Dublin ribs named best in state by Food Network, awards and more in this week’s Shout Out

Middle Georgia is filled with people who commit their time and effort to make the community a better place. Here is a list of people and organizations in Middle Georgia who have recently received awards for their work.

Perry High FFA team wins big

The Perry High School Nursery Landscape Senior FFA team took home third overall in the nation at the 92nd Annual National FFA Convention and Expo Group held in Indianapolis, according to a release.

Paige Paschal took home the highest national individual score in this category and Jayson Wisekal finished with the sixth highest. Ashley Denton serves as the Perry High FFA advisor.

Mary Persons second One Act Play

Mary Persons One Act Play placed second in the Region 4-AAAA One Act Play Championship with their performance of “Dancing at Lughnasa,” The team also took home seven individual awards according to an email from Mary Persons High School.

Middle Georgia State receives recognition, enrollment growth

Middle Georgia State University received a gold seal at the 2019 ALL IN Challenge Awards ceremony in recognition for growth in student voting rates, according to a release.

In 2018, 48 percent of Middle Georgia students voted in 2018, a 25 point increase from the 2014 midterm and gubernatorial election.

Middle Georgia State University also posted the third-highest percentage increase in enrollment within the University System of Georgia with a 3.4 percent overall enrollment gain, according to a release from the school. There was also 27.9 percent increase in students enrolled in master’s degree programs.

Mercer to celebrate 100 years of women at law school

On Thursday, Mercer will celebrate 100 years of women at Mercer law school at the Douglass Theatre with a panel of eight female law alumnae, according to a release.

“We are excited that a panel of trailblazing women alumnae will be sharing their stories,” said Kathy Cox, the Mercer law school Dean, in a release. “It will also be a wonderful occasion to celebrate the incredible successes of so many Mercer Law women.”

Holy Smokes receives national recognition

The Food Network released a list of the best ribs for each state and Holy Smokes was chosen as the best in the state of Georgia. The competition team of Gary and Dionn Lanton moved from a food truck to full-scale restaurant earlier this year.

This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 5:00 AM.