Elks honor top students in county

NOREEN HYSLOP-nhyslop@dailystatesman.com

Throughout the school year, Dexter's Elks Lodge #2439 honors Students of the Month. Tuesday evening this year's honorees and their families gathered for a banquet at the local lodge where one male and one female were named as Students of the Year 2013. Pictured above are all students selected. They are (upper row from left) from Bloomfield, Summer Griffin and Zach Goode; from Dexter, Kaitlin Viers and Alex Rybolt; and from Bernie, Ellen Snider and Christopher Barnes. In front are, from Richland, Kelly Motta and Jesse Barnes; from Puxico, Abigail Dare and Joshua Harp, and from Advance, Jessica Beal and Logan Sadler. Named Students of the Year, below, are both Puxico's students, Abigail Dare and Joshua Harp. The pair received $100 gift certificates and plaques. They are shown with coordinator of the program, Larry White at left, and Elks Exalted Ruler, Darrell Penberthy. Keynote speaker at the event was Dr. Nick Thiele, who serves as director of Southeast Missouri State University's Malden campus.