Anne Arundel County Sun reporters Jay Apperson and JoAnna Daemmrich have won first place in the Maryland State Bar Association's annual Gavel Awards competition for an article they wrote on abuse of the elderly.

"Curbing abuse of the elderly," which ran Nov. 24, detailed problems of nursing home patients abused by health-care workers and efforts of law enforcement officials to prosecute the workers.

Apperson, who has worked for The Anne Arundel County Sun since 1989, covers the county courts. Daemmrich, who has worked for the papersince 1990, covers Annapolis.

The award will be presented May 1 during a ceremony at Towson State University.