What a way to end the year. After scoring a George Foster Peabody Award in June, KCET’s weekly newsmagazine SoCal Connected has landed the equally prestigious broadcast journalism honor of an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

Among the program’s cited reports were a trio about LA’s marijuana mess. “Up in Smoke” looked at legal loopholes being exploited by dispensaries; “Cannabis Cowboys” followed federal agents sniffing out Mexican drug cartel weed patches in California parklands; and “The Doctor is In” proved just how easy it was for LA Times columnist Steve Lopez to get a medical marijuana prescription filled.

Also included on the SoCal Connected duPont honor roll are “Cal/OSHA”, a six-month investigation into workers comp case mishandling, and “Hung Out to Dry”, all about LA homeowners negatively impacted by changes in FEMA flood zone designations.

Our congratulations to executive producer Bret Marcus, the reporting team (Lopez, John Larson, Judy Muller, Vince Gonzales) and everyone else involved. As KCET prepares to go the independent route in January, it can count on a mighty impressive trophy case.