Local artisan Precious Rene de la Bay of Mount Auburn will join a list of storytellers, other artists, teachers, historians and genealogists to celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and Black History Month at the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, 800 Vine St.

De la Bay will present a session titled "Make a Magnet" in the children's library from 2-4 p.m. Monday.

"It is a fun thing for kids. We will clip pictures and articles of black history, place them on a magnet and put them on walls or refrigerator doors,'' she said.

She does about 30 performances a year at 15 library branches.

Activities will include a video on Martin's Big Words and a session called "Martin Had a Dream, Tell Us Yours."

There will be lectures on Building a Free Community in the Shadow of Slavery, African-Americans in Aviation, African-American Soldiers from Ohio during the Civil War and African-American Genealogy.

Students ready to travel

Two local students have their eyes set on big things this year.

Jeremy Emerson, 12, a student at Aldersgate State Christian Academy, Mount Auburn, has been invited to visit China in June to train at the Wushu Training Center under martial arts master Wu Bin.

Also, Amanda Kennedy, 16, a student at St. Henry District High School in Erlanger, has been selected to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy, Feb. 3-8, in Washington.

"I can't even start to tell you how excited I am,'' said Jeremy, a resident of Norwood. "We will be training with world-class coaches and learning the art of wushu from master Wu Bin at his facility."

Jeremy was selected by Wu Bin in August at a wushu training camp in Dayton. He was among 10 students from around Ohio chosen to go to China.

Vivian Piepmeyer, Jeremy's grandmother, said Jeremy trains under Matt Mauser, a martial arts instructor at the Norwood Recreation Center.

"Mr. Mauser is helping him prepare both mentally and physically,'' Piepmeyer.

To help Jeremy finance his trip, call 841-0544.

Amanda will join 400 outstanding high school juniors and seniors from across the country at the forum in the nation's capital.

"This should be a good opportunity for me,'' she said. "I want to be a CIA agent, and I am interested in government affairs, such as defense issues, intelligence and diplomacy.''

Firefighter of the Year

EVENDALE - Roger Neff, an 18-year veteran of the Evendale Fire Department, was recently named the village's Firefighter of the Year at an Evendale Chamber of Commerce dinner.

Neff, a firefighter/emergency medical technician, also serves as a unit fire inspector for the department.

"He's just a good guy and one of those guys that does whatever needs to be done," said Evendale Fire Capt. Greg Merz. "He just did an exemplary job this year. He's a good role model for our younger firefighters."

Please send police and fire items to behindthebadge@fuse.net

Houck a 2nd lieutenant

Ann Houck has been commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army after completing the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program and graduating with a bachelor's degree from Bellarmine University, Louisville.

She is assigned to the Army nurse corps.

The McNicholas High School graduate is the daughter of Peggy and David Robinson of Anderson Township.

Air Force scholarships

Local high school graduates have been awarded Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps college scholarships, which cover the cost of tuition, books, fees and provide a monthly stipend. The recipients were:

Michael Appleby, Cincinnati Country Day School; Robert Doerning, St. Xavier High School; Mike Faillo, Lakota West High School; Anna Flory, Sycamore High School; Daniel Gerwin, Winton Woods High School; Jeremy Martin, Landmark Christian Academy; Melissa Smith, McAuley High School, and Christopher Tracy, St. Xavier High School