ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen Soil and Water Conservation District awarded a pair of $500 scholarships to high-school seniors planning to attend college to study agriculture or natural resources. The Board of Supervisors awarded this year’s scholarships to Ruby Arellano of West Bladen High School and Bradley Earl of East Bladen High School.

The North Carolina Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts sponsors poster, essay, public speaking, computer generated slide show, and computer generated poster contests at District, Area and State levels. These contests provide students in third through ninth grades opportunities to become aware of and share their concerns for soil and water conservation.

Bladen Soil and Water Conservation District had a number of first- and second-place winners. First place entrants advance to competition at the Area 7 level; Area 7 winners will advance to State Competition. The district judges were Chip Campbell of Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kelsey Edwards, director of Bladen County Public Library, and Stacie Kinlaw, 4-H director with Cooperative Extension Service.

Winners for this year’s contests with the theme, “Soil and Water … Yours for Life,” were:

— Computer Designed Poster

Ninth grade, first place, Dakota Trice, Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy

— Public Speaking

Eighth grade, first place, Kaylee Page, Tar Heel Middle School

Seventh grade, second place, Taylor Caulder, Tar Heel Middle School

Seventh grade, first place, Sydney Gardner, Clarkton School of Discovery

— Slide Show

Sixth grade, second place, Karli Priest, Clarkton School of Discovery

Sixth grade, first place, Taran McNeil, Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy

— Essay

Sixth grade, first place, Max DiLello, Elizabethtown Christian Academy

— Poster

Sixth grade, second place, Caleigh Phillips, Bladenboro Middle School

Sixth grade, first place, Hayleigh Robinson, Bladenboro Middle School

Fifth grade, second place, Geniyah Wells, Booker T. Washington Elementary School

Fifth grade, first place, Emme Ward, Bladenboro Middle School

Fourth grade, second place, Nevaeh Singletary, Bladenboro Primary School

Fourth grade, first place, Anna Gooden, Elizabethtown Christian Academy

Third grade, second place, Damarion Hill, Bladenboro Primary School

Third grade, first place, Kaelyn Eason, Elizabethtown Christian Academy

The scholarship winners, the first- and second-place district winners, teachers, judges, and other guests will be recognized at an awards luncheon on April 5.