An incoming senior at Salem Community High School is the Grand Champion of the Marion County Talent Show.
Faith Smith will also represent Marion County in the state county fair talent competition in the senior division.
“It was a spontaneous thing. My teacher encouraged me to do it. I’ve been playing in some contests and for my family lately. Jesse Polka is an upbeat song, it’s a lot of fun and makes a lot of people smile and that’s what I enjoy. It’s fun seeing people try to dance to it.”
The Junior Division winner is incoming Sandoval 8th grade student Raegan Jezek, who also heads to the state competition.
“I’ve been dancing since I was two. We picked out my song for my dance and my grandma helped me pick it out.”
The winner of the first ever open division is Cory Crouch of Salem.
“I’ve been doing it about a year. Over Covid I was getting bored and started to write songs and really started to enjoy it. Thankfully everyone in the city allowed for me to play for them, up at the farmers market last week and now this opportunity. I just want to thank everyone involved.”
Crouch said he was never involved in music earlier in life. He is a waste water treatment plant operator in Sandoval as his career.
