FREEPORT — The Sun Journal of Lewiston and the Maine Sunday Telegram have won top honors in daily and weekend divisions in the Maine Press Association’s 2012 Better Newspaper Contest.

Also winning Newspaper of the Year among weekly newspapers were the Mount Desert Islander of Bar Harbor for circulation of 4,000 or more and the York County Coast Star of Kennebunk for smaller papers.

A.M. Sheehan and Matt Hongoltz-Hetling, whose reporting for the Advertiser Democrat of Norway exposed substandard conditions in public housing, shared Journalist of the Year honors.

Hongoltz-Hetling is now a reporter for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville.

Earlier Saturday, at the MPA fall conference banquet in Freeport, Mary Brewer and Ann McGowan were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Kennebec Journal won nine awards.

Writer Michael Shepherd won the top honor with first place for a news story, “A merchant’s murky past,” about a businessman who wanted to reopen Boynton’s Market in Hallowell despite being an admitted thief and bankrupt.

Writer Susan McMillan won third place for an investigative report, “Learning in a new light,” a three-part series that examined the proficiency-based education movement in Maine.

Photographer Andy Molloy won second place for a people photo of an 11-year-old boy dropping from a rope swing into Minnehonk Lake in Mount Vernon.

Graphic designer Sharon Wood won third place for specialty page design, “Hollywood comes to Maine,” about the Maine International Film Festival.

The advertising department won first place for a supplement/special section with its Medical Journal. Advertising also won second place in the “best new idea” category for the Taste of Home Cooking School.

The inside sales/creative department won second place for a sponsorship page, “Maine Maple Sunday.”

The Kennebec Journal editorial page won second place and the sports section won third place.