Byron Hewitt.

U.S. Navy

Promotion

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Byron L. Hewitt, 39, a Moultrie native now living in San Diego, Calif., was recently promoted to chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy.

Hewitt, who graduated from Colquitt County High School in 1999, is the son of Billy Hewitt Sr. and of Dorothy Hewit Chavez and Martin Perlata Chavez.

Hewitt joined the Navy in August 1999. He’s served two years in Naples, Italy, and two years in Chicago, but has been assigned to San Diego for several years now. He is deployed on the amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26).

He is married to Maricel Hewitt, and they have two children, Makaela Hewitt and Legend Hewitt.

Jacksonville State University

Marching Southerners

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Eli Massey of Moultrie, Ga., has been named a 2019 Marching Southerner at Jacksonville State University. A record 551 students — 191 of them freshmen — have joined the band for the 2019-2020 season. Massey is in the trombone section.

This year’s halftime show is “Earth, Wind and Fire,” inspired by the elements of nature and creation. In addition to the hits of the R&B group of the same name, “In the Stone” and “September,” selections include “Let There be Peace on Earth,” “Earth for Flute and Piano,” “Windsprints,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Metropolis 1927,” and an original composition titled “The Day of Wrath” that incorporates the requiems of Mozart, Verdi and Berlioz.

The Southerners will perform numerous half-time shows and exhibitions this fall. One of the biggest performances will be an exhibition at Bands of America’s 2019 Grand National Championship on Nov. 14-16 in Indiana. Only the finest collegiate marching bands in the nation are invited to perform before 90,000 spectators at the national competition of some of America’s most outstanding high school marching bands.

Check out the Southerners’ full performance schedule and listen to clips of the show at www.marchingsoutherners.org.

Valdosta State University

Dean’s List

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Valdosta State University recently announced its Summer 2019 Dean’s List.

Students who achieve a semester grade point average of 3.50 or higher on nine or more semester hours with an institutional grade point average of 3.00 or higher are recognized by being placed on the Dean’s List. Developmental studies, transient, and graduate students are not eligible for Dean’s List status.

The Moultrie-area students on the list include:

• Taylor Broome of Pavo.

• Josephine Fowler of Norman Park.

• Graciela Garza of Moultrie.

• Jeanie Hall of Moultrie.

• Andrew Mertson of Omega.

• Maribel Sepulveda of Moultrie.

• Naiomi Valdez of Moultrie.