The Beachcomber garnered first place for general excellence, one of the top statewide awards for newspapers its size, at the annual Washington Newspaper Publisher Association’s awards ceremony in Everett Friday.

The prize marks the second consecutive year that the newspaper has claimed first place in general excellence, a category that looks at every aspect of the paper, from headlines and news stories to advertisements and design.

“We’re thrilled to have taken top honors for the second year in a row,” said Daralyn Anderson, the newspaper’s publisher. “It reflects well on every member of our small staff.”

The Beachcomber also received 19 awards for individual news stories and advertisements. Among them were first place awards to Susan Riemer for health reporting and Elizabeth Shepherd for arts reporting, a second place award to Natalie Johnson for environmental reporting and a second place award to Leslie Brown for a personality profile.

The paper also won first place for several ads, including ones awarded to Nance Scott for her use of spot color and clip art and for combining multiple advertisers onto a two-page spread.