Talk of the Neighborhood highlights Central Texans’ achievements.

* Class Acts *

* The Midway High School speech and debate team placed third in sweepstakes at the Round Rock Invitational with 50-plus schools represented. The team consisted of students J.T. Motlock, Charlie Bussell, Evan Ferguson, Blake Stump, Layne Russell, Bryan Cleaver and Dylan Kreis.

Blake Stump placed first in novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Charlie Bussell placed third. More than 48 debaters were in this category. Bryan Cleaver and Dylan Kreis placed third out of 26 in the novice cross examination debate competition. Bryan Cleaver placed second in individual overall speaker points.

* Chelsey Jackson, a junior from Waco, was named to the president’s list for having a 4.0 grade-point average for the fall semester at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City.

Freshman Michelle Miller of Waco was named to the honor roll for the semester.

* Tiffany Bailey of China Spring and Audrey Johnson of Waco, both nursing students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, were named to the dean’s list for the fall semester.

* Applause *

* The adult basic education program at McLennan Community College has won the Texas Recreation and Parks Society Service Club Award for its collaboration with the South Waco Community Center in offering an adult education program for community members.

The program at the South Waco Community Center specializes in four main programs: basic education/literacy, GED preparation, English as a Second Language, and U.S. citizenship preparation. Classes have been offered at South Waco Community Center for 22 years.

* In the Military *

* Airman Robert J. Ed, the son of Bryan and Julie Ed of McGregor, has graduated from the Air Force basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Robert graduated in June 2009 from Midway High School. He is attending advanced individual training at Lackland to serve in the Air Force security forces.

* Airman Tanequia L. Vincent, a 2009 graduate of Waco High School, graduated from Air Force basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. She is the daughter of Tammy Higgs of Waco.

* Pitching In *

* The Midway High School freshman class collected more than 200 cases of bottled water for the Hometown Heroes Water Drive for area police, fire, sheriff and emergency agencies.

The water was distributed to the Hewitt police and fire departments, Woodway Public Safety Department, Waco Fire Department, McLennan County Sheriff’s Office and East Texas Medical Center Ambulance Service for their use while answering calls. Corporate donors included Bush’s Chicken, H-E-B, Walmart, Bob Anderson State Farm Insurance and The Deaton Agency Insurance and Financial Services.

This is the seventh year Midway High has sponsored the water drive, which started after the Sept. 11 tragedy.

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