Talk of the Neighborhood highlights Central Texans’ achievements.

* Class Acts *

* Brandon Alexander Davis, a senior at Robinson High School, has received an appointment to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

He will receive a full four-year scholarship worth more than $350,000. Upon graduation in 2013, Brandon will have a choice to be commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy or as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He also was selected to the National Honor Society. Brandon is the son of Eddie and Kilsun Davis of Robinson.

* Reicher Catholic High School has received the “2008 College Readiness Award” from the Texas ACT Council for significant strides made in increasing its ACT scores over the past five years.

Only 4 percent of all high schools in Texas were honored for this accomplishment. The ACT Assessment is the college admissions test used by all colleges nationwide and in Texas.

* Four Midway High School students were selected to the All-State Orchestra. Garrett Jaynes, Erin Rich, Adrienne Steely and Hannah Barber are ranked among the top string players in the state.

Garrett is a senior and became the first Midway orchestra student to receive all-state honors for four years. He plays the bass and is the son of Mark and Marla Jaynes.

Erin, a junior who plays the bass, achieved All-State Philharmonic member for the third year in a row. She is the daughter of Steve and Jennifer Rich.

Hannah, a junior, plays the viola and is a member of the Symphony Orchestra. Hannah is the daughter of Robbie and Debbie Barber.

Adrienne Steely, a member in the Philharmonic Orchestra, is a junior and plays the cello. She is the daughter of Jeff and Kathy Steely.

The foursome will travel to San Antonio to rehearse and perform with the All-State Orchestra at the Texas Music Educators Association convention in February.

* Rapoport Academy’s element-ary, middle and high schools received Gold Performance Acknowledgements from the Texas Education Agency for attendance.

The middle and high schools received the Gold Acknowledge-ment for their commended percentages in reading and social studies. Also, the high school received the gold honor for commended percentages in math and science and the middle school reached gold for comparable improvement in math.

All three campuses attained recognized status on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.

* Applause *

* Cecil Groves, former chancellor at Texas State Technical College in Waco in the 1980s and ’90s, received North Carolina’s highest civilian honor recently.

Groves, who has been president at Southwestern Community College in Asheville, N.C., since 1997, was honored with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for extraordinary service to the state. Other recipients were Michael Jordan, Charles Kuralt, the Rev. Billy Graham and Maya Angelou.

* FedEx Ground, the small-package ground delivery service of FedEx Corp., has recognized Gary Combs, a resident of Eddy, for achieving 15 years of safe driving without a preventable accident.

Combs has been a professional truck driver for 15 years with FedEx Ground and works out of the company’s Dallas facility.

* Dr. William Nesmith with Heart of Texas Pediatrics in Waco was named as a “Top Doc” for 2008 by the University of Texas Medical Branch, Office of Regional Medical Education.

He serves as a preceptor, or teacher, for the Brazos Area Health Education Center in Waco.

Honorees are chosen based on how many UTMB students they have precepted, student evaluations and involvement in their community.

* In the Military *

* Army Pvt. Jake R. Luttrell, a 2008 graduate of West High School, has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla. He is the son of Kenneth and stepson of Carol Luttrell of West.