Emilia Mahan, right, shows off her first place trophy, stand next to George Gooch, left, finished second place in East Richland Christian School Spelling Bee.

Cambria Breiding, left and Alexander Vargas show off their awards for finishing first and second, respectively, at the Bridgeport Middle School Spelling Bee on Nov. 25. All four students will advance to the 2025-26 Belmont County Spelling Bee, scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at the ECO Center on the campus of Ohio University Eastern, St. Clairsville. The county bee is sponsored by The Times Leader, Belmont Savings Bank, Wilson Furniture, Wilson Funeral Homes, LED Transportations, Uniglobe Ohio Valley Travel, East Central Ohio Educational Service Center and the Martins Ferry Elks.