Former Gulf Coast Media Managing Editor, Cliff McCollum, was awarded first and second place in the Public Service Awards category at the Alabama Press Association convention over the weekend.

McCollum won second place Best Public Service for his coverage of a memo from Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson to her city’s employees in which Wilson told city employees they were not allowed to be directed by Fairhope city council members and that contact with a council member should be reported to a departmental head.

McCollum won first place in Best Public Service for his stories involving usage of City of Fairhope city property in the form of barricades in support of a Roy Moore election rally on private property and whether use of that city property for the event was a violation of state law.

McCollum also snagged two additional first place wins for In-Depth News Coverage, for “Baldwin Behind Bars” an inside look at the Baldwin County jail, and another for best humorous column.

McCollum outdid himself in the Best Humorous Column and earned the second place spot as well. He also placed second in Best News Feature Cover Story with his piece, “A look inside the Baldwin County Animal Shelter.

Current Managing Editor Allison Marlow won first place for Best Feature Story for “Making the Band.” Marlow followed the Elberta High School band for four months as the students and director navigated their first year in existence.

This year, 90 publications from across Alabama submitted 3,394 entries in the annual contest. The Illinois Press Association membership judged the entries.

McCollum won the awards while working at a community newspaper group within Baldwin County.