For the second year in a row, the <span class="italic">Lee&#x2019;s Summit Journal</span> brought home the coveted Gold Medal award in the Class 3 Weeklies category from the 2012 Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest awards banquet held Sept. 22 in Columbia.</p><p>The Gold Medal awards are given to the newspapers who earn the most points in the Better Newspaper Contest in its class.</p><p>To help earn the Gold Medal award, the <span class="italic">Lee&#x2019;s Summit Journal</span> received a first place in the General Excellence category, it&#x2019;s first such award in several years. General Excellence rates newspapers on all aspects, including page design, overall look, reporting, advertising, headlines and photos.</p><p>First place awards were also earned in Best Breaking News Story by Rob Roberts, Best News or Feature Series by Miranda Wycoff, Best Editorial Pages, Best Special Section (for the annual Guide to Lee&#x2019;s Summit), Best Coverage of Government and Best Story About Education by Julie Scheidegger. </p><p>Second place awards were given for Front-to-Back Newspaper Design, Best Sports Photograph by Scheidegger, Best News Content, Best Sports Feature Story by John Beaudoin and Best Story About Education by Scheidegger.</p><p>Third place awards were given for Best Breaking News Story by Wycoff, Best Feature Story by Scheidegger, Best News or Feature Series by Roberts, Best Columnist-Humorous by Beaudoin, Best Sports Photograph by Scheidegger and Best Story About the Outdoors by Scheidegger.</p><p>Wycoff also received two honorable mentions for Best Feature Story.</p><p>Missouri entries for the Better Newspaper Contest were judged by members of the Wisconsin Press Association.</p><p>&#x201C;Keeping the Gold Medal in Lee&#x2019;s Summit is a huge honor and a brings with it a renewed emphasis on responsible reporting and community journalism,&#x201D; Publisher John Beaudoin said. &#x201C;Our entire team, both past and present, had a hand in these awards. And being honored by our peers for meaningful journalism is something we can be proud of.&#x201D;