Participants in the Wilkes County Spelling Bee were (front row, l-r) Michael Pharr, Ariel Brown, Tyler Scarborough, Tavian Binns, Dorian Favors, (back) Laura Heard, Dominique Jenkins, Brandon Freeman, DuBois Hines, and (not pictured) Rob Lovvorn. Fifth grader Ariel Brown correctly spelled the words "melancholy" and "patriarch" to win the Wilkes County Spelling Bee held recently.

Spelling Bee finalists from both Washington-Wilkes Elementary School and Washington-Wilkes Middle School competed in the annual event. The top two spellers from grades 4-8 qualified for the event which was held in the WWCHS Media Center Conference Room with participants, their par- ents, and school staff members attending. Judges for the bee were Skeet Willingham and Peggy Barnett.

Tyler Scarborough, a fourth grader, finished in second place and and Tavian Binns, an eighth grader, was the third place winner.

Ariel will compete in the regional bee in Augusta on March 10 along with 18 other area county winners, according to coordinator Judy Coxwell, WWES Media Specialist.