The Kirkland Reporter won seven awards, including first places for news writing and photography, in the 2011 Washington Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards were presented Oct. 7 at an awards dinner during the 124th annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Convention, at the Holiday Inn Downtown Everett.

The Reporter, circulation 26,000, competed against other newspapers in Group IV, the highest circulation category.

The newspapers were judged on work produced from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. The contest drew 2,523 entries from 78 community newspapers in Washington State; entries were judged by members of the Texas Press Association.

First place: Best Government Reporter, “Kirkland City Manager Kurt Triplett could get nearly $30,000 in moving expenses,” Matt Phelps.

First place: Best Color Portrait (Human or Animal), “Bollywood theater beats the odds, thrives at Totem Lake Malls,” Chad Coleman.

Second place: Best Personality Profile – Long, “Christmas can’t come without Kirkland’s ‘North Star,'” Matt Phelps.

Second place: Best Education Story, “Three generations of women bring Montessori to Eastside, and now Kirkland,” Matt Phelps.

Second place: Best Color Sports Photo – Action, “Juanita wins big over Kangs, Sammamish,” Chad Coleman.

Third place: Best Education Story, “New Northwest University program in Kirkland gives local teens a place to grow their musical talents,” Matt Phelps.

Third place: Best General Feature Story – Short, “Civil War letters found at Eastside thrift shop,” Carrie Wood.

Other Sound Publishing newspapers won awards as well, bringing in a total of 194 awards.