 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Archives
09-11-2002 News
Maria Huddleston named Rotary Teacher
of the Year
Maria Huddleston named Rotary Teacher of the Year
Kevin Burmeister/OCN staff Maria Huddleston, center, Business Systems Technology teacher at Tennessee Technology Center at Livingston, was recently named Rotary Teacher of the Year for 2001-2002. Congratulating her on her achievement are Rotary members Brad Simmons and Wanda Krantz. Huddleston was chosen by the Rotary Club based on her accomplishments, qualifications, and her dedication to education in Overton County. She has served in the education field since 1986. Chairman, vice-chairman elected by Board By RACHEL SMITH, OCN staff Overton County School Board members met in regular session Tuesday, Sept. 3 with all members present. Officially joining the Board of Education for the first time were newly elected members Michele Thrasher, Lenard Ledbetter, and Dolphus Dial. With the departure of Milton Raines from the Board, Director of Schools Bill Needham suggested the group consider electing a chairman and vice-chairman. With all members voting for, Jerry Glasscock was elected chairman, and, in a majority vote, Tim Coffee was elected vice-chairman. Board member Edith Key asked that the Board review para-professional insurance for school employees. "I've had several calls about para-professionals, and the way it was listed for county employees. They're going to pay 80 percent of single policies," she said. "I've had so many calls, I even called Mr. Copeland to ask him. He said he didn't know about it, but he would have a session with us if we wanted to discuss this matter. "So, I think we need to look into it," Key said. "They are county employees, too. What's the difference in an educational employee and a highway department secretary?" Needham agreed with Key, referring to the situation as "an inequity that we need to try to get ironed out.Ó He offered to set up a work session with the county executive to discuss the issue. In executive action, Board members approved the bid for propane service for schools at 23 cents per gallon above lift cost per unit from Ken Gas Company. Needham said, "That's the company that provided our propane last year. It's the same kind of contract. By going above the lift price, we're protected in the long run much better than just an open contract ." In new business, a janitorial allocation of 11 cents per square foot in each school was approved. Needham said, "We discussed this in our budget work sessions. We felt like it was important to list on the agenda because by doing it based on square footage, that's kind of the way we assigned custodial help to the schools also. "Each school gets an increase in their allocation by doing it that way, some more than others, but that's because they have more square feet." The Board authorized the Director of Schools to secure the option to purchase a piece of property located on the corner of Burgess and Hodge streets in Livingston. When questioned about the purpose for buying the building, Needham said, "It's a pretty good size metal building to use for a maintenance shop. Cost wise, I don't believe we can build it for what we can buy it, plus there's about three-quarters of an acre of land with it." The Director of Schools was authorized to begin searching for architectural services for proposed capital projects. The Board approved special course Modern History: Social Studies 3499 for the 2002-2003 school year. Needham explained, "On the approved textbook list sent out by the state, this textbook was listed for this class. But when we got our course list from the state, the course number was no longer on it. We had already bought the books and planned to teach the course. "The state will allow you for three years to teach a class as a special class, and if it's successful after three years, then it becomes a permanent class. I feel like they will correct their error on that next year when the course list comes out, but this just covers us." The extended contract program for the 2002-2003 school year was approved. Kay Savage's letter of retirement from her position as teacher's aide at Livingston Middle School was accepted. A surplus equipment sale will be held Monday, Sept. 21. The contract for Director of Schools was approved, with an effective date of July 1, 2002, until June 30, 2003. Director Needham issued the Director's Report to the School Board. Actions taken by the director were as follows: Hired Wayne Sells as teacher at Livingston Academy. Hired Rhonda Wright as teacher at Wilson Elementary. Hired Shirley Smith for 3.5 hours per day in the cafeteria at Allons Elementary. Added 1/2 hour per day to Juanita Dial's current time at Allons Elementary cafeteria. Added one hour per day to Beth Smith's current time at Allons Elementary cafeteria. Added 1/2 hour per day to Wanda Hoover's current time at Wilson Elementary cafeteria. Hired Johnnie Dial to full-time position at Rickman Elementary cafeteria. Hired Diana Nave 3.5 hours per day at Rickman Elementary cafeteria. Changed Kenneth Dodson from full-time to 100-day contract as bus driver. Hired Robin Winningham as half-time bus driver. Hired the following as non-certified substitute teachers: Amanda Hastings, Amy Webb, Laura Muncy, Beverly Smith, Delilah Blankenship, Amy Hall, Josh Tompkins, Jerry Barlow, Regina Monday, Lawrence Duchac, Kim Wilson, Peggy Hibbs, Pam Dixon, and Nicole Robbins. Placed Cindy Robbins in the position vacated by Kay Savage, effective Thursday, Sept. 19. Hired Jerry Carmack for a half-time mechanic's position at the school bus garage. Transferred Shirley McCor-mick from Allons Elementary to Rickman Elementary, effective Tuesday, Sept. 3. Extended maternity leave for Lori Mosley from Friday, Sept. 13 until Monday, Nov. 4. Hired Anna M. Brown as a teacher at Allons. The meeting adjourned. Council hires engineer for water project By DEWAIN E. PEEK, OCN staff The Town of Livingston now has an engineer for a project to make more water available to the city and its service area. Livingston City Council hired engineer J.R. Wauford during the Tuesday, Sept. 3 regular meeting. Alderman Thurman Langford was absent. The City Council agreed to donate an old police car to the Shriners for transporting patients to the Shrine burn hospital. When the donation was being considered, Livingston Police Chief Roger Phillips said, "They're in need of a vehicle to transport children from Overton County back and forth to the burn hospital or to the orthopedic hospital. It would just be an awful nice gesture, I think, on our part to donate one of the old patrol cars." The Council accepted the resignations of Keith Smith, John McLeod, Max Goodpasture, Dewain Winningham, and William J. "BudÓ Swallows from the Livingston Police Department. Hired as replacements were Timothy Poore, Kevin Phillips, Kenny Cherry, and John Mackey. Appointment of Chris Halfacre and Randy Boles as sergeants at Livingston Police Department was taken under advisement. Brad Peek was transferred from the sanitation department to Livingston Fire Department. James Parsons was hired to replace Peek at the sanitation department. Jimmy Shane Shoemake was hired to replace Curtis Winningham in the water department. The purchase of state surplus vehicles was approved. Mayor Hosea Winningham said, "We bought the fire department one, the street department one, and the water department one." A motion to ask the state for signs pointing to the bypass was approved after Alderman Johnny Halfacre pointed out a problem with large trucks traveling across the square. "A lot of trucks, the reason they cross the square, they don't know that Bradford-Hicks Drive is the bypass," Alderman Halfacre said. "There's no sign there anywhere that says 'bypass'. "Most truck drivers don't want to go through a business section. They'll always, going through a town, take the bypass." Halfacre suggested the signs should point out the bypass and the business section. "I think if that was marked, it would keep a lot of the truck traffic off the square. Now, we're going to have some local truck traffic on the square because people that's going up Highway 85, toward Jamestown, cannot take the bypass, and its very difficult to make that left hand turn." Signs will be requested for where the bypass intersects Main Street, the Celina highway, and the Byrdstown highway. A request for a speed bump on Martin Street will be denied for the time being. The manager of Martin Street Apartments had asked the city last month to put speed bumps on the street because of children playing in the area. Chief Phillips said, "I went down to the Martin Street Apartments on a couple of occasions, and just observed the traffic flow there on Martin Street. On one occasion there was only a couple of cars through there; and on the other occasion, four or five vehicles. Neither time did I see any of them driving reckless." Chief Phillips said he talked to the manager and she told him the problem was from the curve at the city garage up to the first building of the apartments. He said she was concerned about the safety of the children. "From what I saw, I didn't think speed bumps would be that beneficial to the problem," he said. The area is about 100 yards in length. Alderman Curtis Hayes asked, "While you were sitting there, was that during school hours? Did you see any kids out playing?" Chief Phillips replied, "No, I didn't see any children out. One time was around 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and the other time was around a quarter Ôtil three, somewhere in there." A Title VI training will be held for all area airport managers today, Sept. 11. Greg Booher was named coordinator for the meeting, which is to be held at Livingston City Hall. The possible sale of an abandoned street, which was divided by the bypass, was put off until next month. Appointments were made to the Planning Commission and to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Boy Scout Troop 354 addressed the City Council as part of their study of citizenship and community. The boys asked questions about town history, streets, community projects, and why the town does not have an animal shelter. Answering the inquiry about an animal shelter, Alderman Halfacre said, "We've looked into having an animal control shelter here, and the state and federal regulations are so strict the cost of it would put just such a burden on our taxpayers that we could not afford to do that. "For example, if you pick a dog up, or a cat, and take in to that, you have to have a veterinarian in the facility that will doctor and treat the animal and give it all the necessary shots at a cost of $40 to $50. And the facility has to be air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. It's just so many restrictions, a town as small as we are just could not afford it." Mayor Winningham added that the tax base would have to be raised 46 cents for the city to operate an animal shelter. Alderman Robert Jolley complimented the city workers on the job they have done on the road expansion on East Main Street. The meeting adjourned. LA principal attacked at football game An irate parent allegedly attacked the principal of Livingston Academy during Friday night's football game at Tom Davis Memorial Stadium. According to reports, Principal Gary Ledbetter was talking with others at the rear of the stadium around 8 p.m. when Johnny Dewayne Arney, of Livingston, allegedly struck him in the head with a wooden club, which was approximately 2 1/2 feet in length. Ledbetter reportedly took the club away from Arney, and several bystanders attempted to assist the principal. Arney and another man allegedly were very loud and threatened Ledbetter and others. Livingston Police Department was called, and the two men reportedly left toward the student parking lot. When the police went to Arney's Kennedy Street residence to arrest him on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, he allegedly resisted arrest, and was sprayed with Mace. Arney is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Disorderly Conduct, Possession of a Weapon for the Purpose of Going Armed, and Resisting Arrest. Arney reportedly told police that the principal had talked "mean" to his son, who then called him on his cell phone. The 10 year-old had reportedly been riding a bicycle in and around the stadium seating area and had been asked to leave the area.
Overton County News
|
