WARSAW — Titiksha Gorhe, a sixth-grader from Lincoln Elementary School, finished second in the Journal Gazette 66th annual regional spelling bee, presented by STAR Financial Bank, on Saturday, March 7.

Jude Hoeffel, an eighth-grader from Garrett Middle School in DeKalb County, won the spelling bee. In the 27th round of spelling, Hoeffel correctly spelled “farrier” to win the bee. He is the son of Gregg and Marcia Hoeffel.

Hoeffel, 13, will represent northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio at the 93rd annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. at the end of May 2020. In addition to winning an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the national competition, Hoeffel also received The Samuel Louis Sugarcane award, a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, and a one-year subscription to Encyclopaedia Brittanica Online Premium.