Brewton, Ala. - Southern Pine Electric Cooperative held its 2008 Washington, D. C. and Montgomery Youth Tour competition on Wed., Jan. 16. Twenty-eight juniors selected by the faculty of each high school across the cooperative’s general service area competed for the four coveted Washington, D. C. Youth Tour representative titles.  
     The four winners receive an all-expense paid trip to our nation’s capital in June, where they will join approximately 1,500 representatives from rural electric cooperatives across the nation. The students will meet their legislators, visits sites of interest, participate in leadership conferences and learn about the vital role of government in the life of rural electric co-ops.
     The four youth selected as 2008 Washington, D. C. Youth Tour winners are: Mashika Tempero, J. F. Shields High School, daughter of Michael Tempero and Teresa McCall; Hayley Carnes, Monroe County H. S., daughter of Rickey and Debbie Carnes; Tyler Rigdon of Monroe Academy, son of Jerral and Elizabeth Rigdon; and Andrew (Drew) Johnson, J. U. Blacksher H. S., son of David and Sheila Johnson. Alternates chosen for the Washington trip are: Adam Saucer and Katherine Deckard, both of New Life Christian School.
     Another twelve youth were selected as Montgomery Youth Tour representatives and will receive a three-day, all-expense paid trip to our state’s capital in March. While in Montgomery they will join approximately 130 youth from across the state as they meet their legislators, tour local sites of interest and participate in leadership activities.
     Selected as 2008 Montgomery Youth Tour representatives are: Andrea Nall and Alan Ash of Escambia Academy; Josulyn Marshall and Cody Vickrey, Escambia Co. H. S.; Ashley Bonds and Keegan Lambeth of Flomaton H. S.; Alan Drakeford, Jr. of Hillcrest H. S.; Mitchell McCreary, J. F. Shields H. S.; Alex Watson of Monroe Academy; Katherine Deckard and Adam Saucer, New Life Christian School; and Morgan Harden of Sparta Academy. Alternates for the Montgomery Youth Tour are: Simone Rudolph, Hillcrest H. S.; Crystal Williams of Frisco City H. S.; Drew Pierce, Excel H. S.; and Nathan Frazier, W. S. Neal H. S.
    Other students selected to represent their respective schools in the 2008 competition were: Alycia Baggett of Excel H. S.; Melissa Perry and Mabry Cook, Jr. of T. R. Miller H. S.; Lauren Watson of W. S. Neal H. S.; Jeremy Peters of Sparta Academy; Quinton Sims of Monroe Co. H. S.; Laurie Middleton of J. U. Blachsher H. S.; and Warren McCants of Frisco City H. S.
     Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative®, is a distribution cooperative that serves over 20,000 accounts in portions of Baldwin, Conecuh, Covington, Escambia and Monroe counties in Alabama. The co-op is headquartered in Brewton, Ala., with district offices in Atmore, Frisco City and Evergreen, Ala.