The Wood County Monitor won two first place awards in the better newspaper contest of the North and East Texas Press Association.

Awards were announced April 27 in Granbury.

The association also presented its annual Tom Mooney Memorial Friend of the Newspaper award to the Monitor’s Lesa Major.

It was presented by Gladewater Mirror publisher Jim Bardwell.

He remarked that Major has been an active member of the association, as well as state and national newspaper associations, since 1984. Her husband, Phil Major, received the award in 2003. It was first presented in 1996 and is named for the late Tom Mooney, longtime publisher of the McGregor Mirror.

First place awards included feature photography by Sam Major and sports coverage.

Other awards included fourth place in the sweepstakes category which combines points from all contests, third place in advertising, fourth place in general excellence, third place in news photos, second place in news writing and second place in sports photos.