AUGUSTA, Ga. - Morris Communications received three national awards at the Editor & Publisher EPpy awards banquet held in Dallas Feb. 23, during the magazine's annual Interactive Newspaper Conference.

Winners were Steve Yelvington of Morris Digital Works, the online services division of Morris, for outstanding individual achievement in the industry; The St. Augustine (Fla.) Record for its local portal site, staugustine.com; and The Florida Times Union for its sports section in jacksonville.com.

The third EPpy award for individual achievement, presented to Yelvington, acknowledges one person who has made a significant contribution to the entire industry. A print newspaper veteran, Yelvington was recognized as a pioneer in digital journalism. Yelvington joined Morris Digital Works in December 2000 as Web site development manager.

The Record won best overall U.S. online newspaper service in its circulation category of under 50,000. Morris Digital Works was also named in the award. Other top winners in their respective circulation categories were The Christian Science Monitor, The Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer and The Washington Post.

For the second consecutive year, the sports section of jacksonville.com took first place in the sports category, winning over finalists USATODAY.com and Boston.com.

"We're extremely proud of Steve and our online teams at every one of our locations," said President Will Morris. "They are highly deserving of national recognition for their innovative work, and I'm thrilled for them."

Michael Romaner, director of Morris Digital Works, said, "It's a great feeling to earn the respect of your peers in such a competitive industry. We've been blessed with incredible talent in our company and we're grateful to be a contributing force in the online newspaper space."

Morris Communications is a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include newspaper and magazine publishing, outdoor advertising, radio broadcasting, book publishing and distribution, and computer services. For additional information, see www.morris.com.