• 54°
franklin county times

7th grader wins local spelling bee

By Staff
SPELLING CHAMPION Laje Reine-Brooks, center, is congratulated by her grandmother, Pinkie Norman, left, and aunt, Eugenia Brooks, after she won the Meridian/Lauderdale County Spelling Bee on Friday. Reine-Brooks will next compete at the state Spelling Bee in Jackson on March 27. PHOTO BY PENNY RANDALL / THE MERIDIAN STAR.
By Penny Randall/staff writer
March 2, 2002
Laje Reine-Brooks' grandmother, Pinkie Norman, held the cross on her necklace in her hand and said a prayer Friday as her granddaughter spelled "interrogate" the word which won Reine-Brooks the Meridian/Lauderdale County Spelling Bee.
A seventh-grader at Magnolia Middle School, Reine-Brooks beat out 89 other students from area public, private and parochial schools.
This was Reine-Brooks' second year to be involved in the spelling bee, sponsored by The Meridian Star and its Newspaper In Education program.
The daughter of Paul and Larriette McCune of Meridian, she is active in her school, serving on the newspaper staff at Magnolia and is A-B student.
The spelling bee was held Friday at Mississippi State University-Meridian branch.
Newspaper in Education coordinator Lee Schulte oversees the program for The Star.
Second place went to Breanne Logan, a sixth grader at Carver Middle School. There was a five-way tie for third place among Jennie Fisher, a fifth grade student at Lamar; Maggie Day, a sixth grader at Magnolia Middle School; Ryan Jimenez, a sixth grade student at St. Patrick's; Ryan Gressett, a seventh grader at Southeast Lauderdale; and Mary Anna Smith, a fourth grade student at Lamar.

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x