Dawson County Middle School recently held its first oratorical contest, sponsored by seventh grade teacher Jenny Alldred.

Organized by the Dawson County Optimist Club, this year’s speech topic was “To me, optimism is...”

Seventh grader Jackson Putnam and eighth grader Katherine Kirby were named first place winners for Dawson County Middle School.

They will continue on to compete in the regional competition for the chance to win a $1,000 savings bond.