Model bridge contest held at Cape West 14 Cine

A balsa-wood model bridge built by Brandon Lutman of Bloomfield, Mo., buckles under the weight of a water bucket filled by Rachel Blalock, a staff member with the Missouri Department of Transportation, Thursday at Cape West 14 Cine. The sixth annual bridge building competition had 227 entries from high school juniors and seniors in MoDOT's 14-county southeast district. Each participant was given a bridge kit consisting of 20 pieces of wood, a spool of thread and a bottle of glue. The most efficient model bridge would be the lightest bridge to carry the greatest load. Top scores by schools were Ste. Genevieve, first; Oak Ridge, second; and Chaffee, third. Top individual winner was Zack Fallert of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., with an efficiency score of 374.4 percent. (Fred Lynch)