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Spelling Bee champ a repeat winner

Spelling Bee champ a repeat winner

Morganton, NC – Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024


For the second year in a row, Sam E., now an eighth grader at East Burke Middle School, is the Burke County Public Schools Spelling Bee winner. This year’s winning word was “gelatinous.” Sam outspelled 18 other elementary and middle school top spellers to keep the traditional Lillian Butler Trophy at his school. Runner-up was Annabel M. from Liberty Middle School. The school-level winners and district participants were:

  • Drexel Elementary, Xavier H.
  • East Burke Middle, Samuel E.
  • Forest Hill Elementary, Benjamin M.
  • George Hildebrand Elementary, Piper S.
  • Glen Alpine Elementary, Anna S.
  • Heritage Middle, Miriam S.
  • Hildebran Elementary, Ben S.
  • Hillcrest Elementary, Wesley A. 
  • Icard Elementary, Hunter P.
  • Liberty Middle, Annabel M.
  • Mountain View Elementary, Ezequial M.
  • Mull Elementary, Harper B.
  • Oak Hill Elementary, Blaze K.
  • Ray Childers Elementary, Roman W.
  • Salem Elementary, Kate N.
  • Table Rock Middle, Riley S.
  • Valdese Elementary, Noli L.
  • W.A. Young Elementary, Aubrey H.
  • Walter Johnson Middle, Christina R.

The Lillian Butler Trophy is given each year in honor of Mrs. Butler, a long-time chief judge for the Spelling Bee. The News Herald sponsors the Spelling Bee each year.