Already honored as the state’s best mid-size non-daily for both news and advertising this year, Marion County Record has won an additional 27 statewide awards to be presented next year, Kansas Press Association announced Wednesday.

For the third year in a row, the Record won first place for overall news and writing excellence, the most coveted award in the competition.

Other first-place awards went, for the second year in a row, to Eric Meyer for editorial writing, to Melvin Honeyfield for best grocery ad and best agriculture ad, to Alexander Simone for best local business story and best headline writing, to Rowena Plett for religion coverage, to Sheila G. Kelley for health coverage, and to Paige Carr for coverage of senior citizens.

The paper’s who’s who feature for Old Settlers’ Day also won first place for most adaptable promotion.

Second-place awards went to Kelley for government and political coverage and feature photography, Meyer for column writing, Honeyfield for automotive advertising, and Honeyfield and Debra Steele for health care advertising.

The paper’s Explore section for Chingawassa Days also placed second in special section advertising.

Third-place awards went to Kelley for feature writing and for story-photo combination, Simone for government and political coverage and headline writing, Phyllis Zorn for news writing, Jason Tidd for education writing, David Colburn for photographer of the year, Honeyfield for ad campaign, and Meyer for promotional ad.

The paper also placed third in overall design excellence.

Awards will be presented Feb. 9 in Topeka.

In the past five Kansas Press Association contests, the Record has won a record 144 statewide awards.