NEIGHBORS WIN SPELLING BEE

Just call them the Sunset Street spellers: Jill McCloskey and Gretchen Pfautsch, across-the-street neighbors on Sunset, both won the district spelling bee held Saturday in Sikeston.

They were among 28 school champions from across Southeast Missouri who competed at the Sikeston Middle School.

Because of the large number of schools participating in the spelling bee, two co-champions were named from Southeast Missouri.

McCloskey is a seventh-grader at L.J. Schultz Middle School. Pfautsch is a sixth-grader at St. Vincent de Paul Grade School.

They will represent Southeast Missouri at the state spelling bee in St. Louis March 20.

Pat Heckert, sponsor of the spelling bee at Schultz, said Saturday: "The competition was very tough. When it got down to three spellers, they continued for several rounds."

McCloskey correctly spelled measurable and Pfautsch spelled beguiling to win.

Now the two spelling champs will study up for the state competition to be held at the St. Louis Art Museum. It is sponsored by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper.

The national spelling bee is scheduled May 30-June 3 in Washington D.C.

McCloskey is the daughter of Pat McCloskey, 315 Sunset. Pfautsch is the daughter of Brian and Anita Pfautsch, 308 Sunset.