The Times Union is reporting Dutchess County eighth-grader Alexandra Snyder joins 284 other contestants this week for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Alex, 13, a student at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, won the 34th annual Capital Region Spelling Bee in February, by correctly spelling the word, "validity." She has studied karate since she was 8 and is a black belt who competes on a tournament team. Alex also runs on the school's track and cross country teams. The national competition begins with preliminary tests Tue., May 24, in Oxon, Maryland, outside Washington D.C. Rounds two and three are Wednesday. The finals on Thursday will be broadcast live on ESPN 2. Read the full story in the Times Union.