Sactown magazine nabbed three Western Publication Awards - a.k.a. the Maggies - last week, besting some impressive competition, including Mother Jones and Sunset magazines.

The honors: Best Series of Editorial Photographs/Consumer for Max Whittaker's Afghanistan photo essay in the June/July issue; Best Overall Design - Consumer, for the April/May issue, and City & Metropolitan/Consumer for the August/September issue.

Whittaker's winning photo essay, by the way, also has been chosen to appear in the upcoming "Photography Annual for the Communication Arts." The book also will feature photos from the likes of Time, Newsweek and Rolling Stone magazines.