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elementary education from the University of South Florida. Outside the classroom, she acts and sings in Venice-area theater produc- tions, the release says. The Education Foundation of Sarasota County presented Figueroa with a $1,500 cash award, and she received $2,500 from Sunset Chevrolet Buick GMC. The other two finalists received $500 each from the foundation and $500 each from Sunset Chevrolet Buick GMC, the release continues. All three finalists received scholarships from Nova Southeastern University, the release adds. Figueroa also will attend the October 2014 Excellence in Teaching Conference at the University of Notre Dame, with all expenses paid by the Notre Dame Club of Greater Sarasota, the release notes. Further, Figueroa will represent the school district at the Florida Department of Education-Macy's Teacher of the Year gala and serve as the community spokesperson for the teaching profession throughout the 2014-15 academic year, the release explains. A partnership between the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and the Sarasota County School District produces the annual Teacher of the Year event, the release points out. To mark the 25th anniversary of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, its founder, Shirley Ritchey, also presented $250 awards to the principals of Sarasota High, Venice Middle and Taylor Ranch Elementary schools in honor of the three finalists. "Figueroa, Ackroyd and Barresi will decide how the money is spent at each school," the release says. Sheriff Tom Knight has announced that Deputy Brian Biegel and K9 Ryker have been certified in explosives detection by the National Police Canine Association (NPCA). The K9 team attended 80 hours of training, which included searching dozens of vehicles and thousands of parcels, and it conducted more than a dozen building and area searches, a news release points out. Biegel and Ryker "also performed hundreds of discrimination searches," which ensures Ryker alerts only to bomb-making materials among the hundreds of items that could potentially distract him, the release explains. "K9s are a force multiplier and currently the best method available to detect explosives," said Knight in the release. "As Sarasota County grows and becomes an international destination for large crowds, we have to be prepared to identify concealed threats." "The certification test included a variety of searches and Ryker did not miss a single item," the release adds. Ryker can locate 31 different odors associated with bomb-making materials, it notes. Next, the team will pursue certification to search for firearms and spent shell casings, the release says. "Biegel and K9 Ryker are the only certified bomb detection team in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Hardee, DeSoto and Highlands counties, and the first at [the Sheriff's Office] since 2004," the release notes. K9 TEAM CERTIFIED IN EXPLOSIVES DETECTION Sarasota News Leader April 4, 2014 Page 71