The Renton Reporter received 11 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Awards during the group’s 129th annual convention Oct. 21 in Wenatchee, including a General Excellence award, the paper’s second in three years.

The General Excellence award honors the top three overall newspapers in every circulation class. The Renton Reporter is in the contest’s top circulation class and received third place in this year’s contest.

“Winning a General Excellence award is always exciting,” Editor Brian Beckley said. “We strive each week to provide the best coverage we can and take great pride in the paper we produce for the citizens of Renton. Though we don’t do it for awards, it is nice to have our work recognized by our peers.”

In addition to the General Excellence award, each member of the Renton Reporter staff received individual awards recognizing their work from the previous year.

Dean A. Radford, who retired in June, received the Best Health or Medical Story first place award for his Story “Preparing for the Worst: Valley Medical Center staff preps for possibility of Ebola,” which judges called “a classic snapshot-in-time piece that brilliantly captures both the feelings and facts of the community at one particular time in history.”

Reporter Leah Abraham won three awards for her work this year. Abraham won the Best General Feature Story – Short, second place, award for her story about a Renton boy who won a chance to report on the Super Bowl, with judges citing her “excellent writing and judicious use of detail.”

Abraham also won third place in the same category for her piece “Sharing Renton’s rock n roll legacy” about a North Renton woman who refurbishes musical instruments for disadvantaged children.

Finally, Abraham was recognized with a Best Business Feature Story, third place, award for “fun story” about a Renton-based potato messaging business.

Beckley also claimed two individual awards this year. Beckley won a Best News Story, second place, award for “Twenty years later, a double homicide is still unsolved,” which judges called “exciting stuff.”

Beckley also won the Best General Interest Column, third place, award for his “Editor’s Note” columns, with judges noting “important topics that need to be addressed and the personal aspects work well.”

Lisa Yaskus and Kae Lamberton won first place in the Best Single Ad for Single Advertiser Promoting a Sale or Event (half page or larger) category for their “Himalayan Cafe” ad. They won second place in the same category for their “Feast Buffet” ad as well.

The pair also won first place in the Ad Campaign for Single Advertiser (B/W or color) category for their “Ask a Lawyer” ad.

Lamberton won third place in the Multiple Advertiser Ad (One to two pages) category for her “Halloween Happenings” ad.

In total, Sound Publishing newspapers brought home 320 awards from this year’s convention.