The Bismarck Tribune won 49 awards in the North Dakota Newspaper Association Better Newspaper contest, with the awards being presented Friday at the Radisson Hotel in Bismarck.

The Tribune's newsroom won 29 awards, and 20 were won by advertising and marketing staff members.

First-place awards in the newsroom were won by Brian Duggan, for Rookie of the Year reporter honors; Tony Spilde, Lauren Donovan and Jon Rivoli, for best community service reporting; Spilde, best feature reporting; Mike McCleary, best picture story; and John Irby, best editorial.

The Tribune staff also was awarded for the best Web site in the state.

Advertising first-place winners included Marian Petersen and the marketing staff, best outdoors-sports ad; Jean Hill and the marketing staff, small space ad; Bobbie Lee, apparel ad; Shawn Decker and Dawn Smart, use of color; and Decker and Stacey Lang, promotion of community.

Second-place individual newsroom awards went to Brian Gehring, reporting series; Donovan, spot news and agriculture coverage; Steve Thomas, sports column; Kelly Hagen, humorous personal column; Mindy Gonzales, feature-front design excellence; Will Kincaid, feature photo; and Jason Lueder, informational graphic. Second-place staff recognition included sports page-section; editorial page; Progress 2008 special edition.

Third-place awards went to Sara Kincaid and Jenny Michael, reporting series; Karen Herzog, feature reporting series; Michael, government reporting; Lou Babiarz, sports reporting series; Michael Shirek, headline writing; Will Kincaid, news photo; and staff, overall design excellence.

Honorable mention winners were staff, general excellence; Irby, humorous personal column; copy desk, front-page design; and McCleary, sports photo.

Second-place advertising-marketing awards went to Jean Bertsch and Chris Filibeck, apparel ad; and Decker and Lisa Gartner, small space ad.

Awards for third place were Donna Wiebe and Kristin Wilson, food ad and promotion of the community; Decker and Hill, entertainment-food ad; Decker and Gartner, vehicle ad; Karen Duane, home-gardening ad; Kevin Keller and Lang, single ad; Lee, small space ad; and Decker, promotion of the newspaper-advertising.

Honorable mention went to Decker and Lang, ad series; Lisa Koch, promotion of newspaper-advertising; marketing staff, promotion of the newspaper-readership; Chalsey Berger, promotion of the community; and designers, signature page.

The Tribune competed in the large newspaper category. Awards also were given in smaller daily and weekly categories.