Bluff native is picked for 'Price is Right'

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Derland Ellison -- come on down!! This Poplar Bluff native is the next contestant on "The Price is Right."

Airman 1st Class Ellison, the 20-year-old son of Larry and Jane Ellison of Poplar Bluff, will appear on the second prime-time special of the show, scheduled to air at 7 p.m.today on CBS. The special is a tribute to members of the U.S. Air Force.

Ellison is a 1999 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. He joined the Air Force in 2000 and is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California where he is a heavy equipment operator.

"He was just so excited. He told me he heard them say his first name and he started leaping over chairs to get to contestant's row," said Ellison's mother with a smile.

Although Ellison didn't make it past contestant's row, he did receive parting gifts and memories that last a lifetime.