Chesapeake student competes in Scripps National Bee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was long road getting there, but a Chesapeake student took part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on the outskirts of the nation's capital over the weekend.
Joseph Keffer, who just finished fifth grade, qualified for the event after winning the district bee for southeast Ohio in Athens in the spring.
Prior to that, he won the Lawrence County Spelling Bee in December, for which he qualified by winning his school's bee.
Keffer was one of 243 regional champions to make it nationals.
The Scripps National Bee, which is in its 100th year, took place from May 25-30 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
"It was awesome," Joseph said of his experience. "And I made a lot of friends."
At the national bee, Keffer made it through Round 1, correctly spelling "furan," then succeeded in Round 2.
He then moved into Round 3, which was a written test to qualify for the event's quarterfinals.
Keffer's mother, Laura, said he came only two points from that threshold.
"He was close," she said, noting that he and those eliminated at that point tied for 100th place overall. "He was 100th in the 100th. Our goal this year was to make it through rounds 1 and 2 and we accomplished that."
The spelling bee is open to fourth through eighth graders and, with three years of eligibility ahead of him, Joseph has the opportunity to try again.
"Oh, yes," he said, when asked if he plans to compete again in the next school year.
His mother summed up the family's experience.
"Being here for the 100th spelling bee, being at the national spelling bee is something I never dreamed we'd do and it has been very special to be a part of it," Laura Keffer said. "We are very proud of Joseph and what he has accomplished."
Keffer is the third Lawrence County speller to make it to the national bee this century.
Last year, Meredith Dunlap, of Fairland Middle School, competed in the event as a seventh grader. (Dunlap came in second at this year's county and regional bees).
In 2010, Felicity Jenkins, then a sixth grader at Symmes Valley, made the trip to nationals.
The bee capped off a strong year for Keffer. He was also part of the fifth grade Quiz Bowl team, which won the Lawrence County ESC's talented and gifted tournament at the end of the school year, while, a year prior, he was on the winning team for the ESC's Math Pong event.
You Might Like
News
Proctorville woman killed in WV crash
Education
FLE kindergarteners celebrate with Wyngate residents (WITH GALLERY)
Business
Azure Standard announces $9.3M investment in county
News
Ashland woman killed in UTV accident
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Washington Post
This big pollution problem appeared to be solved. Not quite.
First, a filthy Chesapeake Bay represented all that wasn't working with America's stewardship of its natural environment. Then, the bay became a success story. The sloughs of poorly treated sewage at the bottom of slime-green lagoons disappeared, and oyster populations, once nearly wiped out, made a near-miraculous comeback. The turnaround seemed to show that even big environmental problems could be managed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
EDITORIAL: Going all the way to the big event
Jun. 11—Last weekend, a student from Lawrence County took part in a major event and getting to do so was an honor in itself. Joseph Keffer, who will be entering the sixth grade at Chesapeake Middle School his fall, traveled to the Washington, D.C. area, where he took part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Getting to the bee first required Keffer to win his individual school bee, then to qualify, through a test for the regional bee, held in Athens, and then win that competition. Along the way, he also won the county's spelling bee in December. In the national bee, Keffer made it to the third round, tying for 100th place, putting him in the top half of the bee's 243 competitors. It was an impressive showing for him and, with three more years of eligibility for the bee left, he has a good chance to do it again. And this is the third time in the last 15 years that our county has had a student make it to the national event, with Felicity Jenkins and Meredith Dunlap preceding Keffer. It is a testament, not just to their abilities, but of the education they received from our local schools. We congratulate Keffer for his achievement this year and look forward to what else he accomplishes. You Might Like News Area students named to OU's Spring 2025 President's List Sports Pedro Bass Club names winners from Marina tourney News DeWine, mental health leaders unveil 988 license plate News Concert series returns Tuesday night
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sentara teams with Mutts With A Mission to offer unique clinical experience
The Sentara Simulation Center in Chesapeake partnered Thursday with Mutts With A Mission to offer clinical training for veterans and eight newly trained service dogs. Based in Virginia Beach, Mutts With A Mission trains service dogs for disabled veterans, law enforcement and first responders at no charge to the recipients. Thursday's simulation marked the nonprofit organization's first opportunity to conduct this type of final-phase training for its dogs. The experience took place in a simulated hospital room, where the service dogs accompanied their handlers through each step of a typical visit — from check-in at the front desk, to the waiting room, to the doctor's office and finally back to the front desk for check-out. Jo Ofeldt, office manager and puppy raiser at Mutts With A Mission, said she was pleased to hear the dogs were attentive to their handlers and Sentara's staff during the simulation. 'It's the culmination of all the love and care we've poured into these dogs, and to see it all come together is just incredible,' Ofeldt said. The simulation was also Sentara Health's first clinical training partnership involving service dogs, Director of Clinical Education Jolene Dorrell said. 'The most important part to me is paying back to the service community, for the veterans and for first responders,' said Debra Gillis, manager of the Sentara Simulation Center in Chesapeake. 'It just really shows that there are so many aspects of healthcare and of the human being.' After spending three days at Mutts With A Mission's training facility, Kyle Cozad, CEO of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and retired two-star rear admiral, said the simulation was his first outing with his dog, Neo. Cozad highlighted the simulation's importance in preparing Neo for routine doctor's appointments. Mutts with a Mission service dog Vatra sits in a mock-hospital room at the Sentara Simulation Center in Chesapeake on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) John McIvor with Virginia Beach Fire Department sits in a mock-hospital room with his Mutts with a Mission service dog Maple at the Sentara Simulation Center in Chesapeake on Thursday, June 5, 2025. The simulation was intended to recreate a realistic clinical experience in a simulated hospital room to aid in training of the service dogs. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Brooke Corson, founder and director of Mutts with a Mission, walks with Mutts with a Mission service dog Vatra in a mock-clinical environment at the Sentara Simulation Center in Chesapeake on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Ramone Rivenburg, active-duty Navy, sits in a mock-waiting room with his Mutts with a Mission service dog Flynn at the Sentara Simulation Center in Chesapeake on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Show Caption1 of 5Registered Nurse Bobbie Smith welcomes Kyle Cozad, a 35-year Navy veteran, and his Mutts with a Mission service dog Neo into a mock-hospital room at the Sentara Simulation Center in Chesapeake on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)Expand 'It's a tremendous partnership, and hopefully this can continue in the future for other transition camps,' Cozad said. Navy veteran Jamey Hebert said Mutts With A Mission's training effectively prepared his dog, Yeti, for the simulation. 'I really appreciate that more people are getting on board and understanding what a game changer these guys are,' Hebert said. Maddie Mohamadi,
