When 13-year-old Will Ballard met Thad Cochran at Beechwood Elementary School, he was surprised the United States senator remembered his name. The two had exchanged letters months ago about rising gas prices.

“When I was introduced to him, he said ‘Oh, I think you wrote me a letter before,’” said Ballard. “He was just a great man — you could tell. He gave a really nice speech while he was here.”

Ballard, son of Jerrell and Elizabeth Ballard, wrote the letter to Cochran to earn a Boy Scouts merit badge. Now a Life Scout in Troop 102 — one rank below Eagle Scout — Ballard is in the eighth grade at Warren Central Junior High School.

A former student at Beechwood Elementary, Ballard was required to write to a lawmaker to earn a Citizenship in the Nation badge. He chose Cochran, and asked him why gas prices had risen to record highs.

In February, gas prices in Vicksburg hit the $4 mark. This week, prices have hovered around $2.20 a gallon.

“He wrote me a very nice letter back and talked about offshore drilling. He also talked a little about the Gas Price Reduction Act, a bill in the Senate he’s trying to get approved,” said Ballard.

Cochran, who won re-election Tuesday night, was at Beechwood Thursday to participate in a Reading is Fundamental event, which had an election theme.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com.