Trending
By James Dobbs
Staff Reporter
Students from 12 local school districts will meet tonight at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre to compete in the 42nd Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee.
"We are looking forward to an exciting evening that showcases our region's best spellers and the opportunity to choose a representative from the Mid-Ohio Valley for the National Bee," said Christina Myer, The Marietta Times executive editor and spelling bee emcee. "Each year these students impress me with their poise and talent."
Dr. Bill Ruud, Marietta College, will be the pronouncer as well as one of the judges. Candice Black, with The Marietta Times, will be the other judge.
Group A registration begins at 5:45 p.m., which includes Belpre, Fort Frye, Frontier, Parkersburg Catholic, St. John, St. Mary and St. Sylvester students. Group B registration begins at 6:45 p.m., which includes Pleasants County, Switerzerland of Ohio, Veritas, Warren Local and Wood County students.
Spelling begins at 6:30 p.m. and will consist of three rounds. The first and second rounds will end with four students left in each group for the final round of eight students to decide the fifth place through grand prize winners.
The grand prize winner will receive a $100 grand prize sponsored by Peoples Bank, a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a one-year subscription to Britannica Online Premium and a six-night stay at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center for them and one of their parents. The winner will move on to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee from Sunday, May 28, to Saturday, June 3, at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Md.
The runner-up will receive a $50 gift card and first place through fifth place winners will receive a trophy.
James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com.