Yancey County resident Bill Whiteside was named a finalist for the John R Larkins award, given annually to a distinguished state employee who has made noteworthy and exemplary contributions in the area of race relations in the workplace and the community. Mr. Whiteside and his wife Roberta attended a ceremony on January 13 at the First Baptist Church in Raleigh where NC Gov. Bev Perdue honored the four finalists for the award with Certificates of Appreciation. Dr. John R. Larkin was a trailblazer for the improvement of human and race relations in North Carolina.