EDUCATION Elementary school teacher honored as Beginning Teacher of the Year
HANOVER
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O’Bryant of Hanover Emergency Services named top in state
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Vol. 7 No. 39 | Richmond Suburban News | June 1, 2022
Cook and Wangensteen lead MHS Habitat home gets a solar upgrade as valedictorian, salutatorian By Christina Amano Dolan Editor
By Christina Amano Dolan Editor
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llie Cook has been named the Mechanicsville High School (MHS) Class of 2022’s valedictorian with a GPA of 4.573. Madison (Madi) Wangensteen, with a GPA of 4.556, has been recognized as the salutatorian. Cook is the daughter of Anne and Tony Cook. Throughout her time at MHS, Cook remained active in a number of student organizations. She served as president of the National Honor Society and participated in her school’s student council. In addition, she served as a member of the Hanover County Public Schools (HCPS) 7th-UP pro-
ELLIE COOK Valedictorian
gram, Beta Club, French Honor Society and Emerging Leaders. Cook plans to continue her education at the University of Virginia (UVA), where she will major in psychology. She said she is “very honored” to be recognized as this year’s valedictorian and commented on her class’ persever-
MADISON WANGENSTEEN Salutatorian
ance through an “unforeseen high school experience.” She expressed how proud she was of her fellow peers who will soon walk across the stage with her. She reflected back on her time at MHS and commented on her growth over the years. see MHS pg. 2
Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity recently celebrated the first installation of a solar system on an existing Habitat home. The home, located on Ashcake Road in Ashland, is the first home of a new initiative in Virginia by Habitat to bring lowincome homeowners access to solar energy. Keisha Young, who has been a Habitat homeowner since 2011, said she is very excited to be the first Hanover and King William Habitat solar home. She said it was like “a Christmas gift,” as Habitat first reached out to Young last December about going solar. Young’s home received a solar panel installation with no cost to Habitat, thanks to the fundraising efforts of GiveSolar. see HABITAT, pg. 9
Photo courtesy of Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity
Convert Solar installers, Ashland volunteers, John Suddarth of Habitat, Aaron Sutch of Solar United Neighbors and Jeff Heie of GiveSolar smile with one of the solar panels recently installed on the Young’s home.
Peterson selects Redd to fill Mechanicsville seat By Jim Ridolphi For The Local Seven of the eight nominees seeking to serve as Mechanicsville representative on the Hanover County School Board attended last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting in anticipation of supervisor Canova Peterson’s announcement of his final selection. Peterson recognized each of them individually and said any or all of them would make excellent board members and urged them to seek public service appointments in
other areas prior to announcing Johnny Redd as his selection to serve the upcoming fouryear term. All eight nominees indicated that they were 100% looking out for all Hanover children, Peterson explained. “All eight of them felt that way and expressed that to me.” Sarah Gragnani-Butler, Paul Heizer, Ryan Hudson, Ryan Martin, Jerry McCormick, Johnny Redd, Kimberly Thurston and outgoing Mechanicsville School Board representative Sterling Daniel were considered for the nomination. Daniel did not attend last week’s
announcement, but Peterson acknowledged his service. “I do want to go on the record and say we do appreciate him stepping up and filling the previous term and the work that he has done serving the citizens and the children of this county,” he said. Peterson also credited the early release of possible candidates names and a more thorough vetting process with the influx of candidates, the most for any appointed post Jim Ridolphi for The Local Johnny Redd speaks with a constituent at last week’s in recent memory. see REDD, pg. 8
school board meeting.
