The Whidbey News-Times is generally excellent.

The newspaper won a top honor at this year’s Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. The paper won first place in “general excellence” for group 3, the second to highest circulation category.

The judges found that the newspaper had just the right mix of elements.

“Stories have personality,” the judges commented, “photos tell the story and design is not just paint by numbers.”

Reporter Laura Guido won first place in the color pictorial category for a photo of a controlled burn. She placed third place in government reporting for the story, “Commissioner calls prosecutor a ‘snake.’”

Sports reporter Jim Waller won both first and third place awards in the sports personality categories for the stories, “Eight is more than enough” and “Friday night lights fixture.”

Photographer John Fisken got a first-place award for a black-and-white sports photo, “Wildcat Peyton Rhyne.”

Creative artist Gretchen Bundy won first place for an ad on author K.O. Bailey in the category for single advertiser, half page or larger.

WNPA represents about 100 community newspapers in Washington state. It is an advocate for community newspapers, freedom of the press and open government.