The Rocky Mountain News won 27 first place awards in two statewide journalism contests this weekend.

The honors include the general excellence and public service reporting awards in the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters contest.

The awards were announced as the Rocky published its final edition on Friday. The Rocky won first place in 14 categories in the CAPERs contest announced Friday, and in 13 categories in the Colorado Press Association contest announced Saturday. The Denver Post won 10 first place awards in CAPERs and 17 in the CPA contest.

Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters Awards:
Public Service Reporting: Gargi Chakrabarty, Laura Frank, Todd Hartman, Burt Hubbard, Matt McClain and Michael Hall, first place

General Excellence: First Place

Investigative reporting: Laura Frank, first place; Gargi Chakrabarty, Laura Frank, Todd Hartman and Burt Hubbard, second place

Beat Reporting: Sara Burnett, first place; Nancy Mitchell, second place

Business Story: Staff, first place

Spot News Story: Staff, first place

Continuing Photo Coverage: Javier Manzano, first place; Matt McClain, third place

Environmental Story: Jerd Smith and Burt Hubbard, first place; Jerd Smith, third place

Feature Story: Kevin Vaughan, first place; Mike Littwin, second place

News Column: Tina Griego, first place

Sports Column: Dave Krieger, second place

General News Photo: Matt McClain, first place; Darin McGregor, second and third places

Spot News Photo: Barry Gutierrez, first place; George Kochaniec Jr., third place

Picture Story/Photo Essay: Preston Gannaway, first place; Darin McGregor, third place

Sports Photo: Darin McGregor, second and third places

Photo Illustration: Ellen Jaskol, second place; Marie Griffin, third place

Portrait Personality: Chris Schneider, second place

Headline Writing: Chuck Hickey, second place

Online Breaking News: first place

Online Special Package: Laura Frank and Javier Manzano, third place (tie); Sonya Doctorian, third place (tie)

Colorado Press Association Awards:
Best News Story: Laura Frank, first place and second place

Deadline News Reporting: Staff, first place

Best Series: Laura Frank, Gargi Chakrabarty, Todd Hartman, Burt Hubbard and Matt McClain, first place; Laura Frank, third place

Best Business Story: Laura Frank and Burt Hubbard, first place; staff, second place

Best Story-Picture combination: Staff, first place; Laura Frank, Burt Hubbard and Matt McClain, third place

Best Agriculture story: Jerd Smith and Burt Hubbard, first place; Jerd Smith, second place; Gargi Chakrabarty, third place

Best News Photo: Preston Gannaway, first place; Barry Gutierrez, second place; George Kohaniec Jr., third place

Best Feature Photo: Ellen Jaskol, first place; Darin McGregor, second place

Best Sports Photo: Javier Manzano, first place

Public Service: Laura Frank, second place

Best Sustained Coverage: Staff, second place

Best Special Section: Staff, second place

Best Education Story: Nancy Mitchell, third place

Best Feature Story: Mike Littwin, second place

Best Sports Story: Clay Latimer, second and third places

Best Photo Essay: Matt McClain, second and third places

Best Sports Event Story: Lynn DeBruin, second place

Best Sports Column: Dave Krieger, second place

Best Humorous Column: Mary Winter, second place

Editorial Cartoon: Ed Stein, third place

Best Headline Writing: John Moore, second place; Tony Trowbridge, third place

Editorial writing: Second place

News Page Design: Dean Lindoerfer, third place

Editorial Layout and Design: Staff, second place

Web Site Content: first place

Web Site Interactive: first place

Web Site Design: first place

Web Site Multimedia: first place