A Sedley man will play the lead in the comedy “Reasons to be Pretty.”

Shane Hancock, a 2010 graduate of Southampton County High School who also attended the Norfolk Governor’s School of the Arts for four years, was one of three alumni from the Governor’s School considered for the role.

A sophomore acting and musical theater major at University of Arts in Philadelphia, Shane will play the role of Greg, an average Joe stuck in a routine and going through a brutal breakup with his girlfriend.

“The whole play revolves around Greg and this breakup, and the discovery that ‘regular’ isn’t the best way to live one’s life,” he said.

Steve J. Earle, director of theater for the Governor’s School, came up with the idea for the play, which will be a fundraiser for the school.

“It is a very fun show,” said Shane, noting it does involve adult language.

The 19-year-old is the son of Patti Watkinson and Dennis Hancock of Sedley.

The play will be held 8 p.m. Friday, July 15 and 22, and Saturday, July 16 and 23, at the Black Box Theatre at 256 Granby St. in Norfolk. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults.

• Kitty Lassiter shared the story about a 30-day cross country trip she took with her husband, Roy, and the late Hassell and Inez Lassiter in October 1992.

The Boykins foursome stopped in Corbin, Ky. — the founding location of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Col. Harland Sanders in 1932 bought a small restaurant in Corbin, where he created his famous chicken recipe. In 1956, due to the construction of a bypass highway, he sold the restaurant and started traveling across American, selling seasonings and his recipe for the fried chicken to other restaurants.

His success led to the world’s largest commercial food system.

• Bessie Best on June 28 found an 8- by 10-inch photo of a baby in her yard near South Quay Baptist Church in Suffolk. She hopes to return it to the family.

Written on the back of the photo is “Haley Rene, three months, 7-30-04.”

To claim the photo, call Bessie at 562-6545.

• Former Southampton Middle School band director Hannah McFarland has been hired as the instrumental music instructor/band director at her alma mater.

Hannah will teach at Salem High School, where she was valedictorian in 2002.

She graduated in May 2006 from Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., with a bachelor’s degree in music education with a concentration in piano and began working for Southampton that same year.

• Chief Walt “Red Hawk” Brown and other members of the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) lndian Tribe of Southampton County on Saturday welcomed to Virginia participants in “The Longest Runners 3 — Reversing Diabetes 2011.”

They met the 40 walkers in Emporia.

The 5,000-plus mile walk is to promote awareness of the effects of diabetes.

The southern route took walkers from San Diego to Washington, D.C., and the northern route went from Portland, Ore., to Washington, D.C. They left on Valentine’s Day and were expected to make it to Washington today, July 8.

GWEN ALBERS is managing editor of The Tidewater News. Her email address is gwen.albers@tidewaternews.com.