The Lawrence Journal-World’s front page won first place in the nation among newspapers in its circulation category in the 2006 Inland Press Assn. contest sponsored by Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

The judges wrote: “Here is a paper whose front page is chock-full of information, all of it easy to get your arms and eyes and head around. Pointing newspaper readers to online videos and other sources of information to further enhance their understanding of the news is an idea more newspapers should adopt. Good writing and photography underlie everything.”

The selection of front pages judged in the contest were designed by Journal-World copy desk chief Kim Callahan and copy editors Susie Fagan and Eryn Myrick.

The Tonganoxie Mirror, which is owned by The World Company, publisher of the Journal-World, and the Payson (Ariz.) Roundup, which is owned by WorldWest Limited Liability Company, also won front page awards. The Mirror won first place in its category and the Roundup won third place.

The awards will be presented Oct. 16 in Chicago.