During the IAPBA banquet April 12 in Indianapolis, members of the IPR news team also received a total of 11 individual awards.

"With this many awards, we truly can say we are Indiana's most honored news operation," said Bob Papper, IPR's news director.

The station's news team includes Brian Beaver, senior correspondent; Marcus Jackman, host/producer; and Stan Sollars, anchor of "Morning Edition." The team received seven first-place, two second-place awards and two honorable mentions.

Beaver also won the inaugural Best Reporter Award, which is presented to a reporter demonstrating overall excellence covering a wide variety of stories.

"Being honored by my peers brings me a great deal of personal and professional satisfaction," he said. "I'm a bit humbled by being named 'Best Reporter' as I could name several other colleagues from around the state who are just as deserving as I am of that honor."

First-place honors in the following categories went to:

• Best General News: Jackman for "Barbecue."
• Best Use of Sound: Beaver, "Mother's Day Flash Flood."
• Best Reporter: Beaver.
• Best Newscast: Sollars, "Morning Edition."
• Best News Series: Beaver, "9/11 Remembered."
• Best Continuing Coverage/Single Event: Beaver, "Smoking Ban."
• Best Public Affairs: Beaver, "Talk of Indiana," which focused on Delaware County's proposed restaurant smoking ban.

Second place honors went to:

• Best General News: Beaver, "Yorktown Walkout."
• Best Use of Sound: Jackman, "Bagpipes."

Honorable mentions were awarded to:

• Best Enterprise Story: Beaver, "Mobile Meth Lab."
• Best Spot News Reporting: Beaver, "Gaston Tornado."

Indiana Public Radio, a service of Ball State University, is a Public Radio International affiliate and a National Public Radio member. News and classical music broadcasts may be heard on WBST-FM 92.1 Muncie; WBSB-FM 89.5, Anderson; WBSW-FM 90.9, Marion; WBSJ-FM 91.7, Portland; and WBSH-FM 91.1, Hagerstown-New Castle.

For more information, call (765) 285-5888.