SHAMOKIN - The News-Item won two awards in the 2013 Keystone Press Awards contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA).
Dan MacArthur won a first place in Sports Beat Reporting for his coverage of Southern Columbia Area girls softball team.
Entries for Sports Beat Reporting can include up to six stories by the same writer where emphasis is placed on thoroughness of reporting, enterprise, diversity of coverage and sources and mastery of subjects.
Jenna Wasakoski won an honorable mention in the Page Design category, in which she entered three food pages from the 2012 calendar year. This category is judged by planning and organization, general typography and the use of graphics, readership appeal, content balance, readability and originality.
The News-Item was among 21 newspapers statewide that won awards in Division IV, which includes daily newspapers under 20,000 circulation.
Winners will be honored at the Keystone Press Awards Banquet during the Pennsylvania Press Conference May 18 at the Hilton Harrisburg.