A 13-year-old from Weston, in Platte County, is in the Nation’s Capital as part of the Discovery Channel Young Scientist of the Year Competition. Alyssa Ovaitt has discovered a new use for chicken feathers. She adds chicken feather fibers to paint to make it last longer and to make the paint more weatherproof. This young scientist is the second person in her family to take part in the competition, following in the footsteps of her older sister. And, she’s getting a lot of support from her family and her school. Her parents and a teacher are in Washington, D.C. to lend support. Forty finalists are in Washington for the competition. Awards will be handed out Wednesday.