Favorite sons & daughters

Gianna LoPresti was named to the dean's list for the fall 2010 and spring 2011 semesters at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah.

She had a 4.0 grade-point average for the spring 2011 semester.

A 2009 graduate of Las Vegas High School, LoPresti is the daughter of Art and Dayna LoPresti.

Quinton Alexander earned his third varsity letter for track and field and first varsity letter for football at Cimarron-Memorial High School, where he is beginning his senior year.

Alexander is student body president and participated in the Skyhawk Invitational Silverado High School Young Men's Conference and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Track and Field State Championship Arcadia Invitational. He also was named most valuable player of both the freshman and junior varsity football teams.

Alexander is the son of Glenn and Yvonne Alexander of Las Vegas.

Nicholas Bruno has achieved Eagle Scout status in the Boy Scouts of America.

Bruno, a member of Troop 99, collected, refurbished and donated 22 bicycles to Catholic Charities for his Eagle project.

Bruno is the son of Frank and Hopemary Bruno of Las Vegas.

Thomas Hutchings and Samuel Hutchings of Las Vegas have achieved Eagle Scout status in the Boy Scouts of America.

They built 12 carnival booths for Lummis Elementary School for their Eagle project.

Thomas enjoys baseball, basketball, dirt biking and playing guitar.

Samuel enjoys baseball, basketball, dirt biking and playing drums.

Jeffrey Withers has graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Withers is the son of Jongdee Withers of Henderson.

National Merit Scholarship award winners from Southern Nevada are: Tiffany Chen, Adelaide Lopez, Sinead Lopez, Karl Regner, Monique Rodriguez, Chelsea Stone and Sarah Wright, all of Las Vegas, and Andrew Campling, Jason Pak and Benjamin Welch, all of Henderson.

These college-sponsored awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Kate Wakeman of Las Vegas has been named to the dean's list for the fall 2010 semester at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.

Angela Foremaster, 17, of North Las Vegas, and Lexie Wilder, 7, of Las Vegas, have received a $1,000 Kohl's Cares Regional Scholarship toward post-secondary education for making a positive impact on their community.

Jonathan Ofier has graduated from Army Infantryman One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga.

A 2008 graduate of Palo Verde High School, Ofier is the son of Jean Ofier of Las Vegas.

Shelby Schofield, Marina Herra, Jason Stewart and Michael Muzorewa, all of Henderson, have been named to the dean's list for the spring 2011 semester at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Calif.

Dominic Veloz has graduated from Army basic combat training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.

Veloz is a 2009 graduate of Burk Sunset Southwest High School.