OPTIMIST ESSAY WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED

Three Cape Girardeau Central High School students were winners in the Breakfast Optimist Club's annual essay contest.

Awards were presented at last week's club meeting.

First-place winner was Luke Dry; second place, Mandi McCoy; and third place, Laura Krone.

The winners are all students of Mary Ellen Sharp. They wrote essays on "The Challenge of a Free Society."

Dry advances to the Optimists' zone competition. The winner of the zone contest will compete at the district level, and the district winner will go to the international competition.

First-place winner at the international competition will receive $5,000 in scholarships. The second-place winner earns $3,000 and third place wins $2,000.

Neyland Clark was chairman of the essay competition for the club.