Mar 16, 2021
While so many things around us changed in the past year, it’s refreshing to know that some things have not.
One of those is that hard work and preparation can pay big dividends.
We saw that Saturday, when Isabella Fletcher won the Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee presented by the Herald-Star.
This year’s event was virtual, which meant that the competitors and bee officials were spread among several sites across the area. It had a very different feel from the other regional bees. There was no stage to compete on or a crowd of several hundred to view the event.
Staff writer
TOP FINISHERS â Isabella Fletcher, seated at center in the left lower box, a seventh grader at Harding Middle School, emerged the winner of the 2021 Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee, in which 46 pupils from through the two counties participated virtually to practice social distancing. Appearing with her on a large screen at the Jefferson County Educational Service Centerâs R. Larry George Training Annex at the eventâs closing were other top finishers: Mary Jones, an eighth grader with the Heart of Mary Homeschool Association, second; Luke Kanzelberger, an eighth grader at Bishop John King Mussio Junior High School, third; Angelo Martello, a sixth grader at Harding Middle School, fourth; Abigail Dennis, a seventh-grader at Indian Creek Middle School, fifth; Ava Mizak, a fifth-grader at Bishop John King Mussio, sixth; Adrianna Swartz, an eighth grader at Toronto Junior High School, seventh; Kylie Moffat, a seventh-grader at Bishop John King M
rgallabrese@heraldstaronline.com
Slowly, but surely, things all around are starting to get a little closer to what we remember as being normal.
And that’s encouraging, especially when you look back and think about how much we’ve gone through in the past year.
We’ve experienced stay-at-home orders, seen businesses and restaurants forced to operate on reduced hours or closed (some, sadly, permanently) and been kept from seeing friends and relatives.
Then there are all of the gatherings and events that had become staples in our lives that had to be canceled or, in some cases, shifted to a virtual format.
From staff reports
BLOOMINGDALE The Jefferson County Joint Vocational School Board of Education has renewed the contract of its longtime treasurer after taking official action on Tuesday.
The board agreed to give Treasurer Karen Spoonemore a two-year deal, extending her tenure from Aug. 31, 2021, to July 31, 2023. Spoonemore has been with the school district for roughly three decades and Superintendent Todd Phillipson said she continues to bring a wealth of knowledge to her role.
“She does a great job and has had great audits and brings a lot of experience being a career tech treasurer,” he said.
Meanwhile, the latest construct from students in the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School carpentry program will be seeking occupancy as leaders plan to take bids later this spring.
From staff reports
STEUBENVILLE An $8,000 BroadbandOhio Connectivity grant is providing new iPads to benefit visually impaired students in two local school districts.
The technology was acquired by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center and will help students at Buckeye Local and Edison Local Schools update older devices. Funding was used to procure six iPads for the visual impairment unit in both districts and benefits six students as they obtain their education. Officials said costs were split with $2,500 spent for the newer devices and about $5,500 used to purchase public Wi-Fi access.
Nikki Richardson, a teacher of the visually impaired who works through the service center, said the devices will provide updated applications to help them learn.