA contest.

Proeber also won the sweepstakes award for his Sylvester coverage.

The newspaper's Web site, www.pantagraph.com, took second place among the state's largest newspapers in the AP contest.

In the two contests, The Pantagraph and its weekly publications earned more than 40 staff and individual awards for reporting, writing, design, photography and editing.

"The Pantagraph always has been considered one of the best newspapers in the state," said Editor Mark Pickering, who finished his term as Illinois AP board president. "Despite the difficult financial times all newspapers are experiencing, it's very gratifying to work with a news staff that is so dedicated to doing the best job they can every day."

IPA awards

Other winners in the IPA contest, judged by members of the Wisconsin Press Association included:

Best lifestyle section for GO!, staff, third place; best newspaper design, staff, third place; news reporting-single story, Edith Brady-Lunny, third; business/economic reporting, Michelle Koetters, third; sports news, Randy Sharer, second; illustration, Proeber, third; spot news photo, Steve Smedley, second; single page design, Brian Klein, third; headline writing, Klein, third; special section for Annual Report 2009, Karen Hansen, Pickering and staff, second; best web project, Brady-Lunny and Ryan Denham, first; and best school board coverage, Phyllis Coulter, second.

AP awards

Besides Proeber's first-place win for spot news, other individual winners in the AP contest, judged by Georgia AP member newspapers, included:

Spot news photo, Smedley, second; illustration, Proeber, first and second; picture story, Smedley, second; portrait, Elizabeth Mosher, third; entertainment news, Dan Craft, second; headlines, staff, third; sports column, Randy Kindred, third; and sports news, Randy Reinhardt, third.

Weekly newspapers

Pantagraph-owned weekly newspapers earned the following awards from IPA. AP does not have a contest for weekly newspapers.

Woodford County Journal: Jerry McDowell, business/economic reporting, first; community service, second; news reporting-single story, honorable mention; news reporting-series, honorable mention and third; government beat reporting, second; enterprise/feature writing, third; original column, third; public's right to know, honorable mention; and coverage of taxation, honorable mention. Also, editorial page, staff, third; sports news, Jeff Wiseman, first and third; sports section, third; enterprise/feature writing, Cheryl Wolfe, first; original column, Laura Rineer, honorable mention; and single page design, Mark Barra, second.

Heyworth Star: Troy Semple; feature writing, first, and best school board coverage, third.

Farmer City Journal: Steve Hoffman, feature photo, third, and newspaper design, second.

LeRoy Journal: Sue Bratcher, business/economic reporting, honorable mention; and photo series, Bratcher and Patti Welander, second.

The Pantagraph, its weeklies, and Pantagraph Publishing Co. are owned by Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa, which owns 49 other daily newspapers across the country. In Illinois, its daily newspapers are in Bloomington, Carbondale, Charleston-Mattoon, Decatur, and the Quad Cities.