BOSTON - The Sun Chronicle captured three awards, including two first-place honors, on Saturday from the New England Press Association.

Staff writers George W. Rhodes and Ted Nesi earned top honors in the Spot News category for their coverage of the local response to the April 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.

Staff writer Gloria LaBounty was awarded a first place in the Reporting on Religious Issues category for her coverage of the split in All Saints Episcopal Church in Attleboro.

In addition, Rick Foster of The Sun Chronicle staff earned a third place in the Government Reporting category for election stories he wrote.

Judges for the New England Press Association, which represents small daily newspapers and weekly newspapers in the region, praised The Sun Chronicle's efforts to provide local coverage of a breaking news event far from Attleboro. "Sun Chronicle editors and reporters showed initiative and reporting skill by putting together local reports on the (Virginia Tech) shootings, which occurred on a campus several hundred miles away - stories that Attleboro readers could not get elsewhere and that gave readers a more intimate picture of the tragedy," the judges wrote in awarding Rhodes and Nesi first prize.

"Gloria LaBounty's articles about the breakup and revival of All Saints Episcopal Church are excellent examples of local news coverage of a national issue - schism in the Episcopal Church," a judge wrote. "Each story in the series exhibited clear, concise writing. It's my guess that readers of all faiths read every one."

Foxboro Reporter wins two firsts

In addition, the sports editor of The Sun Chronicle's sister newspaper, the weekly Foxboro Reporter, earned two first-place honors. Michael Hardman was awarded the top prize for sports sections among weeklies and also earned a first for top sports column in a weekly newspaper.

The prizes were awarded Saturday night at the Boston Copley Marriott at the conclusion of the New England Press Association's annual meeting.