KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Several local children picked up their markers, crayons, colored pencils and more for this year’s Easter coloring contest sponsored by The Papers Inc. and other local businesses.

Judging of the colorful entries was handled by editorial staff members at The Papers. With many wonderful entries, this year proved to be another tough contest. Winners were selected and notified by phone of their winning entries. All kindergarten through fourth grade students were welcome to participate in the fun by submitting their entries to the 15 local sponsors. Each grade level had a grand prize winner, and each local business also had a winner. Grand prize winners were presented with a basket from The Papers full of Easter goodies including candies and other fun Easter treats. Local businesses also provided smaller prizes for the winners selected from their location.

This year, the grand prizes were awarded to Griffin Meridew, a kindergarten student at Washington Elementary; Luciana Viera, a first-grade student at Eisenhower Elementary; Kori Potts, a second-grade student at Claypool Elementary; Lexi Martinez, a third-grade student at Claypool Elementary and Emma Moss, a fourth-grade student at Washington Elementary. Each winner was all smiles as they collected the colorful grand prize basket.

Each merchant who sponsored the contest also presented one winner a prize at their location. Selected at the East Center Street location of Penguin Point was fourth-grade student Elle Brouwer, Lincoln Elementary. Millwood Window Store awarded Lexi Martinez a small Easter treat, while sister Anna Martinez, a first-grade student at Claypool Elementary was selected as the winner for the North Detroit Street Pizza Hut.

Arby’s in Lake Village awarded fourth-grade student Sarah Handy as the winning entry for its coloring contest, while Keira Daley, a second-grade student at Warsaw Christian Academy was a winner at the Spectacle Shoppe in Warsaw. Daley was bouncing with joy as she entered the room for her photo, noting “This is my third time winning! Three times in a row.”

Emma Moss was also selected as the winning entry for B-Mac’s on Buffalo, while Milford resident and fourth-grade student Nicole Ropp took home the prize for her entry to Miller’s Rite Choice Foods in Nappanee. Fourth-grade student Addisyn Daley of Warsaw Christian Academy was awarded the prize for her entry to Kosciusko Community Fair, while Kori Potts took home a prize from the North Detroit Street location of Arby’s in Warsaw.

Wal-Mart of Warsaw awarded a gift card to Luciana Viera for her winning entry, and first-grade student Peri Brouwer was selected as the winner at Monteith Tire in Warsaw. Brouwer is a student at Eisenhower Elementary. Jocelyn Snyder, a kindergarten student at Washington Elementary was selected as the winner for Penguin Point, North Detroit Street, while Griffin Meridew took home the prize for his winning entry to Zale Drugs in Warsaw.

Corah Goebel, a second-grade student at Washington Elementary, was selected as the winner for Pizza Hut’s Lake Village location, and Allison Slone, a third-grade student at Claypool Elementary, took home the prize from Penguin Point’s Lake Street location in Warsaw.