The Garden State Journalists Association announced today that the Hudson Reporter chain of nine newspapers won a total of six awards for its stories and photographs published in 2009, most notably the Hildy Johnson award for “story of the year" and four first-place awards in photography.

Ricardo Kaulessar won “story of the year” for “A sobering reality,” a piece about how five politicians in Jersey City and Hoboken have gotten into trouble regarding alcohol in the last three years. You can read the story HERE.

Meanwhile, rookie Hoboken beat reporter Timothy J. Carroll won first place in investigative reporting for his story, “What happened to those election investigations?” The detailed story followed up on the election fraud rumors that plagued several of Hoboken’s City Council races in 2007. Read that story HERE.

And Bayonne beat reporter and political columnist Al Sullivan won a total of four first place photography awards. One of his winning photos is at left.

The award winners will be feted at a dinner at the Chart House in Weehawken in May.

For more on these contest results, check our print editions this weekend.