Students excel at Tom Colley Reading Bee
tazewell, va. — Spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension were tested Thursday when fourth-grade and fifth-grade teams from Tazewell County schools competed and excelled at the 23rd Annual Tom Colley Reading Bee.
Formerly known as the Tazewell County Reading Bee, the competition was renamed the Annual Tom Colley Reading Bee in honor of the late executive editor of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Colley, who was chairman of the Literacy Committee of what is now the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias, created the reading bee concept as a way to help children develop a love of reading.
Ten teams representing the fourth and fifth grades at five of Tazewell County's schools competed at this year's reading bee. These schools included Abbs Valley Boissevain Elementary School, Cedar Bluff Elementary, Graham Intermediate School, Richlands Elementary School and Tazewell Intermediate School. These teams competed in categories including vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, editing and impromptu, which is a skit that's performed without rehearsal.
After the judges watched the teams compete and made their decisions, the fourth grade overall winner was Cedar Bluff Elementary. Cedar Bluff Elementary's Fourth Grade Team included coach Dana Smith with students Jordan Hylton, Lanh Pham, Avery Martin and Paisley Richardson.
The fourth grade overall winner was Cedar Bluff Elementary School. Cedar Bluff Elementary's Fourth Grade Team included coach Dana Smith with students Jordan Hylton, Lanh Pham, Avery Martin and Paisley Richardson.
The fourth grade runner up was Graham Intermediate School. Graham Intermediate School's Fourth Grade Team included coach Sarah Jones with students Neveah Shrader, Laney Holman, Harper Mitchem and Kylie Sparks.
The fifth grade overall winner was Richlands Elementary School. Richlands Elementary School's Fifth Grade Team included coach Kiffani Dales with students Caelyn Arms, Kai Rohrer, Aubree Gilbert and Ella-Rae Patton.
The fifth grade runner up was Tazewell Intermediate School. Tazewell Intermediate School's Fifth Grade included coach Courtney Mullins with students Scarlet Brittain, Payton Bowman, Madison Montaigne and Harper Crone.
Supporters of the 23rd Annual Tom Colley Ready Bee included the following:
Bluefield Daily Telegraph; Craft Memorial Library; Rotary Club Princeton WV; Peter R. Romano/Ameriprise; Financial Services LLC; Mrs. Charles (Dafney K.) Peters; Rotary Club Bluefield WV; George M. Cruise Foundation; First Community Bank; Rotary Club Bluefield, Va.; Frank Smoot Charitable Trust; Venture Printing; the Family of Eugenia Hancock; Anytime Fitness; WVVA; City National Bank; and Lawrence Brothers, Inc.
Organizers also thanked the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.,which supported the reading bee through the Unrestricted Fund of the Foundation and The Bluefield Daily Telegraph Literacy Fund.
Organizers also acknowledged Lindsey Mullins Woodard, Tazewell County Schools director of public relations; Communities In Schools of the Appalachian Highlands; the Tazewell County School Board; the Mercer County Board of Education; Debbie Maynard and Cassie Evans with the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias.
Contact Greg Jordan at
gjordan@bdtonline.com
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So I was doing both shows at the same time, Vancouver to Toronto. Which was kind of wild. Um, but I mean, yeah, Instant Star was great for me to get my feet wet, to play a character that I could not relate to in any way. Like, I actually hated Sadie. I found her so annoying. Um, but it was great. I mean, the cast is great. Everyone's doing wonderful now. Tim Rozan is busy. Uh, he and I were just talking about doing a movie together cause I haven't worked with him in so long. Um, and I think Alex started something online about having a reunion, which we're all in for. Uh, I just was like, please give Sadie a storyline because she never really had one. She was just She was an annoying brat. I didn't realize you were doing both shows at the same time, which makes sense timeline wise, but that's a little crazy. Was it like all in when you're like, I have to really ping pong? Do you remember that time being particularly difficult? I know that both shows worked there or did their best to make it work so that, you know, I wasn't a huge character on Ins the stars. It's not like I was needed every scene. So I think if I recall epitome Pictures who did instant star like would block shoot my scenes, which is essentially like we'll shoot all your scenes in a day. Um, but they weren't gonna let me do Smallville when I got cast. Contractually, they weren't gonna let it happen. And thankfully they did because it made a huge difference for myself and my career and uh they were very kind to do so, but yeah, back and forth, um, I think it was just for like the last season or the second half of the last season, and then I was just solely on. Smallville. So getting to Smallville, I mean, massive show and so many people watched the whole thing. Your character, I think, came in with such like force when she came in in season 7. I think like just the introduction and the way that she carried herself was really unique. 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Nice to meet you. Like, what's your name? And no one wanted to talk. And then one by one, they took us in. We did the screen test, and then the producer came back out and said everyone could go home but me and uh thought I was in trouble. But it turns out I got the job and um It's, yeah, one of the best things that could have ever happened to me as a young actor, because it was such an iconic show and an iconic female superhero we hadn't seen on television like that before. It was sort of the start of the the whole genre of like Arrowverse and all of these superhero shows that came after us, but Yeah, it, uh, it meant a lot and then meeting young fans at conventions, um, young girls who looked up to me was really cool, having come from a character like Sadie to someone who's a little more confident in her own shoes and and who little girls looked up to was very cool for me. Kristen Kirk has talked about this because she, you know, after being on Smallville. 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So yeah, we shot it in 3 days and it was terrifying. But like million dollar question always is like funding these things and being able to actually have the resources to execute. What was it like just trying to navigate that element of it. It was scary, but I was determined and so was my team and like the fans again showed up. Um, you know, they, they made it happen, and once I had the team together and um I had my DP Kim Durko kind of walk me through cause I didn't think I could direct. I've been around it. I've watched it, but She helped me through it the whole time, um, helped me with my shot lists and, you know, I, I maybe couldn't tell her the lens that I wanted, but I could tell her visually what I saw in my head, and she, so she was the technical side of it, you know. So it was, there was the whole team, but yeah, it was a challenge and it was stressful and it was during COVID and Um, I think like if you look at any of the stills from shooting that and you see me, my eyes are just, I'm just wide-eyed with a mask because I was like my brain felt like it was on fire cause I couldn't believe what I'd written was happening with these actors. And then we submitted to a bunch of film festivals and uh luckily it did did quite well. When you were um writing it, was there something in particular about just like how we kind of present ourselves to the world that you were particularly inspired by? Social media is like, it's a double-edged sword. I use it, I'm guilty of it, you know, I play the game. But at that time and even now I. Really didn't love what it was doing to. My self-esteem and the thoughts I had about myself and my career, you know, you'd see other actors posting their announcements. They've been cast in this and like. You know, I think like anyone, you, you want to take a break from feeling like a failure or like comparing yourself to someone else. And so I think at that time, I was just, I was 14 days in an apartment, I couldn't leave. I was on social media and it was just making me miserable. So I think it stemmed from that. I'd also met an actor who made a living from social media, and I found that frustrating and it's just like this whole other world, and that's where like the Alice in Wonderland aspect of My Soul to Take came in. Um, with this fake worlds where it seems like. Everyone's doing well and happy when in reality people just aren't posting when they're in the fetal position crying in the shower, you know, like, life isn't cultivated, it's lived and why are we watching people live a fake version of it or like a highlight reel. So there was a lot going on in my my head at the time. For sure. 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I've always been hungry to play roles that are nothing like myself. Um, and I think, you know, with typecasting and being put in a box, it can be very frustrating. So if I'm giving an opportunity to. Look and just completely change who I am, um, just not just visually, uh, but Mentally, like if I can delve into a character, I hate to say like a serial killer or like someone who has psychological problems. Um, I find that so juicy and exciting. And, you know, It's hard to find roles like that right now, um, and so, you know, you, you find you're either creating them or you're trying to collaborate with other artists to create a project that doesn't exist for all of you to do. And to just change people's, you want to always change people's opinions about who you are and what you're capable of and challenge yourself, so. You know, a a prime example would be like Elizabeth Moss's character in Handmaid's Tale. She gets the the the array of things that she gets to do on that show and the types of scenes and and the heaviness. Like I really gravitate more to heavy, um, although I just did my first comedy movie, which was interesting, but Uh, that's usually what I try to look for, something that will start conversation, like my soul to take, get you thinking, like stay heavy with you when you're done watching.
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Dividend Yield: 4.5% Regions Financial offers a stable and growing dividend, currently yielding 4.54%, though it trails behind the top 25% of US dividend payers. The company's dividends have been consistent over the past decade, supported by a low payout ratio of 47.6%. Recent earnings showed net income growth to US$490 million, underscoring strong financial health. Strategic leadership changes and share buybacks further bolster its position for sustained dividend reliability. Get an in-depth perspective on Regions Financial's performance by reading our dividend report here. In light of our recent valuation report, it seems possible that Regions Financial is trading behind its estimated value. Navigate through the entire inventory of 144 Top US Dividend Stocks here. Shareholder in one or more of these companies? Ensure you're never caught off-guard by adding your portfolio in Simply Wall St for timely alerts on significant stock developments. Simply Wall St is a revolutionary app designed for long-term stock investors, it's free and covers every market in the world. Explore high-performing small cap companies that haven't yet garnered significant analyst attention. Fuel your portfolio with companies showing strong growth potential, backed by optimistic outlooks both from analysts and management. Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include COLB INDB and RF. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
