From staff reports

The Vicksburg Post advertising department took six first-place awards and 11 honors overall Saturday at the Mississippi Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest for 2008.

The awards were handed out during the mid-winter conference of the state press association in Jackson.

Overall, the staff received a third-place award in the Advertising Excellence category.

David Girard, Creative Services director and a Post employee for 18 years, won four of the six first-place awards, individually or working with another staff member.

His solo award was in the Small Space Ad category. His entry was titled Buy Some Time.

Girard shared the first-place mantel with advertising sales representative Tina Cole on three entries: Retail Advertisement/B&W, for a River Outfitters ad; Political Advertisement, Businessman’s Perspective; and Retail Advertisement/Color, for One Groovy Sale.

Quin Geary, another member of the Creative Services staff who has been with the Post for 13 years, shared two first-place awards: one with advertising sales representative Sheila Mantz, in Political Advertisement/Color for Walks the Walk; and with the advertising staff, in Best Theme Page for Paws Rescue Page.

Geary and advertising sales representative Janet Rantisi received a second-place award in Grocery or Restaurant Advertisement/B&W for Walnut Hills’ 1000 Places to See.

Third-place awards went to Rantisi and Girard in the Auto Advertisement/Color group for Red Tag; and to Girard in the House Ad/Advertising category.

An honorable mention award went to advertising sales representative Angela Ross and Geary in the Retail Advertisement/B&W category for Dodads.