Talk of the Neighborhood highlights Central Texans’ achievements.

* Class Acts *

* Max Burgess, a senior at Midway High School, has been selected to the All-State 4A Symphonic Band. He earned first chair in the trumpet section in the All-State Area D competition and will perform with the Texas All-State Band as part of the Texas Music Educators Association Convention held in San Antonio in February.

Max has been the drum major for the Midway Panther Marching Band for the past two years. He is the son of Carol and Norm Burgess.

* Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Midway Middle School who placed at the campus level and advance to the Regional History Fair, which will be held at Baylor University on Friday are:

Individual exhibit — Veronica Morgan, 1st; Katie McNaughton, 2nd; Lauren Nix, 3rd.

Group exhibit — Sara Albers and Kathryn Bell, 1st; Tanner Deaton and Ben Lee, 2nd; Kendall Andrews and Ambree Meek, 3rd.

Group performance — Sam Diaz-Granados, Riley Gardell and Robert Vick, 1st; Suzanne Schroeder, Cassie Karnei and Allison Brown, 2nd.

Historical paper — Campbell Thomasson, 1st; Rachel Neubert, 2nd; Travis Morrow, 3rd.

Web site — Ryan Huggins, 1st; Carey Jenecka, 2nd; Austin Beene, 3rd.

* Rapoport Academy’s Quinn Middle School and Rapoport Elementary School won 65 awards at a University Interscholastic League competition in Dew in December. Students placing first were:

Elementary — Gabe Cervantes, creative writing; Ian Tan and Willow Farrar, spelling; Emma Minor, ready writing.

Middle school — Demondre Woolfolk and Haley Turner, oral reading; Alexander Mitchev and Haylee Iddings, number sense; Paul Schattschneider, maps, graphs and chart; Austyn Mitchev, ready writing; Berkley Baker, modern oratory; Lawrence Scott, science; Raven Yoder, spelling; Rachel Barber, listening skills; Berkley Baker, social studies; Destiny Bleidt, impromptu speaking.

* William Holt Bostwick of Waco has been named to the dean’s list at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., for the Advent 2009 term. He is the son of Linda and Frederick deBurlo Bostwick III.

* Applause *

* Sister Marie Therese Sedgwick, a board member for Providence Healthcare Network in Waco, was installed as District VII representative to the Texas Healthcare Trustees, a statewide organization for those serving on the governing boards of hospitals and other health-related organizations in Texas. Her term is for two years.

* In the Military *

* Army Pfc. Stephen C. Southerlin, a 2009 graduate of China Spring High School, has graduated from the Infantryman One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. The training consists of basic infantry training and advanced individual training. He is the son of Bambi and stepson of Keith Garner of Waco.

* Army National Guard Pvt. Russell L. Langston, the son of Michelle Southerland of Mart, has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C. The 2009 graduate of Plainview High School is the son of Michael Langston of Plainview.