The Bangor Daily News was awarded a dozen first places recently in the Maine Press Association’s 2002 Better Newspaper Contest.

In the writing category, Deborah Turcotte received two first-place awards for her news story about the death of Richard Rhine, a wheelchair-bound activist, and her spot news story about layoffs at Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. caused by restructuring.

Copy editor Becky Bowden won a first place for her feature headline “Collective ‘bogganing.”

Ruth-Ellen Cohen won a first-place award for her news story about the conflict between the Malecite Indians and the Department of Human Services over child custody and adoption.

Bruce Kyle won first place in the opinion category with a column about Green Party activist Nancy Oden being turned away from Bangor International Airport for declining to comply with security regulations.

Michael O’D. Moore won a first-place award for his investigative report on feuding between Eastern Maine Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor.

In photography, Stephen M. Katz won first place in the people category with his photo of cancer victim Terry Cole of Hampden.

Bob DeLong won a first for his feature photo of a mother exercising as her two children slept in strollers nearby.

A staff effort, “Census 2000: Two Maines Chasm Growing,” won first place in the special supplement category. More than 20 reporters, photographers and graphic artists supervised by assignment editor Wayne E. Reilly produced the 24-page report on declining population and wealth in northern Maine.

In advertising, Beth Grant won a first place in the local black-and-white category for her “Life is a gift” ad.

Barbara Mower won a first place in advertising layout.

Elizabeth Hansen, director of marketing services, and Shelley Sund, graphic designer, won the top award in the self-promotion category.

NEWS staffers also won 17 second-place awards. They went to Kevin Bennett, general news photo; Bob DeLong, scenic photo; Scott Haskell, people photo; Jeff Tuttle, news story; Sharon Kiley Mack, feature story; Alicia Anstead, critic’s award; Becky Bowden, feature headline; Jonathan Ferland and Eric Zelz, specialty page design; George Danby, editorial cartoon; Dick Shaw, two for editorial page; John Holyoke, one each for sports story and sports feature; Shelley Sund and Tom Caron, local ad in color; circulation staff, in-paper circulation promotion. Second-place awards also were presented for the paper’s Web site and for its Sept. 11 coverage.

Staffers also won 11 third-place awards. They went to Stephen M. Katz, picture story; Mary Anne Lagasse, spot news; Susan Young, analysis; Tom Weber, local column; Alicia Anstead, critic’s award; Matthew Paul, news-sports headline; George Danby, editorial cartoon; Michael O’D. Moore, investigative report; Jonathan Ferland, specialty page design; Becky Bowden, front page design; Joe McLaughlin and staff, sports section.