The Alabama Press Association released the winners of their annual advertising contest recently and The Selma Times-Journal received our state press association’s sweepstakes award for division B dailies. The sweepstakes award is a cumulative award judged from all newspaper’s entries in our circulation category.

The STJ staff won seven overall awards, which included three first place awards, three second place awards and one third place award. A complete list of winners is attached.

Thirty-eight newspapers submitted 877 entries for the contest, which underscores the staff’s accomplishment in winning this award.

“I offer my congratulations and thanks to Erica, Karen and the ad staff for achieving this milestone for our newspaper and community, and also for our business partners,” said Dennis Palmer, publisher of The Selma Times-Journal.

Awards included:

General Excellence, first place

Best Single Ad over 1/2 page color, first place for “Vaughan Regional Medical Center,” Karen Lawler and Bill Tomey

Best One-Time Special Section, first place for “Selma-Dallas County Renaissance Committee Healthcare Resource Gude,” Karen Lawler and Erica Slone

Best In-Paper Promotion of a Newspaper, third place for “Tall, Dark and Handsome,” Erica Slone

Best Original/Creative Idea, second place for “Map of Selma,” Erica Slone and Marlene Craft

Best Classified Ad Display Ad, first place for “Lock, Stock and Barrel,” Erica Slone; second place for “We can sell most anything in the classifieds … except kids,” Erica Slone

Best Use of Humor, second place for “Carpet Plus,” Karen Lawler and Erica Slone