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UP: To the schools — including Parkersburg South High School, Parkersburg High School, Ravenswood High School, Wirt County High School, Williamstown High School, Calhoun Middle/High School, St. Marys High School, Paden City High School and Tyler Consolidated High School — who traveled from all over the state to Charleston on Saturday for the 10th Annual West Virginia Marching Band Invitational Championship. The skill it takes to perform in such competitions is admirable, and the memories made will last a lifetime.

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UP: To members of Parkersburg WV Senior Stitchers, who have made more than 500 Christmas stockings to be distributed to area nonprofit organizations. Those groups will then fill the stockings to be given to those in need. Thank you, to those who are using their incredible skill — one most of us can only dream of mastering — to bring a little more joy into this coming Christmas season.

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UP: To Marietta College students who took part in this year’s Make a Difference Day by cleaning up and beautifying the surrounding landscaping at the O’Neill Center in Marietta. “With the funds given in support of this project, our group was able to finance the new lights around the center and complete the bulk of our project, which was setting up the new lights,” said student Anna Allison. It is not easy work to tackle such a project, but those in the leadership program at Marietta College who took part appear to have done a fantastic job.