PROMOTING VOTING — At a recent Brooke County Commission meeting, Dale Butler, the county’s elections clerk, introduced the three local winners of the I Voted sticker contest in which students throughout the state were invited to design a sticker to be given to voters in this year’s elections. With Butler are, from left: Aisha Swango, who placed first; Raelyn Zankel, who placed second; and Ava Conley, who placed third. -- Contributed

WELLSBURG — Three Brooke Middle School students have been named local winners in a statewide contest that encouraged young artists to apply their creativity in encouraging voting.

At a recent Brooke County Commission meeting, County Clerk Kimberly Barbetta and County Election Clerk Dale Butler announced the local winners of the “I Voted” sticker contest.

They are: Aisha Swango, who placed first for a design bearing a blue and gold flag and the West Virginia University logo; Raelynn Zankel, who placed second for one featuring a cardinal, the state bird; and Ava Conley, whose design included a red, white and blue bumblebee and the words, “I Voted in West Virginia, the Place to Bee.'”

The three entries, and two others entered by Rilynn Kuzma and Serenity Hoit, are displayed in the entranceway to the county courthouse.

Kuzma’s features an image of the White House, while Hoit’s bears a monarch butterfly, the state butterfly.

The three local winners were chosen by county employees from Brooke County entries in a statewide contest launched by West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner.

Warner has announced the state winner is Reese Childers, a student in Raleigh County, whose design incorporated the New River Gorge Bridge, a cardinal, a monarch butterfly, a black bear, the state animal; and the rhododendron, the state flower.

He said the winner was one of 1,100 entered by eighth graders in 42 of the state’s 55 counties.

Each county was encouraged to name at least one local winner, and Olivia Summers of Weir Middle School was named Hancock County’s winner.

Her design incorporated a red, white and blue ribbon bearing the words, “I Voted” and the New River Gorge with a mountainous backdrop.