HALLIE KRETSINGER, who won a college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship. She is one of about 4,500 high-school students nationwide to do so.
• Charlie Wilks, an Emporia 12-year-old who placed fourth in the National Braille Challenge in Los Angeles. Wilks, who has been blind since he was 5, was the only competitor from Kansas.
• The Emporia Arts Council, which announced plans for a bigger and better arts center near the Granada Theatre. The council went public with the campaign on Monday after raising $1.43 million of the $2.6 million it needs.
• The Emporia Municipal Band, which performed a full concert for the Kansas Bandmasters Association in Wichita last Friday. The concert included the second-ever performance of Emporia’s new march, “Beacon on the Prairie,” by James Barnes.
• The alumni of Miller High School who made it back for the school’s 85th anniversary last weekend. The school closed in 1955 after consolidating into Northern Heights High School.
• The organizers of Olpe Downhome Days for another downright good time.
• Everyone who is helping Emporians indulge their Harry Potter obsession one last time tonight in “Muggle Mania” events across town. But please, whatever else you do, don’t tell us how the book ends. Not even a Death Eater would do that.
• Lloyd D. Smith of Olpe, for reading The Gazette and making the connection. He read an article about Bernie Toso and realized the Emporia High School class ring he had found 26 years ago was lost by Toso. The ring is back on Toso’s finger, where it belongs.
• Leslie Stanbrough of the Emporia Track Club who has qualified for the National USATF Junior Olympics, which will be held in California.