The Murfreesboro Rotary Club held its annual 4-Way Test Speech Contest at 10:30 Saturday (4/6/2019) morning in the Boys and Girls Club on Jones Boulevard.

Blackman High School's Monet Owens took first place in the local competition. She next competes in the District 6760 Semi-Finals at 10:00 o'clock Saturday morning, May 4, 2019, at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park (4215 Long Lane, Franklin).

Club President Melissa Cassidy said, "The purpose of Rotary's 4-Way Test Speech Contest is to foster the principle of ethics in everyday life as well as in business. It was open to any ninth through twelfth grade public, private or home-school student in Rutherford County."

She continued, "Students chose a topic about which they were passionate. They were then to have weaved the merrits of Rotary's 4-Way Test into the talk."

Special thanks to Rotarian Lisa Nolen who tabulated the scores and David Coggin who coordinates the club's youth focused events. Rotary members Betty Childress, J. Paul Newman and Steve Reeves served as judges. The student participants are concerned about nutrition, so Rotary President Melissa Cassidy made certain the food enjoyed after the event was pizzas and fresh fruit.

The finals will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Rotary's District Conference at Franklin's Marriott Cool Springs. $1,000 goes to the first place recipient.