The Daily News and The Memphis News were among the winners in the 59th annual Green Eyeshade Awards, placing in seven categories including a first place award for law and courts reporting.

The awards, judged by regional directors of the Society of Professional Journalists, drew more than 500 entries from media outlets in 11 Southern states.

“These awards show just how hard this staff works and how incredibly productive it is,” said Eric Barnes, publisher of The Daily News, The Memphis News and Chandler Reports. “We couldn’t be happier with what these fine journalists have done and continue to do here.”

Reporter Andy Meek won third place for his stories on the Memphis school funding lawsuit in the small dailies non-deadline reporting category.

The 2008 awards for the weekly The Memphis News were announced as the publication marks its first anniversary June 18.

Reporter Bill Dries won first place in the non-daily division, law and courts reporting for his Sept. 10, 2008, “D.T.O.” cover story on the Memphis drug trafficking organization allegedly headed by Craig Petties. The court case involves the largest and most violent drug organization ever tried in Memphis federal court.

Meek won second place in public service non-daily reporting for his Nov. 26, 2008, “Sticker Shock” cover story on the Shelby County property reappraisal process.

Reporter Eric Smith won second place in sports commentary non-daily reporting for his Nov. 5, 2008, “Double Team” cover story contrasting the economic impact of the Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis basketball teams.

Dries placed second in political non-daily coverage for the June 25, 2008, “Rickey & Joe” cover story chronicling a 30-year arc of the political rise and fall of Joe Cooper and Rickey Peete.

Meek took third place in the non-deadline, non-daily reporting category for his Sept. 24, 2008, “Running on Empty” cover story about the fall of Regions Morgan Keegan (RMK) mutual funds.

And The Memphis News finished third in the non-daily editorial competition for a series of editorials about local school funding controversies.

All of the entries and all of the first-year issues of The Memphis News can be found at www.memphisdailynews.com.