The Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper took home 12 awards, including two special awards, at the Maine Press Association’s annual Fall Conference and Better Newspaper Contest held Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in South Portland.

Based on circulation, Wiscasset Newspaper competed in the Weekly 1 division  and Boothbay Register competed in the Weekly 2 division. Some of the Weekly division awards were combined. Weekly 1 newspapers are published fewer than five times per week with circulation or distribution from one to 1,999. Weekly 2 newspapers are published fewer than five times per week with circulation or distribution of 2,000 or more. Awards were presented in 58 categories to weeklies, dailies, online and weekend newspapers.

First place awards were given to editor Kevin Burnham, assistant editor Susan Johns and arts and entertainment editor Lisa Kristoff.

Burnham won for his People Photo, First Day of School, a photo of two young girls, Addelie Adams and Everly Boyd, waving through the window of a school bus while a parent takes a photo on a cell phone.  

Johns won for her Religion/Spirituality Story on Amistad winning $916,000 for possible housing units inside St. Philip’s in Wiscasset.  

Kristoff won a Critic’s Award (combined) for her story on the “Made in Maine” show at Maine Art Gallery.   

Wiscasset Newspaper won first place in the Weekly 1 specialty category for its website and Boothbay Register took third place in Weekly 2 special category for Advertising Excellence.

Winning second place awards were news contributor Jane Carpenter and the newspaper staff.  

Carpenter won for her Courts Story “Thistle Inn: Law court’s call rests on one word.”  

The staff’s award, in the Advertising/Circulation category (combined), was for the 2022 eight-page Christmas advertising section.  

Third place winners were Johns with three, Bill Pearson and the newspaper staff.  

Johns won for her News Video (combined), “Runway of happiness,” which accompanied her article on the Wiscasset Airport. She also won for her Features/Lifestyle Video (combined) on the Strawberry Festival and for her People Photo of Wiscasset’s Jan Flowers checking out the virtual image of Hesper and Luther Little on her cell phone during Schoonerfest 2022. Pearson won for his Sports Headline (combined), Boothbay football begins season with ‘Gr-Eight’ start. The newspaper staff won for its Windjammer Days photos in the Picture Story category.

Besides the Awards Dinner, the conference featured industry-related seminars, the Hall of Fame Luncheon honoring 2023 inductees James McCarthy and Ken Waltz, and the annual Scholarship Auction and Reception.

Staff attending the conference were Burnham, Pearson, Kristoff, operations manager and advertising salesperson Sarah Morley and reporter Fritz Freudenberger.