Christian G. Bruggeman, a senior at Butler High, has been named as a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship competition.About 16,000 semifinalists are named each year in the competition to be selected as a Merit Scholarship winner. Selection is the scores on the PSAT.Bruggeman is the son of Cequenda Bruggeman of Butler and Robert Bruggeman of Renfrew.———

<B>Nicholas Cottage</B>, <B>James Zaiser</B> and <B>Joseph Boben</B> have entered basic cadet training at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., in preparation to enter the first academic year at the academy.Cottage, a graduate of Butler High School, is the son of Jeffrey and Josephine Cottage of Butler.Zaiser is the son of Barry Zaiser of Mars.Boben, a graduate of BHS, is the son of Joseph and Anne Boben of Butler.———

Harmony resident <B>Jessica Watson </B>completed a study abroad program in Cuernavaca, Mexico, recently.A 2005 graduate of Seneca Valley High School, she is the daughter of Troy and Cynthia Watson.Watson is a junior at Ashland University majoring in marketing and international business.