AUGUSTA, Ga. - Two Web sites of Morris Publishing Group LLC, the newspaper subsidiary of Morris Communications Co., have won first place EPpy awards from Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek magazines.

Cjonline.com, the Web site for The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, won for Best Internet News Service with fewer than 1 million monthly visitors during the awards ceremony May 12 at the Interactive Media Conference Trade Show in Atlanta.

The other finalists in the category included another Morris Web site, savannahnow.com, the Web site of the Savannah (Ga.) Morning News, and nynewsday.com, the Web site for New York City's Newsday publication.

The Web site of the Amarillo (Texas) Globe-News, Amarillo.net, received an EPpy Award at the same ceremony for Best Overall Design in Internet Service under 1 million monthly visitors.

The other finalists in the category were child.com and knowingpoe.thinkport.org, a product of Maryland Public Television.

Morris Communications was one of only eight media companies to take home two awards. No company won more than two awards in the annual contest. Winners were chosen by an independent panel of industry experts.

William S. Morris IV, president and CEO of Morris Publishing, said, "Our online newspapers have consistently been innovators in providing digital information to the public. We are proud of their leadership and honored by this recognition."

Morris also credited Morris Digital Works, the online services division of the parent company, for providing direction for Morris newspaper Web sites.

Capital-Journal Publisher John Fish noted, "I'm extremely proud of our online staff and our entire newspaper for winning this national honor. It's a huge compliment to the work that we have done in the online arena to be recognized as the very best in the country for our news coverage."

Globe-News Publisher Les Simpson said the award is a compliment to the newspaper and amarillo.com. "Our online team does a tremendous job with our Web site, and I'm extremely pleased that they have received this national award," he said.

Morris Publishing Group was formed in 2001 and assumed the operations of the newspaper business segment of its parent, Morris Communications Co. Morris Publishing Group publishes 26 daily, 12 nondaily and 23 free community newspapers in the United States.

Morris Communications Co. is a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include newspaper and magazine publishing, outdoor advertising, radio broadcasting, book publishing and distribution, and online services.