INDIANAPOLIS (AP): Indianapolis Star reporter Tony Cook has been named Indiana Journalist of the Year by the Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Cook was honored during the group's Best in Indiana Journalism awards banquet Friday night for work including investigations into millions of dollars in questionable grants from Lawrenceburg casino funds and big raises for executives of an Indianapolis utility company.

Tom LoBianco of The Associated Press won the First Amendment Award for coverage including the role of former state schools Superintendent Tony Bennett in altering Indiana's school-grading formula.

Retired IUPUI journalism professor James Brown received the Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award.

The Student Journalists of the Year award was given to the Indiana Daily Student investigations team.