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Thumbs up to spelling success. On the front page of this weekend’s Austin Daily Herald, you’ve hopefully read about Ellis eighth-grader Carter Peterson, who is going national after winning an area Spelling Bee. He will be competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May and if you get the opportunity, we hope you are able to pass along a “good luck.”

Thumbs up to caring individuals. This is just a big thank-you for those who keep close track of your pets during these bitter cold snaps and who do the right thing in bringing them inside when the mercury drops. None of us want to be outside when it’s that cold and neither should our furry friends need to be outside.

And while we’re at, thumbs up for those who adopt pets. This past Wednesday we ran our Adopt A Pet page that highlights those pets that are up for adoption at the Mower County Humane Society. While the Humane Society does such great work, it can still pull at the heart to see the animals housed there still waiting for a home, which is why we want to recognize those who come to the Humane Society in order to add to their family. Please consider giving these pets a chance.

Thumbs up for FFA. This past week was National FFA week, which celebrates the work and those that are a part of this wonderful organization dedicated to agriculture and all of those things that come along with it. This organization is preparing kids for the future and so its important that it can’t be understated.

For the love of helping. This past Saturday, on Feb. 15, the Austin Area Foundation hosted its annual For the Love of Austin, a fundraising event that is as much a celebration of the foundation’s work as it is a fundraiser supporting this work. By all accounts it was another successful outing which once again is setting a foundation for the future.