Arliss Nicholson, an eighth-grader from Coldwater schools, was named the champion of the 2008 Mercer County Spelling Bee on Monday night. Nicholson won the competition in the 12th round after correctly spelling the word furlough. Grace Linn, a fifth-grader from Parkway, was first runner-up, while David Tobe, an eighth-grader at Fort Recovery, was second runner-up. The three local students will represent the county at the regional spelling bee in Lima on March 22. The winner of that contest will advance to the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C., in May.