By Rebekah Martin
Associate Editor
Mayor Gary Fuller and the Opelika City Council took time to recognize three Opelika Middle School students for being selected as Duke University TIP scholars at last week’s city council meeting. Seventh graders John Knitter, Emily Hensen and Anna Seymore were invited to the state recognition ceremony at the University of Alabama.
“According to the seventh grade Duke University Talent Identification Program, a Duke scholar is an academically gifted student who has shown exceptional potential on their ARMT+ (Alabama Reading and Math Test) scores,” Fuller said. In order to be eligible as a Duke Scholar, a student must be a current seventh grader and score 95 percent or higher on their ARMT+ in either math or reading. Qualifying as a Duke Scholar provides students with the opportunity to take the college level SAT or ACT as a seventh grade student. Knitter, Hensen and Seymore all scored higher than 18 on the ACT.
“We have many outstanding students at Opelika Middle school, and Anna and Emily and John are identified as some of our brightest, and we are certainly very proud of them and know that they will have success in their future academic careers,” said Opelika Middle School principal Keith York.
Fuller also recognized city employee Tara Bryan with an “Atta-girl award” for her work at the municipal court after the promotion of the court magistrate. Fuller said Bryan went above and beyond the call of duty, completing her work and the work of her supervisor who had been promoted.
In other business the council:
-Granted a hunting permit to Austin Shaw for the property located at 3250 Oak Bowery Road.
-Approved a request for a grant application for bullet proof vests for the Opelika Police Department.
-Approved expense reports from various city departments.
-Approved an employment contract with J. Brent Poteet, who will serve as the assistant director of Opelika Power Services under Derek Lee.
-Reappointed Chuck Wacker to the Alabama Municpal Electric Election Committee. His new term will expire May 31, 2017.
-Reappointed Warner Williams to the Opelika Utility Board. His new term will expire May 4, 2022.