Dozens of Smith County school children earned awards for an art contest at the annual Fire Prevention Awards Ceremony.
Colorful art pieces, with the theme of “Every Second Counts, Plan 2 Ways Out,” lined the walls of a room in the Tyler Rose Garden. Students of Arp, Bullard, Brook Hill, Chapel Hill, Christian Heritage, Jackson Elementary, Lindale, Troup, and Whitehouse received awards for their artwork.
Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said her office and the Smith County Volunteer Firemen’s Association has been putting on the event for at least 28 years. She encouraged all of the children and their parents, which packed the room, to go home and form an escape plan in case of a fire. “Find two ways out of your home,” she said. “Never go back in once you have gotten out.”
Aaron Munn, with the Lindale Fire Department, also talked to the kids about fire safety, and entertained them with a puppet show and Sparky the fire safety dog.
Awards for the art contest were given for each school in Division I, kindergarten through second grades; Division II, third through fifth grades; Division III, sixth through eighth grades; and Division IV, ninth through 12th grades. Overall winners were selected from each division.
OVERAL DIVISION WINNERS
Division I: Rafael Antonio Aguilar, III, Bullard, first place; Harlee Adams, Troup, second place; Kylynn Winkler, Lindale, third place.
Division II: Riley Blackman, Troup, first; Marli Hawley, Lindale, first; Lexie Morgan, Christian Heritage, second; Randee Black, Chapel Hill, third.
Division III: Jessie James, Chapel Hill, first; Kyleigh McShan Reed, Bullard, second; Hannah Smith, Brook Hill, third.
Division IV: Dalton Curry, Chapel Hill, first.
FOREST SERVICE WINNER: Lilyana Hooper, Arp, first.
SMITH COUNTY WINNERS:
Arp ISD, Division I: Jaimiah Ford, first place; Tyson Burkhart, second place; Division II: Callie Brown, first; Lizzie Lee, second; Evynn Mullican, third.
Bullard ISD, Division I: Rafael Antonio Aguilar, III, first; Breann Benson, second; Brody McFarlin, third; Division II: Mollie Carlile, first; Jack Welty, second; Division III: Kyleigh McShan Reed, first.
Brook Hill, Division III: Hannah Smith, first; Colton Carson, second; Madyson McEuen, third.
Chapel Hill, Division II: Randee Black, first; Everett Murrieta, second; Emma Kinney, third; Division III: Jesse James, first; Division IV: Dalton Curry, first.
Christian Heritage, Division I: Ashley Anderson, first; Caleb Berry, second; Aurora Kilkenny, third; Division II: Lexie Morgan, first; Angeles Wright, second; Zane Derksen, third.
Jackson Elementary, Division I: Jamie Maldanado, first; Lisabeth Vargas, second; Enady Jose, third; Division II: Magi Riggs, first; Jaden Wilson, second; Karley Spencer, third.
Lindale, Division I: Kylynn Winkler, first; Micah Gregg, second; Rustan Wood, third; Division II: Marli Hawley, first; Kamryn Dickerson-West, second; Toby Gregg, third.
Troup, Division I: Harlee Adams, first; Jaxon Black, second; Giroshi Arce-Torres, third; Division II: Riley Blackman, first; Amari Shepard, second; Hailey Ashmore, second; Parker Osborn, third; Kolby Padia, third; Bryce Wallum, third.
Whitehouse, Division II: Summer Turney, first.