The News Courier staff received 13 awards in writing, design, photography and community service in the Associated Press Managing Editors annual competition.

Winners will pick up their certificates at a conference in May at Orange Beach.

Here are the first-place winners:

First place, Best Deadline Reporting, Kelly Kazek, “It was quite a ride,” about a couple and their dog who survived a fall in a van from the Tennessee River bridge; first place, Best Education News, Kelly Kazek, “Emotions running high at Brookhill,” about parents who felt something at the school was making children sick; first place, Best Sports Deadline Reporting, Rex Greene, “Remembering No. 53,” about the late Tanner High School football player Thomas Adams.

Other awards include: second place, Best Newsfeatures, Kelly Kazek, “Surviving Murder,” about a mother whose son was murdered; second place, Best Lifestyle Features, Charlotte Fulton, “Bringing back Susie,” about a local student who is recovering from a serious car wreck; honorable mention, Lifestyle Features, Charlotte Fulton, “A vested interest: Local man’s WWII life vest found”; honorable mention, Participatory Sports Story, Kelly Kazek, “Special Olympics”; honorable mention, Spot News Photo, Kim Rynders, “Honoring their heroes,” a photo of a memorial for two police officers killed here; second place, Best Feature Photo, Alissa Clark, “Boogie’s Barber Shop,” a photo of an Elkmont shop filled with clocks; honorable mention, Sports Feature Photo, Kim Rynders, “Much-needed extra point,” a photo showing a coach pointing a misdirected young football player toward the goal line; honorable mention, Deadline Page Design, staff; honorable mention, Best Headlines, Kelly Kazek; honorable mention, Best Community Service, Sonny Turner, Phil Willis and Nancy Glasscock, “Water board shaken up after public outcry.”