Several Springfield News-Sun photographers and staff writers have been named finalists in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors’ 2012 newspaper competition.

Photographers Bill Lackey and Barbara Perenic and staff writers David Jablonski, Matt Sanctis, Tom Stafford and Josh Sweigart are up for several awards in the annual competition for work they did in 2012, the Ohio Associated Press announced Tuesday.

Lackey is a finalist in the Best Feature Photo category and in the Best General News Photo category. Perenic is a finalist in the Best Sports Photo category, the Best General News Photo category and the Best Photo Essay category.

Jablonski’s Cincinnati Reds coverage is nominated in the Best Sports Event Coverage category.

Stafford is a finalist in the Best Columnist category and Sanctis could take home the Best Explanatory Reporting award for his work about proposed wind turbines in Champaign County.

Sweigart could receive the Best News Writer award.

The News-Sun staff also is a finalist in the Best Breaking News category for “12 Killed, 58 Wounded,” which covered the Colorado movie massacre that left local Matt McQuinn dead and his girlfriend and local Samantha Yowler injured.

Award recipients will be announced at the Ohio APME’s annual convention on May 19 in Columbus.

“Among the honors, we were recognized for our coverage of a national shooting rampage that touched so many lives locally and for explaining how potentially adding nearly 100 wind turbines could affect life in Champaign County,” News-Sun Editor Ben McLaughlin said. “Tom Stafford’s columns and our photographers’ work capture so many of the day-to-day moments of life in Springfield.”