Soft X-ray resonant scattering studies at the Mn L - and the La M - edges of single-crystal LaSr Mn O are reported. At low temperatures, below T ≈ 160 K, energy scans with a fixed momentum transfer at the A-type antiferromagnetic (0 0 1) reflection around the Mn L -edges with incident linear σ and π polarizations show strong resonant enhancements. The splitting of the energy spectra around the Mn L -edges may indicate the presence of a mixed valence state, e.g., Mn /Mn . The relative intensities of the resonance and the clear shoulder-feature as well as the strong incident σ and π polarization dependences strongly indicate its complex electronic origin. Unexpected enhancement of the charge Bragg (0 0 2) reflection at the La M -edges with σ polarization has been observed up to 300 K, with an anomaly appearing around the orbital-ordering transition temperature, T ≈ 220 K, suggesting a strong coupling (competition) between them. © 2010 EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.