Thumbs up ... to Alisa Boyce-James, a fourth-grader at Crescent Elementary School in Beckley, one of four national winners of the School Nutrition Association’s All-Star School Lunch contest.



Thumbs up ... to the InvenTeam at Greenbrier West High School, which consists of 30 students who have begun a year-long project with the goal of creating an environmental monitoring sensor to be used to investigate the Meadow River wetlands.



Thumbs up ... to the Raleigh County landfill for receiving $55,000 from the state Rehabilitation Environmental Action Program for a tub grinder. The machine chops leaves, tree limbs and other vegetation into mulch, keeping those items out of the landfill.



Thumbs up ... to state schools Superintendent Steve Paine, named president-elect of the Council of Chief State School Officers.



Thumbs up ... to Ashlee Lane, a fifth-grader at Hollywood Elementary School in MacArthur, one of 15 students in West Virginia to win this year’s SMART529 “When I Grow Up” essay contest. Lane will receive a $500 SMART529 college savings account, and Hollywood Elementary will receive $500 to support school programs.



Thumbs up ... to Capt. Kevin Price, the 2009 Beckley Fire Department Firefighter of the Year. Price, a 19-year veteran of the department, is the head of the fire prevention bureau. Price, sharing recognition, said “You could have picked anybody out of this department and given them the award.”



Thumbs up ... to Beckley Police Department Cpl. Josh Stewart, named its Patrol Officer of the Year. Gabi Brown, detective bureau secretary, was named Civilian Employee of the Year. Detective Lt. Gant Montgomery is the Investigator of the Year. The department presented awards to both officers and civilian employees deemed its top performers. Given Distinguished Service Awards were: Mary J. Medders, Wendy L. Shumate, Lt. Lonnie Christian, Sgt. David Farley, Sgt. Jake Corey, Sgt. Frankie Shelton, Sgt. S.D. Webb, Sgt. Paul Blume, Detective Cpl. Frank Priddy, Cpl. Will Reynolds, Cpl. A.W. Jones, Detective Cpl. Jamie Blume, Cpl. Brian Fuller, Patrolman M.R. Gonzalez, Patrolman W.H. File IV, Patrolman C.D. McCormick and Patrolman R.J. Gauldin. Records Clerk Sandra D. Lilly was honored for 10 years of service. Honored from the Southern Regional Highway Safety Program were: Contributions to highway safety and law enforcement community: Doug Epling. Efforts during the Click It or Ticket campaign: Shelton, McCormick and Cpl. Andy Darlington. Efforts during the Target Red campaign: Cpl. Jon Brown, Capt. Tomi Peck and File. Outstanding Service Awards: Patrolman M.G. Bragg, File, McCormick and Shelton.