Taxidermist Lloyd Johnson III won the Georgia Taxidermist Association's Wildlife Artists Supply Co. (WASCO) award for his unusual mount that includes two East African impala and a Thomson's gazelle on a single base. Lloyd shot all three animals during a safari to Tanzania, and said the mount was constructed so that only three feet of the animals were touching the ground. A picture of the mount appeared in Sunday's Augusta Chronicle. Lloyd is owner of Master's Wildlife on The Square in Washington. The mount is on display in his shop and he also has other beautiful displays of his work there.

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Joe Barnett will be featured on Bobby Flay's Throwdown Wednesday, March 18, 9 p.m., on the Food Network.

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For the second time, Kathy Nash Callaway has been named Teacher of the Year at Dare Elementary School in Yorktown, Virginia. Kathy if a former Wilkes County Teacher of the Year when she taught at the Washington-Wilkes Primary School. She and her husband Terry are both natives of Wilkes County and moved to Virginia several years ago when Terry's company transferred him there.

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Marine LCpl. Zach Dehil of Wilkes County has been deployed to Iraq as of February 28. He is attached to 2d Supply Btn., Security Co., and is the son of Beth Dehil and Dennis Dehil.

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Patricia Johnson continues to build her reputation in the field of fine photographic art. She will have a gallery of photography at the Aroma's Coffee and Wine Bar at Surrey Center in Augusta from March 21 until April 21. The opening of the gallery will be March 21 at 7:30 p.m. Patricia is the daughter of Lloyd and Bobbie Sue Johnson of Washington.

. Jenny Lindsey of Washington has been named Curator/Director of the new McDuffie Museum in Thomson which opened in early January. Jenny graduated magna cum laude from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation.

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Louise Burt was excited to receive word that her daughter, Carol Burt, has been selected to receive the Wesleyan College Outstanding Alumni Award for Distinguished Service. Carol is one of 8,000 members of the Wesleyan alumni association. She is also a graduate of Washington-Wilkes High School where, among other things, she was an outstanding tennis player. She lives on St. Simons Island.

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Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter and performer Hillary Lindsey will perform Saturday, March 21, at Rock Eagle 4-H Center near Eatonton in a Clovers & Co. benefit concert. Clovers & Co. is the Georgia 4-H performing arts troup to which Hillary belonged for four years. It was founded in 1981. Washington-Wilkes has had other 4-H Club members who have been selected for Clovers & Co., but the only one I can remember right now is Kevin Madden. It's a real honor to be selected a member of the group. Hillary is the daughter of Ricky and Kathy Lindsey of Washington.

. No rain during the past week.

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The top amateur dirt bike and ATV cross-country riders and their families who came to the Aonia Pass Motocross last weekend to participate in the Maxxis General GNCC brought 1,471 riders to the site -- 80 more than last year. Reports are that the riders and their families, and spectators filled Washington's restaurants and grocery stores during the weekend. McDonald's reports having record business on Friday. They really had some expensivelooking transportation to bring them here and they kept the gas stations busy.

Priscilla Maxwell, who has written the Tyrone News for about 50 years, is retiring. Until her serious illness which began in August 2008, Priscilla had not missed a week writing her column. Even if she was very sick or in the hospital she would get her news in every week, sometimes on a paper towel, a tissue, or whatever she could find to write on, wherever she was. She received correspondence from all over the United States from people who enjoyed her column. Most of them had lived in Wilkes County and wrote to say how much they appreciated hearing the news from Tyrone and Phillips Mill. One college professor in Florida used her column in his English classes to illustrate colloquialism and her folksy style of writing. We will miss her news, but know she is entitled to a rest. It's hard to meet a deadline for that many years.

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It's time to start getting our yards and places of business cleaned and put in order for the Tour of Homes April 1, 2, and 3. This spring-like weather we're having (in the 80s one day) beckons us to get out and enjoy the sunshine. But don't be fooled. Easter is late this year -- April 12 -- so we most likely will have at least one more "cold snap."

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It's worth a trip down North Alexander Avenue to see the improvement in the North Alexander School. Twenty windows have been restored and repair and restoration of the front porch and steps has begun. The North Alexander School Association is planning an open house of the ground floor during the upcoming Tour of Homes April 3, 4, and 5. Brass plaques honoring family members or graduating classes have been installed at each window.

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The Concerned Citizens of Wilkes County will meet March 17, 7 p.m., at the Mary Willis Library.

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New Sutton Temple Baptist Church will have its spring revival March 18-20, 7:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Rev. Hunter and the New Springhill Baptist Church.