For the second year in a row, the Transcript-Bulletin was named the best small newspaper in Utah by the Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists at its annual awards banquet Friday night at the University of Utah.

The Transcript-Bulletin won 23 awards in total, including 12 first-place awards.

Photo editor Maegan Burr was named Best Photographer in the state in the Transcript’s circulation class for a second straight year. She also won six other awards, including a first place in the Spot News category for her photo of a fireman at the Grantsville Elementary fire. Burr earned another first-place award in the Sports Action category for a photo of Zach Harrell caught in mid-air while chasing down a calf during a roping event at the Rush Valley Rodeo. A photo of Afghan men role-playing as Taliban fighters at Dugway garnered her second place in the General News category, and a photo essay on brine shrimping on the Great Salt Lake earned her a third place award. Burr won third place for Sports Feature with a photo of a winning touchdown in a THS vs. GHS football game. She also won a second-place award for Art Illustration on “What Makes a Grand Parade.”

Former staff writer Jamie Belnap received four first-place awards for reporting in 2009. Her articles on a massive marijuana farm discovered near Ophir (Spot News), a Stockton cop’s suspension after ticketing the mayor’s son (Criminal Justice Reporting), military training at Dugway to prepare for the war in Afghanistan (Military Reporting), and a faith healer in Tooele (Religion Values Reporting) were all lauded in judges written comments.

Community News Editor Sarah Miley received three awards, including a second place finish in the Best Reporter category in the Transcript’s circulation class. She also won a first place for Continuing Coverage of the battle between preservation and gravel extraction on the Stockton Bar, and a first place in the Medical/Science Reporting category for the article “How clean is the Great Salt Lake?”

Staff writer Tim Gillie received three second-place awards. He was honored in the Consumer Reporting category for “Hidden fee could hit homebuyers,” a look at the controversial practice of transfer fees in the local real estate industry, and for “Grade split seems to suit Grantsville elementaries” in the Education Reporting category. He also took home an award for Government Reporting for his coverage of Tooele City with the article “City consultant defends hiring mayor’s son.”

Staff writer Missy Thompson received a second-place award in the Personality Profile category for her story about a man’s passion for climbing.

The paper also received a first place for Best Editorial for “Stockton Bar is worth more than its gravel.”

Opinion columnist Matt Rowley garnered a second place for “Society too often asks schools to act as parents.”

Graphic Designer Liz Arellano also received two awards for excellence in design. She won a first place for front page design and second in feature page design for her layout of “Skiing in the Desert.”

The Salt Lake Tribune was named the best large newspaper in the state with The Daily Herald being named the best mid-sized paper.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com