Ben Collar (3rd grade) and Grace Viseth (4th grade) each won first place in the state (for their grade levels) in the Garden Club of South Carolina Youth Symposium, Smokey Bear poster contest. Students across the state were asked to draw and accurately color a poster of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl. Ben and Grace were nominated by the local Johnston garden club and their posters were then sent to state level. They were honored April 1, 2017, with other state winners, in a ceremony and lunch held at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. Both students attend Johnston Elementary.