ATLANTA — The Moultrie Observer received one award Saturday in the Georgia Associated Press Association photo and newswriting contest.

Lori Glenn, The Observer’s senior reporter, earned second place in the deadline reporting category for her story “SWAT team ends standoff,” which was published Nov. 8.

This is at least the fifth straight year Glenn has picked up a GAPA award. In 2006, she received a first place award for beat reporting; in 2005, she received a second place business-writing award; in 2004, she received second place awards for beat reporting and deadline reporting; and in 2003 she received a first place beat reporting award and shared a first place deadline reporting award with another reporter.

She has also received numerous awards from the Georgia Press Association during her nine years with The Observer.

The group of daily newspapers in Georgia that are members of the AP news cooperative honored winners of the photo and newswriting contest Saturday at the The Renaissance Concourse hotel in Atlanta. AP member newspaper editors in Illinois judged the Georgia newspapers’ entries in four classes based on circulation. All the stories and photos were published during 2007.

Also at the annual meeting, Observer Publisher Dwain Walden was reelected to a three-year term on the AP News Council.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Anderson Independent-Mail, LaGrange Daily News and Fulton County Daily Report received top story honors in the annual Georgia Associated Press Association awards.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Albany Herald, LaGrange Daily News and The Times-Georgian in Carrollton received top photo honors.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution won Class AAAA Story of the Year honors for “A Hidden Shame: Danger and Death in Georgia’s Mental Hospitals” by Alan Judd and Andy Miller, which also received first place for public service reporting. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer received first place for Freedom of Information reporting public among the largest papers for efforts by its staff to seek hidden documents.

In Class AAA, the Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail for “Gips: A Last Stitch in Time” by Salley McInerney and Nathan Gray on the closing of a family owned apparel plant in Hartwell, which also received first place for business reporting. The Times in Gainesville won first place for public service reporting for its staff’s coverage of the drought. The Marietta Daily Journal received first-place honors for Freedom of Information reporting for its staff’s coverage of “Secret Sweetheart Deals Nixed.”

The LaGrange Daily News won Story of the Year and first place in feature writing in Class AA for “Pharmacist follows heart back to Ghana” by Sherri Brown. The paper also won first place for Freedom of Information reporting for “The Three C’s of Cable” by Matthew Strother. The Times-Herald’s staff in Newnan received top honors for public service reporting for “Our Greatest Generation.”

In Class A, the Fulton County Daily Report won Story of Year and non-deadline reporting for “Green to Gold: A Lawyer’s Guide to Climate Change” by Janet L. Conley, which looked at how businesses see changes brought by global warming as an investment opportunity for new markets, products and technology. The Americus Times-Recorder’s staff received top honors for public service reporting for “Keeping Community Informed After the Tornado.”

The Times-Georgian of Carrollton won first-place for “City Investigation” by Spencer Crawford. The Times-Georgian also won Photo of the Year in Class A for Julie Dawes’ picture story “Beyond the Block Walls”.

Class AA Photo of the Year honors went to Matthew Jones for his portfolio. Joe Ballacomo of The Albany Herald won Class AAA Photo of the Year and first place in spot photography for his photo of a cat rescue.

Among the largest papers in the state, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution won Photo of the Year for Johnny Crawford’s sports action photo “Helmut Grab.”