The staff of NorthCountryNow.com and North Country This Week have been honored statewide for quality, in-depth reporting and unique, attractive advertising layouts.

Competing with large weekly and small daily papers from Long Island to Buffalo, the news staff received a second-place award for “Coverage of Crime, Police & Courts” at the annual New York Press Association convention in Saratoga Springs April 8-9.

Ad sales and layout employees were recognized with another second-place award in the “Best Multi-Advertiser Pages” category for two four-page “Holiday Showcase” sections that ran in November.

“Great stories – excellent reporting and great analysis,” the judges said. “Anytime I see ‘according to documents obtained by the newspaper,’ I know the reporter is doing their job.”

The judges reviewed six stories about St. Lawrence County legal and criminal justice issues in making the award:

• Three articles by Jimmy Lawton exploring unresolved legal issues surrounding the May tasering of an Ogdensburg woman in Waddington by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

• A story by Craig Freilich about two St. Lawrence County legislators taking steps they hope will lead to a “test case” in court to allow residents to carry concealed handguns in public.

• A report by Andy Gardner on Massena Police Department officers making traffic stops aimed at combatting the community’s drug problem.

• An article co-written by Lawton and Gardner about local police concern with and challenges fighting the growth in St. Lawrence County methamphetamine possession and labs.

Ads appearing in the “Holiday Showcase” were created by Lisa Hoover, Cathy Whalen and Georgia Schiavone. They worked with advertising consultants John Basham, Julie Spadaccini and Sean McNamara in creating the ads.

“Enticing to the readers,” said the judges in making the award. “I like the white background and the fact that they don’t over use art.”

The special section featured 15 ads from area businesses.

North Country This Week competed with weeklies with a circulation of more than 8,000 copies as well as small dailies, most of them paid newspapers.

First place winner in the “Coverage of Crime, Police & Courts” category was the Daily Messenger of Canandaigua, third place was received by the Gay City News of New York City, and The Riverdale Press of the Bronx was named runner-up.

In the “Multi-Advertiser Pages” category, the first place award went to Dan’s Papers of Bridgehampton and New York City. The third place recipient was the Gay City News.

More than 170 weekly and small daily newspapers from submitted 2,836 entries in 67 categories.