Salisbury Post Editor Elizabeth Cook was expected to accept the prize tonight at the N.C. Press Association’s annual awards ceremony. Journalists from around the state will gather at the Friday Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the awards presentation.

The Post collected eight prizes in all, including first place awards for general excellence, news feature writing, news enterprise reporting, sports photography and business writing.

The Press Association sponsors the annual competition among all newspapers in the state, and the Post competes with newspapers with circulation of 15,000 to 35,000.

In four of the past six years, the Post has won the general excellence competition, which considers news and editorial content as well as production quality.

Other awards went to:

• Rose Post, first in news feature writing, for her “Main Street, North Carolina” series on U.S. 70.
• Susan Dickerson, first in news enterprise reporting, for her “Gateway to Death” series on the a student’s accidental fatal drug overdose.
• Jon Lakey, first in sports photography, for “Nothing but net,” a picture of a North Rowan girl lunging into the net during a volleyball match.
• Sara Pitzer, first in business writing, for her series on Carolina Maid closing.
• Elizabeth Cook, second in serious columns. Each writer submits three columns.
• Staff, second in feature page/section design. Lifestyle Editor Jan Boone will accept the award.
• Rose Post, third in business writing, for “Landmark’s last hurrah,” about the closing of Granite Lake swimming park.