Fayetteville Public Utilities announces the winners of the 2009 Washington Youth Tour. This year winners from Lincoln County are Christopher Berg, Katlyn Barnes - first place, Jacob Johnson and Shelby Wiser - 2nd place, and Whitney Counts and Stuart Perrin - 3rd place.

Each of the winners was awarded savings bonds from FPU, and as the grand prize, the top four winners will attend the Washington, DC, Youth Tour, a week-long trip to our nation's capitol in June.  For over 40 years, rural electric systems across the nation have sponsored high school students from across America to visit the nation's capitol and meet their members of congress.

This year's short story theme was "Electric Cooperatives: Energizing our Communities."  Students were encouraged to think of how their hometown, home-owned electric system reaches out to its community to improve lives. Not only by offering electricity, but students also wrote about how FPU bridges the gap in customers' needs by being a part of this community.

The top-scoring story written by Christopher Berg will be competing on a statewide level for college scholarships sponsored by Tennessee electric cooperatives. Winners of the state competition will be announced later in June. To read Christopher's winning story, simply click on the link below.

"We congratulate all our winners of the 2009 writing contest, and we thank all of Fayetteville and Lincoln County's junior students for participating," says Gina Warren, FPU's public information specialist and Youth Tour advisor. "We also wish to thank all of our principals and teachers at Lincoln County High School and Riverside Christian Academy this year who helped encourage their students to participate and make this year's contest a success."

The Washington Youth Tour is scheduled for the week of June 12 - 18. During the week, these four students will visit Washington, DC, area attractions including the Lincoln, Jefferson and FDR Memorials, the Vietnam, Korean and WWII War Memorials, the homes of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, the Holocaust Museum and the Smithsonian Museums. Other tour highlights include attending a matinee production of "Shear Madness" at the Kennedy Center and a boat cruise on the Potomac River.

Tennessee's rural electric systems participate in the annual trip to Washington, DC, as part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Youth Tour event which includes over 1,500 young participants from across the nation.

"The Youth Tour is wonderful opportunity for our youth to see their nation at work," says Warren. "Students will see those DC sites that until now they have only seen on television during a news report. They will be standing on the steps of the US Capitol building, before the White House and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. They will meet their US Congressmen and women and tour all the famous DC sites," says Warren. "The Youth Tour offers so much, and FPU is very glad to be a part of the experience."

Christopher Berg is the son of Lesia Berg of Fayetteville; Katlyn Barnes is the daughter of Tim and Dora Barnes of Petersburg; Jacob Johnson is the son of Ed and Teresa Johnson of Mulberry; Shelby Wiser is the daughter of Greg and Danica Wiser of Taft; Stuart Perrin is the son of Ron Perrin and Kym Storey of Fayetteville; and Whitney Counts is the daughter of Kenneth and Jerusha Counts of Fayetteville.

Photo Cutline:  From left are FPU's General Manager Britt Dye, Whitney Counts, Shelby Wiser, Katlyn Barnes, Christopher Berg, Jacob Johnson, Stuart Perrin, Wilma Muse, LCHS guidance, and Gina Warren, FPU.

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