Wichita ? The Lawrence Journal-World won the top newspaper award during the Kansas Press Assn.’s 2006 Awards of Excellence at the Wichita Marriott Saturday night.

The Journal-World received KPA’s Sweepstakes Award in recognition for winning the most awards in its newspaper division.

The Journal-World also received 21 first-place, 11 second-place and 10 third-place awards and five honorable mentions.

Two World Company weekly publications – the De Soto Explorer and Tonganoxie Mirror – also won the KPA Sweepstakes Award Saturday.

The Explorer had eight first-place, six second-place and four third-place awards and an honorable mention. The Mirror had five first-place, six second-place and nine third-place awards plus two honorable mentions.

Other World Company weeklies winning KPA awards were:

¢ Baldwin City Signal: one first-place, three second-place and two third-place awards and two honorable mentions.

¢ Basehor Sentinel: nine first-place, two second-place and five third-place awards and two honorable mentions.

¢ Bonner Springs Chieftain: four first-place, two second-place and three third-place awards and one honorable mention.

¢ Eudora News: two first-place, four second-place and eight third-place awards and two honorable mentions.

¢ Lansing Current: two first-place, two second-place and three third-place awards and two honorable mentions.

¢ Lawrence.com’s Deadwood edition: 10 first-place, two second-place and three third-place awards.

¢ Shawnee Dispatch: one first-place, five second-place and three third-place awards.

On Friday, the Kansas Farm Bureau presented its 2006 Agriculture Writing award to the Journal-World and 6News for a story about how rising fuel prices are affecting the industry.