Thursday Update: Billboard contest winners named

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
A local family garnered support from friends and relatives across the country to help win a contest that will put a Russellville brother and sister on billboards throughout the area.
Hunter and Carley Briles' smiling faces will soon stand above local highways encouraging visitors to come to the annual Watermelon Festival in August.
The Briles' were chosen as the winners of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Watermelon Festival billboard contest.
The contest was held as a fundraiser for the chamber. Photos of children from throughout the county were submitted to the chamber and ran in local newpapers, including the Franklin County Times.
Votes were then submitted at a quarter per vote with the top boy and girl vote getter being placed on the billboards.
Hunter and Carley Briles both received 5,100 votes.
Hunter, 7, will be in the second grade at West Elementary School. Carley is five years old and will be in the first grade at the school.
Their parents are Chris and Stephanie Briles, of Russellville. Their grandparents are Gary and Nelda Briles and Joyce Mansell and the late Tommy Mansell.
"We want to thank everybody for voting for us," said Hunter, who plans on playing golf and football this summer.
His sister, Carley, said she wants to play with her puppies and get ready for her first year as a cheerleader.
"The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce is grateful to the community for such great support on this effort," Executive Director Cheryl Bradford said. "The money raised will allow us to promote our county even more through the Watermelon Festival."
There were 49 participants in the contest with many of them also receiving a high number of votes.
"This was an idea that we decided to try this year and I'm sure it will become an annual event," Bradford said.