The Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society has announced the winners of the 2012 juried show and first place was awarded to Jean Vance of Oxford for her painting Uncle Don’s Sawmill No. 1.

• Rachel Dsuban and Tony Dsuban of Oxford each have entered a sheep in the Junior Market division of the 39th annual North American International Livestock Exposition, recognized as the world’s largest purebred show with more than 24,500 entries and nearly $700,000 in prizes and awards. The event, scheduled for Nov. 3-16, takes place at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky.

• Colleen Schulte of Oxford is one of 160 men and women that pledged to perform 10 months of national service as part of the Atlantic Region’s 18th Class of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program.

As a Corps Member, Schulte has spent nearly 10 months getting things done for America to strengthen communities and develop her leadership abilities.

Schulte and her team have worked on a variety of projects, including Habitat for Humanity in Bath, Me., where the team performed weatherization on homes, PhillyRising and the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement in Philadelphia, Pa. to clean alleyways and clear abandon lots to help reduce crime rates, and the Department of Environmental Conservation Albany in Newcomb, N.Y. to build and maintain trails and improve access to historical sites.

Schulte also had the opportunity to work with The New Hampshire Food Bank in their production garden. She and her team are now completing their final service project with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh in Newburgh, N.Y.

“I was in my senior year of college and was looking for volunteer opportunities when I came across AmeriCorps NCCC,” Schulte said. “It sounded like a great opportunity to be able to help people while seeing different parts of the country. Now nearing the end of my service, I feel fortunate for the experiences I have had and plan to look for ways to get involved in my own community.”

After her 10-month stint, Schulte will graduate from NCCC on Nov. 15 with an education award of $5,550, which can be used to continue education or pay back student loans.

“I find it rewarding to serve others and witness the difference it makes in communities,” Schulte said.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,100 young adults serve nationwide each year.

During their 10-month term, Corps Members – all 18 to 24 years old – work on teams of eight to 12 on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs.

The Atlantic Region campus in Perry Point is one of five regional hubs in the United States and serves 14 states in the northeast part of the country. The other campuses are located in Denver, Colorado, Sacramento, California, Vicksburg, Mississippi and Vinton, Iowa.

For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc or read more at ncccblog.americorps.gov.