Latest news with #Olinger
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lt. Allen 'Noochie'Credeur honored at fallen officer memorial
RAYNE, La. (KLFY) — The Rayne community is mourning the loss of Lieutenant Allen 'Noochie' Credeur, who died in the line of duty earlier this week. To honor his memory, the Rayne police department placed a memorial for Lieutenant Credeur in front of the police station. It was a memorial Credeur helped unveil for fallen officers nine years ago. Captain Tony Olinger with the Rayne Police Department said in 2016, his department established a police memorial for three police officers who were killed in the line of duty. 'It's kind of ironic, nine years later, his name would be the next one to add it to our memorial.' Olinger said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Captain Olinger said Lieutenant Credeur had a hand in bringing the memorial to life. 'Noochie was part of getting the money for the memorial and get it established and put it up. He was here for the dedication ceremony.' Olinger said. Credeur is remembered as a leader in the community as he served the City of Rayne in various capacities. He worked with youth extensively and was a D.A.R.E. instructor for the last 11 years, as well as a fire chief for the City of Rayne and a volunteer coach. Olinger says Cradeur was really close to the youth and they were really close to him. Remembering Lt. Allen 'Noochie' Credeur 'That's the most tragic part. As adults, we learned how to deal with grief certain ways, but the young children, they're the ones that's going to have the hardest time with it.' Olinger said. Captain Olinger said if anyone wants to support the memory of Lt. Credeur, a memorial scholarship will be started to give to a former D.A.R.E. graduate every year. At the family's request– in lieu of flowers– donations can be made to the scholarship fund and dropped off at the Rayne police station located at 200 Oak St. Homebuying season: 4 things to know about the 2025 housing market Opelousas police seize drugs, guns after receiving tip Cajuns and Chants to face off in SBC Softball Semifinals REVIEW: 'Clown in a Cornfield' is campy, bloody fun NBA Hall-of-Famer Paul Pierce says he walked 20 miles in robe to pay off on-air bet Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher's aide accused of assaulting boy with autism formally charged
A teacher's aide accused of attacking a special needs student on the bus is facing charges. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Tenyetta Olinger, 48, of Fairborn, was indicted last week by a Greene County grand jury on one count of assault and two counts of endangering children, according to Greene County Common Pleas Court records. Both the Greene County Prosecutor's Office and Bellbrook Police confirmed to News Center 7 that Olinger is the now-charged suspect in connection with the assault of 8-year-old Nathan Jackson. TRENDING STORIES: 75-year-old man in custody after hours-long SWAT standoff in Riverside Fairborn family displaced after house fire Sunday evening 5 hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning in Ohio home As previously reported by News Center 7, Fairborn resident Dustin Jackson said his son, Nathan, who is nonverbal autistic, was assaulted by a Sugarcreek Academy employee. Nathan takes a Fairborn City Schools bus to and from Sugarcreek Academy in Bellbrook, which is a Greene County Educational Service Center (ESC) school. 'On January 28, a teacher's aide from his class really mistreated him getting on the school bus,' Jackson said. Jackson shared photos of Nathan that he took the same day. He had a black eye and a swollen knot on his forehead. According to the police report, a teacher's aide told an officer that the employee allegedly grabbed the boy's wrist, then lifted him by his harness straps and 'muscled' him into the seat. The aide continued and said the accused employee threw the child 'into his seat with such force that he struck his head his head against the window and cried out in pain,' the report read. Jackson told News Center 7's John Bedell that on-board bus cameras caught how the injuries happened on video. 'The (Bellbrook Police Department) detective said the footage was so disturbing that they recommended we not watch it because we may not be able to unsee what we see,' Jackson said. News Center 7 filed a public records request with Fairborn City Schools for a copy of that bus surveillance video. The district denied the request citing federal student privacy laws. According to the report, Sugarcreek Academy Principal Mike Doll told police that the female employee, later identified as Olinger, was put on administrative leave while the school conducts its investigation. Greene County Educational Service Center (ESC) Superintendent Terry Graves-Strieter previously declined to comment on this investigation saying, 'It is our general procedure that we do not discuss personnel matters with the media.' Fairborn City Schools declined to comment on the investigation. Olinger is scheduled to make her first court appearance next month, according to court records. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Educators, parents get behind bill to boost starting teacher pay in Montana
Photo illustration by Getty Images. Molly Blakely has taught teachers in Montana, the 'best and brightest,' and they've asked her what they can earn in the Treasure State. Blakely, who has been an adjunct instructor at the University of Montana for 18 years, said when she offers an honest answer to their questions in an interview prep class, the future teachers ask one question: 'How do I get certified (to teach) in another state?' State institutions are doing great work training teachers, Blakely said, but Montana is losing them, and a bill to increase starting teacher pay would help. Blakely and other educators testified Wednesday before the House Education committee in favor of House Bill 252, the Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success, or STARS Act, intended to boost teacher pay. 'Those teachers are leaving for one reason, and one reason only, and it's for finances,' said Blakely, also superintendent of Hellgate Elementary School District in Missoula. In Lolo, Superintendent Dale Olinger said recruiting and retaining teachers is harder than it has ever been. Olinger said staff share housing to make ends meet, and many teachers work second jobs. 'I have many staff with a side hustle,' Olinger said. 'It used to be a joke. Now, it's not.' In Montana, 26% of teachers work second jobs and earn an extra $4,700 on average, according to a Department of Labor and Industry Report from December 2024. The report said average earnings increase their pay by roughly 8%. Olinger said the STARS Act could mean another $185,000 for the moderately sized district, and it would also help special education cooperatives, which support multiple districts, and district clerks. Montana has struggled to offer starting teachers competitive pay. Legislation from 2023 tried to help, but just half of the school districts in Montana were able to tap into it last school year after the Office of Public Instruction bungled the data collection. According to the DLI report, Montana's full-time entry-level teachers earned an average salary of $38,800 in the 2022-2023 school year. It's less than the national average of $44,530 and ranks Montana 46th among states. Montana is also the lowest for starting teachers compared to surrounding states, the report said; Idaho is closest at $41,179, and Wyoming is highest, at $48,622. At the meeting, STARS Act sponsor and Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, outlined the bill's provisions to help teachers and students. The comprehensive legislation aims to not only boost new teacher pay, but close an inflation gap in public education, help districts in high-cost housing areas, and provide incentives to help students advance, among other provisions. The Coalition of Advocates for Montana Public Schools described the bill as a 'pivotal advancement' in school funding, increasing base salaries for teachers, offering incentives to recruit and retain educators, and expanding learning opportunities for students. Teachers, parents, trustees, and other members of the public spilled into the hall in a room at the Capitol and testified remotely to support the bill. No one opposed it, although some said it could do more for veteran teachers and worried that a mechanism that ties funding to salary benchmarks could be a barrier for districts. Melissa Smith, representing the Kalispell Education Association, said her district has seen school levies fail, it faces a reduction in force, and recent contract negotiations hinge on approval of the bill. 'We fought for months to raise teacher salaries, particularly for new educators,' said Smith, a teacher with Glacier High School. However, Smith said the district still faces a reduction in force, and she worries that if struggling districts can't push up salaries the way the bill requires, they'll miss out on funding. A voluntary incentive in the bill offers districts more money if they incrementally bump up starting teacher pay from 62% to 70% of their average pay, a tool designed to decrease the wide salary spread between newer and experienced teachers in Montana. According to Lance Melton, the executive director of the Montana School Boards Association, other states that rank similarly in both starting teacher salaries and average teacher salaries typically compensate beginning teachers at approximately 70% of the average salary for teachers overall. Melton testified on behalf of the Coalition of Advocates for Montana's Public Schools. Although Smith raised a concern about the bill, she said the association supports the legislation. 'The Kalispell Education Association believes House Bill 252 has the potential to uplift Montana schools and provide increased opportunity for our students and their learning,' Smith said. The Montana Federation of Public Employees also spoke for it. Supporters came from schools and government agencies, a nonprofit group that supports public education, and one focused on limited government. They included newly sworn Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen, Commissioner of Labor Sarah Swanson, and the Governor's Office. Dylan Klapmeier, education and workforce policy advisor for Gov. Greg Gianforte, said the Governor's Office committed $100 million to increase teacher pay and raise student outcomes as reflected in the bill. In particular, Klapmeier praised the focus on helping students get a jump start on college and careers. A fiscal analysis of the bill has been requested but is not yet available. The bill also aims to decrease disparities between educators in urban and rural areas. It offers tools such as stipends to help teachers with housing in costly districts; creates a school funding data dashboard for transparency; and offers incentives for districts to share resources, along with other proposals. Jacob Warner, a math teacher at Capital High School in Helena and recipient of a presidential award for excellence in teaching from the White House, said the STARS Act is a good first step to improving education. Warner said teachers have not had it easy lately. He said class sizes have gone up, teachers are being asked to teach extra, and inflation is eating at the budget. 'Every spring, phenomenal teachers in my building get pink slips, causing uncertainty, stress for them, their families and their students,' Warner said. Although Warner said recruiting teachers is important, he said retaining veterans is critical too, and salaries for all teachers should be increased — but the money is not there. Warner said districts need dollars for other essentials, and his children's school had to hold a fundraiser to fix a boiler. 'A boiler is not a want. A boiler is a need,' Warner said. In response to questions from Rep. Melissa Romano, D-Helena, Jane Shawn, a union president in Helena, estimated one-third or so of teachers hold second jobs. She said it's not just the younger ones, but teachers with as many as 35 years of experience who have 'side hustles.' The DLI report said the rate of teachers who work other jobs is consistent across district size, and teachers who leave the profession earn higher wages in other industries. It also said teachers are more likely than other workers to hold more than one job. In Eureka, Superintendent Joel Graves said the district interviewed a teacher for construction in CTE, career and technical education, one who would have been a great fit for the community, but they couldn't agree on a salary or find the candidate a place to live. The district started building tiny houses for teachers, but school districts can't afford to stay in that business, and he said the bill will help. Steve Thennis, with MOFE, Montanans Organized for Education, praised the support for educational costs such as advanced placement exams and incentives for housing. 'In my time as an administrator, I lost countless candidates for open positions due to their inability to find affordable housing,' said Thennis, who worked in Helena. Keaton Sunchild, with Western Native Voice, said the bill will help rural schools and many on reservations. He said it supports language immersion and Montana Indian Education for All, 'programs that in the past have been neglected or left behind.' Charlie Snellman, a student and member of the Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees, said he will attend Johns Hopkins University next year for a double major in violin and cello performance and molecular biology, with a goal to attend medical school. Snellman said his opportunities have been 'phenomenal.' However, he also said struggling teachers hurt student morale and have a detrimental effect on their educational experience, and high turnover makes it difficult to develop relationships with them. 'I've had the pleasure of maintaining great relationships with my teachers throughout my high school career, and have been given excellent opportunities, and I only hope that students after me will be given the same opportunities,' Snellman said. In Havre, Tim Scheele said he's a trustee and parent, and he said if teachers have to get second jobs just to afford to feed themselves, they will be less focused on students. Scheele also said turnover means teachers don't get to know a community. 'The more turnover you have, the less dynamic your teaching staff can be,' Scheele said. The Frontier Institute's Kendall Cotton said his organization is conservative but supports the bill because it puts money where it should go, to teachers, and not just to things like facilities. Cotton said he hopes student achievement increases as a result. In response to questions about the lack of funds for more experienced teachers in the bill, Jones said resources are scarce, and the bill is targeted, designed to improve a persistent problem in Montana of low pay for starting teachers. Jones said school boards have local control, and they are free to increase pay for teachers at the higher end as they wish. However, he said those who want money from the legislation will bring the bottom up. 'We've been cannibalizing young teachers for a long time. It's time we stop,' Jones said. The committee didn't take immediate action on the bill.
