Latest news with #Chunn
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dougherty County School System sees leadership changes
ALBANY – As the Dougherty County School System closes out the 2024-25 school year, the Board of Education voted to make several leadership changes based on recommendations from the superintendent. Thelma Chunn, the principal at Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School, was named associate superintendent for district effectiveness. This decision was about two years in the making as the position sat vacant for a year. In this role, Chunn will be responsible for school and student improvement across the district, working closely with students and school staff to make data-informed decisions about ways to improve the school. Dyer said Chunn was the ideal choice for the role because of the tremendous success she's had at the helm of Robert Cross. Under her leadership, the school was consistently ranked among the top middle schools in Georgia. In 2023, the school was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Dyer said the school soared in academic growth and achievement. The Governor's Office of Student Achievement recognized Robert Cross for both gains and high performance. Prior to her time at Robert Cross, Chunn served as principal at Dougherty International Education Middle School from 2001 through 2005, where she previously had served as assistant principal. She's also served as a teacher at Dougherty Middle and Westover Comprehensive High School. 'Dr. Chunn is one of the best educators in the country,' Dyer said. 'We're looking forward to her sharing that leadership in a more normal way with our colleagues throughout the district to help them continue to grow and become better as we meet the needs of our students.' For Chunn, the promotion may mean a new role, but she said she intends to stay true to the values and attitude that led her to professional success. 'As I transition into this new leadership role, I remain committed to those same values and look forward to collaborating with schools across the district to ensure every student has access to rigorous and relevant learning experiences,' she said. Christopher Sharpe, the current principal of Northside Elementary School and former assistant principal under Chunn at Robert Cross Middle, will take the lead as principal at Robert Cross. 'He's familiar with the Robert Cross way of doing school,' Dyer said. 'He's familiar with the employees there, faculty and staff, and familiar with the things that make Robert cross the school that it is. And so we're looking forward to him continuing that legacy of excellence.' Among the leadership changes throughout DCSS, the BOE named three people to serve in the newly-created Middle School Content Coordinator Roles. Shaun Foreman was named Middle School Studies Coordinator. Foreman has been with the district since 2008 when he served as middle school math/social studies teacher at Southside Middle. He most recently has served as an instructional support specialist. Ci'Andrea Jones was named Middle School Math Coordinator. Jones has been with the district since 2014. She served as a math teacher at Radium Springs Middle Magnet School of the Arts and was named the 2021 District Teacher of the Year. She has served as an instructional support specialist since 2021. Delisa Long was named Middle School English and Language Arts Coordinator. Long has been with the district since 2004 and has served as a middle school ELA teacher, literacy coach, instructional coach and now serves as an instructional support specialist. Before creating these roles, the distinct used secondary content coordinators who provided support for grades six through 12. Content coordinators work to support teaching, learning and developing curriculum that aligns with state standards and provides guidance for teachers. They also work with teachers who need support in instructional strategies. 'Our teaching core looks different than it did 20 years ago,' Dyer said. 'We have more and more teachers across the country who are coming in from alternative career paths, who haven't gone through a traditional teacher prep program. We felt that splitting up secondary to middle and high school would allow our district support folks to provide more support with smaller grade bands they're responsible for.' Other leadership changes include: Yvette Simmons, the principal at Sherwood Acres Elementary School, will transition to serve as the district's director of the exceptional students programCheryl Smith was named the executive director for the CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) Program, a post she's been serving in as interim director since 2024. Shanekia Williams, the current principal at Merry Acres Middle School, will become the district's next director of curriculum and Poole, currently principal at Sumter County Middle School in Americus, will serve as the principal at Merry Acres Middle School for the 2025-2026 school Holmes will become the new principal at Sherwood Acres Elementary School after serving as assistant principal. Khadijah Ali, who currently serves as athletics director, school administration manager and head girls basketball coach for Dougherty Comprehensive High School, has been named district athletics directorWhitney Webb, currently assistant principal at Merry Acres Middle School, was selected as the district's new early literacy coordinator DCSS is in the process of finalizing revision to its strategic plan as the current plan ends June 30. This process includes focus group meetings and steering committee meetings. 'The strategic plan is what guides us, and so once we finalize our strategic plan, we'll be in a better position to talk about specific goals for each of the divisions that we have in the school system,' Dyer said. Dyer said he is excited for the way forward for the DCSS. 'I think we have people who are highly capable,' he said. 'They have demonstrated their commitment to servant leadership, to provide support for our teachers as they help our students become the best they can be in terms of learning with a rigorous and relevant education experience.' The Dougherty County School System's annual graduation ceremonies will be held at the Albany Civic Center. Friday – May 23, 2025: Dougherty Comprehensive High School (6:00 PM)Saturday – May 24, 2025: Monroe Comprehensive High School (9:00 AM)Saturday – May 24, 2025: Westover Comprehensive High School (1:00 PM)
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Westover students earn bid to National Academic Decathlon
ALBANY – Westover Comprehensive High School's 11-student Academic Decathlon team is preparing to compete at the national level. The Westover team earned its first-ever invitation to the United States Academic Decathlon Online National Competition, making it the first school in the Dougherty County School System to earn such an opportunity. The students' journey began at the district's Academic Decathlon competition, from which they emerged as the overall winners for the 15th year out of 16 years of competition. With that win, the Patriots traveled to Atlanta to compete at the state level, where their performance secured them the Large School Online Representative Award and gave them the chance to compete in the National Academic Decathlon Online Competition beginning April 17. 'We're simply proud of our students,' Westover Principal William Chunn said. 'They worked extremely hard, and now they can see the fruit of their labor.' The USAD is a team-based academic competition that emphasizes excellence across a wide range of subjects, including art, economics, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, social science, essay, interview and speech. Each year, these subjects are integrated into a central theme; the 2024-2025 theme being 'Our Changing Climate.' Chunn said the students work year-'round to prepare for this event – even completing assignments while they're out of school for summer vacation. He said they know it's an important event for Westover, which calls itself an academic school. Westover has earned 10 state academic trophies over the years. 'We take a lot of pride in that,' Chunn said. 'A lot of folks talk about basketball, track and football, and all that is good. But when it comes to Westover, the emphasis is on academics. Competing on the national level is just the icing on the cake.' Coach Pamela Heard returned from retirement to lead the team that is made up of ninth- through 12th-graders. 'This season has been incredible,' Heard said. 'Earning a national qualifier spot is a testament to the team's effort. I'm proud to have played a small part in bringing our team to this point.' The team also performed well in the Super Quiz competition, securing the second runner-up position. Heard's mantra of self-regulation and consistent study habits resonated with the team. She often encouraged the students by saying, 'Y'all must study when I'm not looking, just like athletes who regularly practice, working their muscles and pushing their bodies to new lengths. Y'all must stretch your brain muscles to new lengths, too.' She called the team 'brain athletes.' Chunn said he's appreciative of Heard's commitment to the students as well as that of math teacher Patrick Nwokedi, science teacher Cadesia Irvin and Vice Principal Samuel Mackey. Practice for the USAD Online National Competition runs from April 10-16. Chunn said the team will prepare each day leading up to the competition. 'They're excited to represent their district … and all of Dougherty County,' he said. 'So every day after school, they will practice and prepare up until the time of the competition. They will take no days off.' Art, essay, interview and literature tests will be held April 17. The students will compete in economics, mathematics, music, science, social science and 'super quiz' tests May 2.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opioid deaths decreased in 2024, but other drugs heighten concerns
Mar. 8—Alabama saw a 24% decrease in opioid overdoses in 2024, but more work needs to be done, according to an official with the Alabama Department of Mental Health. ADMH state opioid coordinator Debbi Metzger spoke at the 23rd Annual Alabama Child Safety Conference at Decatur Baptist this week and discussed the trend of opioid and other narcotic addictions over the years. Metzger said in 2024, the state Department of Mental Health distributed about 40,000 naloxone kits, used to reverse opioid overdoses, to agencies across the state. "Our reported (fatal) overdoses (in 2024) were around 1,265, the predicted overdoses were under 1,290 and we like seeing that," Metzger said. "Our overprescribing dropped 50%. We went from 143.8 scripts for 100 people (in 2012) to 71.4 for 100 people in 2023." In Morgan County, there were 59.7 opioid prescriptions per 100 people in 2022, compared to 161.6 prescriptions per 100 people in 2012, according to the state's Central Data Repository. Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn said he has seen a decrease in opioid overdose deaths in the last eight months, but said it is still an "epidemic." "I don't know whether it's supply or what, I really don't know why," Chunn said of the decrease. "I know law enforcement is getting a lot off the streets right now." In 2024, Chunn said Morgan County had 66 overdose deaths. "We've even seen fentanyl in vapes," Chunn said. Chunn said fentanyl remains the top opioid choice for individuals, and over the last year, he has heard of users mixing it with other narcotics, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, to intensify the effects. He said a majority of overdose deaths he encounters are from these drug combinations. "Very seldom do we find just pure fentanyl," Chunn said. Metzger said over the last few years, synthetic opioids like nitazenes have become more prevalent. "It does respond to naloxone, you just have to take a lot more," Metzger said. "(Nitazenes) are often mixed with other substances, which makes it difficult to detect." Metzger said synthetic cathinones, known on the street as bath salts, are beginning to become popular among youths, mainly because most drug tests fail to detect it. "It's still very dangerous for our youth," Metzger said of bath salts. "It creates neurological and psychiatric issues such as paranoia and self-destructive behaviors. We are seeing an increase in this." Chunn said he occasionally hears of individuals overdosing on bath salts and said as far as their prevalence that "they come and go." "I haven't seen a lot just here recently," Chunn said. "Every time something gets outlawed, they find a way to mix something different." Metzger said marijuana and alcohol remain the top recreational substances among juveniles and young adults, just as they were 30 years ago. However, she said while opioid use among ages 12 to 25 is relatively low, it presents a new concern that did not exist before. "We've seen dramatic increases in the last five to 10 years, largely with our college-age (individuals)," Metzger said. Metzger said another drug that is becoming popular is xylazine, or tranq. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, xylazine is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer that has been found mixed with opioids such as fentanyl. Metzger said because it is not an opioid, naloxone will have no effect on an individual who overdoses on xylazine. "We don't see as much of it in the South as there is in the Northeast, however, it has very damaging consequences for the user," Metzger said. "Typically, it's people who are injecting it in sites on their legs and arms and bodies and we typically see individuals who are homeless or without shelter who are using this, and they usually have compromised immune systems anyway." Chunn said one of the earliest instances of a xylazine overdose death in Alabama happened in Decatur. "There for a while, I hadn't had any in quite a few months, but at the beginning of the year last year, we had several overdoses on xylazine," Chunn said. Metzger said Jefferson County had the highest fatal overdose percentage and Morgan County was in the top 10 counties of the state in fatal overdoses per capita in 2024. "What does that tell you?" Metzger said. "It tells you we need more services." In 2015, the Alabama Legislature passed the Good Samaritan Law, which provides immunity to anyone prescribing or administering naloxone. The following year, the Legislature passed a law authorizing the state health officer or a county health officer to write a standing order for dispensing naloxone. Like a prescription, the standing order can be provided to a person who is at risk of an overdose or someone who is in a position to assist an at-risk person. Metzger said individuals and agencies can now receive free naloxone kits from the state Department of Mental Health. Michele Moore, of Quest Prevention Services in Morgan County, said she believes the availability of naloxone to be a lifesaver for individuals of all ages. "I think the decrease in overdoses (in 2024) would probably be from the (naloxone)," Moore said. "There are still people who need to stop using but that's available to them where there's not deaths for sure." — or 256-340-2442.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fans vote Mississippi brewery with beer, new spiked lemonade as one of the best in the US
A Hattiesburg brewery has made USA TODAY's list of the best in the nation. There are about 20 breweries in the Magnolia State, and one craft beer creator keeps earning national accolades. Overall, the Mississippi craft brewing business is still performing well, despite a national dip. Mississippi's craft beer industry has an economic impact on the state of roughly $303 million per year, according to 2023 figures, the most recent available from the Brewers Association. The state's breweries produce more than 20,300 barrels of beer each year. Here's what we know about one of the best brewpubs in the nation and what it plans for the future. Southern Prohibition Brewing Co. is in the national spotlight again, ranking in USA TODAY's Top 10 brewpubs in the U.S. The list was nominated by experts and voted on by readers across the nation. (Lights of the Wild at the Hattiesburg Zoo made a similar Christmas lights list in December.) Co-Owner Quinby Chunn said in a February interview that his brewery has several products that perform well. Crowd Control, a dry-hopped Imperial IPA, is their most popular, and it's been in their lineup for a decade. "An employee-owned company, Southern Prohibition Brewing is a popular spot in Mississippi's craft beer scene. It offers a number of taproom exclusives and seasonal releases, and the kitchen pairs menu items with their beer selection," USA TODAY wrote. Last year, it topped SB Nation's Hustle Belt - Belts Beer Garden list of Mississippi breweries, and in 2018 its Devil's Harvest Breakfast IPA was named the best beer in the state by Men's Journal. The community favorite opened in 2013. Over the years, the brewery has experimented with a lot of beers and beer styles, pushing each to the extreme and trying variations of the brews to make them exciting, fun and appealing to beer aficionados. In addition, SoPro opened a taproom, a large outdoor patio and an event room for special occasions. There is a full-service restaurant and full bar, including a selection of alcohol-free mocktails, making it a family-friendly, something-for-everyone kind of place. "I do think the beer industry has been changing ever since we got into it, honestly," Chunn said. "When we first opened, we had a different idea of what it became even six months later. Consumer trends are changing. We are just trying to change with it." For example, he and co-owner Ben Green plan to expand a popular line of spiked lemonade in 2025. "We're still making beers and a lot of products we are proud of, but this lemonade is delicious," Green said earlier this year. "We aren't going to stuck in one place and only make one product. That's how people go out of business. You have to be smart and you have to be willing to adapt, and I think that is what we are doing." Business of brewing in Mississippi. What is the forecast as big beer tumbles nationwide? Lua Brewing (Des Moines, Iowa) Strangebird Brewery (Rochester, New York) Free State Brewing Company (Lawrence, Kansas) Dewey Beer Co. (Dewey Beach, Delaware) Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse (Sacramento, California) Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery (Chicago, Illinois) Otherlands Beer (Bellingham, Washington) Southern Prohibition Brewing (Hattiesburg, Mississippi) The Brewer's Art (Baltimore, Maryand) Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Mississippi's venture in the craft beer industry was slow getting started, mainly because state law wasn't conducive to building a thriving beer business. The oldest brewery in the state is Lazy Magnolia, which started making and selling packaged beer in 2005. The first new law that kicked off the movement was one that allowed for beers containing more than 5% alcohol to be sold in the state. Allowing breweries to sell their beer on site also helped. Changes to state law started in 2012, and since then the growth of beer sales and number of breweries popping up has continued to grow. Although the breweries could make beer, they couldn't sell it on location, so beer lovers had to buy their favorites in retail stores. Instead of selling beer, breweries offered tours for a fee and gave away samples of their beer with the tours. In 2017, another new law was enacted to allow breweries to sell a limited amount of their beers, so many opened taprooms to the delight of fans. Craft beer lovers could meet at the breweries and compare notes on the beers in person. Other new laws in recent years have done even more to help the craft beer business in Mississippi, creating an even more robust industry. Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@ Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@ or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1. Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi brewery with beer, food makes Top 10 list of best in US
