Freedom student fares well in contest

FREEDOM — A Freedom High School graduate finished as one of the top scorers in the country at a skills competition. Rob Hummel, who graduated this spring, placed 12th in the collision repair contest at SkillsUSA. He faced off against 72 other high school students as they raced against the clock to estimate damage and repair cars, performing everything from welding and dent repair to painting. They competed in Kansas City, Mo., last week as part of the national SkillsUSA competition, where more than 5,000 high school and college students competed in career-based contests from commercial baking to crime scene investigation. Hummel, who qualified this spring by winning the state championship, put in a "solid performance," said coach Jay Abitz. Timothy Bouillon, a high school student from Ohio, took home the... [read full story]