Gainesville High School debate team members recently placed at a debate tournament at Grady High School. Shelley Farmer placed second in Prose/Poetry, Megale Sewell and Brian Williams placed third in Duo Interpretation and Joseph Summer placed third in Original Oratory. Christi Conti is their sponsor. Eleven members of the team attended.

Mallory Emma McCord, daughter of Emmett and Sherry McCord of Gainesville, has been awarded the Southern States Cooperative Scholarship awarded by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for the 2008-2009 academic year. This annual Southern States Cooperative Scholarship program is awarded to students in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences who have been active in 4-H or FFA. Southern States Cooperative is a farmer co-op founded in 1923 and today operates in 25 states as one of the largest U.S. farmer cooperatives.

Daniel Luther Nabers of Buford has been named to the dean's list at Valdosta State University in Valdosta. To qualify for this honor, students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 3.5 with at least nine hours of course work.

Julie Treadwell, a teacher from Buford, has been awarded a $5,000 Commitment to Social Change Scholarship from Walden University. She is a student in Walden University's Doctor of Education program with a specialization in teacher leadership. To qualify for the scholarship, students must demonstrate the capacity to effect positive social change. Doctoral applicants must also demonstrate the capacity to successfully conduct research. Treadwell worked to raise students' achievement levels, served on a committee to examine assessment items to improve instruction and created additional learning opportunities for at-risk students, including ESOL Best Practices.