BILOXI — The Laurel Leader-Call brought home four awards during the annual Mississippi Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Saturday.

Reporter Brian Livingston won first place for the series of stories he wrote last year while imbedded with local National Guard troops in the Middle East. He also took third place for Best General News story for the article about the dedication of an oak tree at the Veterans Memorial Museum honoring National Guard Sgt. Drew Rahaim who was killed in Iraq.

The Leader-Call sports department – consisting of Shawn Wansley, Don Hill and Dale McKee – took a pair of first place awards, winning Best Sports Section for all daily newspapers with circulation 9,000 and below. Sports editor Shawn Wansley was honored with a Best Sports Feature award with a story about former West Jones baseball standout Trey Sutton and his freshman season at the University of Southern Mississippi.