By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

For the sixth consecutive year, the Shelby County Reporter has been named Alabama’s best weekly newspaper.

The Reporter, which competes in Division C against other large weekly newspapers, won the Alabama Press Association’s General Excellence Award.

The paper also earned 10 other first place awards in the annual Better Newspaper Contest, including best use of photographs, best editorial page, best lifestyles page, best photo essay, best business story for “Economy forces ‘new normal’” by Amy Jones, best spot news story for “Missing Mt Laurel toddler drowns” by Christine Boatwright, best sports single event story for “Rebels win first girls’ title” by Wesley Hallman, best presswork, best special section and best continuing web coverage.

The Reporter also won the APA’s Advertising Sweepstakes award, the top award for the advertising portion of the contest, as well as the General Web Excellence award.

The Reporter won second place marks for best local economic coverage, best in-depth news coverage, best niche publication for Shelby Living magazine, best headline, and best web special project.

The paper earned third place honors for best spot news story for “Runaway SUV halts traffic in Pelham” by Neal Wagner, best in-depth news coverage, best niche publication for Alabama Wellness magazine, best use of graphics or illustrations, best sports news in-depth coverage, best feature photo, best sports page, best continuing web coverage and best web special project.

Seventy newspapers submitted 2,477 entries in this year’s Better Newspaper Contest, which was judged by the Nebraska Press Association.