Air Force Academy Accepts Three From Inland Northwest

Thu., June 11, 1998

Compiled By Lori Derryberry

Three area students received appointments to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

They competed against 10,000 other students to be in the academy’s Class of 2002. Upon graduation, they will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the Air Force.

The students, their high schools and parents are:

Kevin Hall, North Central, is the son of Brant and Naomi Hall.

Troy McLaughlin, North Central, is the son of Dave and Nancy McLaughlin.

Grant Brodehl, Kettle Falls, is the son of Leland and Cindy Brodehl, Marcus, Wash.

Leo Simpson, professor of entrepreneurship at Eastern Washington University, received the Homer L. Sanders Mentor Award from the Small Business Institute.

Simpson was one of seven people to be honored by the national SBI group.

He was cited for helping EWU establish a small business analysis program and improving its quality and effectiveness.

Rick Suhr, photojounalist for KXLY-TV, Channel 4, was named the 1997 Regional Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographers. The region includes the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Suhr is the only television news photographer east of the Cascades to have ever won the award.

Kevin Showalter, a graduate of Cheney High School, was initiated into the Beta Theta Pi international fraternity at Eastern Washington University. He is the son of Tom Showalter and Jan Plester, Spokane.

Air Force 2nd Lt. Ryan Tanton graduated from joint undergraduate navigator training at Randolph Air Force Base, near San Antonio, Texas.

He is the son of Steve Bowerman, Nine Mile Falls, and Mary Lou Tanton of Chandler, Ariz.

Amanda Merdanian, Chattaroy, was one of 10 students nationwide to receive the Culinary Institute of America’s Cream of the Crop scholarship.

Merdanian will receive $1,000 toward her bachelor’s degree in the culinary field.

Gonzaga University received a $10,000 grant from the Union Pacific Foundation to help renovate facilities for its biology and chemistry departments.

The grant was made on behalf of Union Pacific Corp. and Union Pacific Railroad Co.

Army Pvt. Travis Bauman graduated from basic military training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla. He is the son of Teresa and stepson of John Madri, Spokane, and a 1994 graduate of Mead High School.

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