A robotics team from East Ridge High School in Woodbury was one of two state squads to compete against the eventual winners of the FIRST Robotics world championships in St. Louis in April.

The ERRORs (East Ridge Robotic Ominous Raptors) were eliminated in the division semifinals by an alliance of four teams from Texas and California. That Texas-California quartet later captured the world title by defeating another alliance that included the Daredevils of Duluth East High School.

Omar Ahmed, captain of the East Ridge team, said in a team news release: "We made it as far as we deserved. Our tremendous success is due to the dedication and huge amount of effort put in by the students. Losing to the world champions is not a disappointment."

The news release described the ERRORs as a "small budget team" and noted that members of the Texas-California alliance "enjoy budgets over $100,000" and have built their robots "at NASA facilities sharing the same mentors, tools and materials used to build Mars rovers."

The ERRORs have received support locally from 3M Co., Mo-Tech Corp., Thomson Reuters and Micro Control Inc.

The East Ridge team qualified for the St. Louis world championships by winning the Northern Lights regional in Duluth in March. The Raptors and the Daredevils will compete again on Saturday, May 16, at the Minnesota State High School League's robotics championship at the University of Minnesota.

Cottage Grove

Nominees sought for educator of the year

The Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its Educator of the Year and Educational Support Person of the Year awards.

The deadline for submissions is May 29.According to the chamber, the nominees can be educators, educational teams or other school employees. They must work at a public or private school in Cottage Grove, Newport or St. Paul Park, or at East Ridge High.

The award winners will be announced at the chamber's annual meeting on Sept. 18.

Nomination forms are available on the South Washington County School District's website.

Oakdale

Local students win youth service awards

The North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District has recognized two Oakdale students for their service to youth, schools and community.

Dustyn Montgomery, a junior at Tartan High, and Antenhe Tena, a sophomore at North High in North St. Paul, were presented with "community education youth awards" during the school board's April 28 meeting.

Montgomery started a mentoring program at Skyview Middle School in Oakdale and is co-chair of the education committee of the 34-member Minnesota Youth Council. The group includes representatives from each of the state's eight Congressional districts, and is asked to share youth perspectives with legislators and other state leaders.

Tena leads an African/African-American culture group that meets after school at Richardson Elementary in North St. Paul. He also is a forward on the North High soccer team and has taught soccer to children after school and on Saturdays, the district said in a news release.

Montgomery and Tena also are members of District 622's Youth Leadership Council.

Anthony Lonetree