BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — The Martin County Board of Education opened its Aug. 11 meeting by celebrating four FCCLA students who earned top honors at the National Leadership Conference in Orlando.

Superintendent Larry James praised the student’s achievements, noting that longtime FCCLA adviser Connie Harless recently retired. Her successor Nicole Hinkle, he said, “has big shoes to fill.”

James told BOE members that Darrian Jewell and Harlie Hinkle won the national championship in the Food Innovation STAR event with their project, Tropic Energy, a health-focused energy drink.

Their classmates Kenzlee Smith and Ella Lawson received gold medals in Chapter Service Project Display.

“They did a great job,” James said. “That’s awesome.”