Local publications Sarasota Magazine and BIZ 941 won several 2011 Sunshine State Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists South Florida chapter, which I think announced the awards earlier this week.

Two big must-reads (if you haven’t … you can click on the hyperlinked text and read them online) won — one by Biz(941) editor Susan Burns who won second place for Serious Feature Reporting in “The Collapse of the Colony,” and Sarasota Magazine’s Bob Plunket “Havana, 1960,” which won first place in a featuring writing category.

Plunkett also picked up second place for his Arts/Cultural Reporting piece “Masterpiece Theater,” and Sarasota Magazine executive editor Kay Kipling won third place for her Sarasota Magazine Arts/Cultural Reporting, “Maestro of the Museum.”

Kudos to our local writers!