CHARLOTTESVILLE—The Tidewater News’ advertising department made a strong showing in the annual Virginia Press Association advertising contest, taking home four first, six second and three third-place awards in their division.

The awards were presented Saturday in Charlottesville.

“I’m really proud of the department for all of their hard work and dedication,” said Advertising Director Betty Ramsey.

Loretta Lomax, now the paper’s classified manager, won a first-place for a color Pam’s Tea Room ad, as well as a second place for an ad she designed for Brady’s Jewel Box.

Lomax also took home a second-place award for a Leatherwood Taxidermy ad, as well as a third place for Franklin Department of Social Services ad about child day care services and another third place for a Brady’s promotion.

Advertising sales representative Mitzi Lusk and graphic designer Ryan Outlaw took top honors for an All Sewn Up promotion, and Lusk and Lomax took second place for a color ad for T&A Repairs.

Outlaw and Lusk also won second-place honors for color ads for Dairy Queen and Grasshoppers.

“Retta, Mitzi and Ryan all bring a wealth of talent to our department,” Ramsey said. “They have real enthusiasm and great ‘can do’ attitudes and it shows. Many hours go into creating and designing an ad campaign. It feels good to know they have been judged by their peers and found worthy of these awards, and it is an honor to work with such a great team.”

Former employee Matt Babb, now a Web consultant for Bradshaw-Kimbrel Technology in Franklin, won a first-place award for a black-and-white ad for Dockside Restaurant, as well as a first-place for a color self-promotion notice for the newspaper and a second-place honor for a political ad for the no Outlying Landing Field campaign.

Babb also took home a third-place award for an All-Sewn Up ad.

“Matt is a talented designer and very much deserves these accolades,” Ramsey said.