Last year’s Jackson County Spelling bee delivered an unforgettable duel between two finalists — one a fifth-grader, the other a seventh-grader — that stretched into overtime, lasting 95 rounds and attracting worldwide attention.

An expanded bee is back. This year’s contest included qualifiers from 102 schools in both Jackson and Clay counties who went through division competition earlier in the month. Those still standing now contend for the Jackson-Clay County Spelling Bee championship, with a single winner advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

The bee is presented in partnership with the Mid-Continent Public Library and Local Investment Commission (LINC), and is co-sponsored by the Kansas City Federation of Teachers and School Personnel.