Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLINCOLN (WOWT) - Thousands of runners took to the streets of Lincoln on Sunday for the 2025 Lincoln Marathon and Half-Marathon at 14th and Vine streets and finished at Stadium Drive and T Street Here are the top finishers for each event: The route and additional information are available at lincolnmarathon.org Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCALHOUN COUNTY (WIS) - A new plant being built in the Midlands is expected to bring an economic boom to the area a dealer of Caterpillar construction equipment broke ground on a new facility Friday in Calhoun County “The I-26 corridor and the connection to [Interstate] 95 is just the main vein of South Carolina The growth and the connection that’s happening from Charleston to Orangeburg and right down here in Calhoun County in the Midlands Officials said the 62-acre site will bring 30 jobs paying a minimum of $52,000 a year It’s the first business on the property Calhoun County wants to develop into an industrial park Calhoun County Administrator John McLauchlin said the money coming in should help residents from seeing any drastic property tax increases “If we didn’t have the industrial make up of Calhoun County we would have to have much more of an increase both on the general as well as the fire tax,” he said Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here. Melissa Calhoun was fired after calling a student a preferred name and did not follow Florida’s "Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form" law Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Melissa Calhoun worked for Brevard Public Schools for 11 years I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Florida teacher was fired by a school district after she called a pupil by their preferred name without getting permission from their parents More than 11,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to support Melissa Calhoun a “beloved” educator at Satelite High School in Viera is “being punished merely for showing respect to a student’s choices “She was reprimanded for referring to a student by the name they prefer rather than their official name — a direct blow to personal rights and respect.” Brevard Public Schools isn’t renewing Calhoun’s contract for the next year over the incident Last year, Florida passed a law requiring teachers to only call students by their preferred names if their parents had given written permission, an action the district says was not taken in the case. Instead, Calhoun admitted she knowingly chose not to comply with state law and received a letter of reprimand. “This directly violates state law and the district’s standardized process for written parental consent,” the district said in a statement obtained by the outlet. “BPS supports parents’ rights to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives, and Florida law affirms their right to be informed.” “Teachers, like all employees, are expected to follow the law.” The Independent contacted the district and Calhoun for comment. District officials were made aware of the incident after the child’s parents came forward. Calhoun’s supporters say her actions should not have resulted in her dismissal. “Every child deserves to be educated in an environment where they feel respected and valued. Teachers like Ms Calhoun, who understand and act on this principle, are essential to create such an environment,” the petition states. “It is in the best interest of our kids, their future, our community, and the continuous development of an inclusive educational environment for us to stand with Ms Calhoun.” Calhoun had a 10-month contract with the district expiring in May 2025. The state will review her teaching certificate based on her actions, the district said, adding it chose not to renew her contract until the issue is resolved with the state. The teacher previously worked at DeLaura Middle School, next to the high school, before her current position. According to Calhoun’s LinkedIn page, she taught AP Literature and pre-AP classes. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Brevard Public Schools has opted not to renew a Satellite High School teacher's contract after she referred to a student by a name other than their legal name without parental permission The decision was made not to renew Melissa Calhoun's annual contract after an investigation was conducted into the situation said BPS Spokesperson Janet Murnaghan in a statement emailed to FLORIDA TODAY Tuesday night "At BPS our focus is on education — teachers are here to teach and support students academically," Murnaghan said "Our job is to work in partnership with parents and guardians to ensure student success." FLORIDA TODAY reached out to Calhoun but did not receive a response Calhoun will finish out her contract that expires in May of this year adding that the district didn't renew it as Florida will review her teaching certification due to her actions being in violation of state law The decision elicited emotional comments in support of Calhoun from audience members signed up to speak at Tuesday's school board meeting and a petition started earlier during the day by students had garnered 3,082 signatures as of midnight Many of those signatures came with comments expressing disgust and dismay over the decision not to keep Calhoun Teacher: Contract not renewed after allowing student to go by preferred nameThe district began an investigation into Calhoun after being made aware that she was calling a student by the student's preferred name Murnaghan said — an action that goes against a 2023 Florida Board of Education rule If a student wants to go by an alternative to their legal name, whether that be a simple nickname or a name that correlates with a transgender identity, parents must sign a "Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form," according to the rule Community members believed this was a case related to the student's gender identity "BPS supports parents’ rights to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives and Florida law affirms their right to be informed," Murnaghan said Calhoun admitted that she "knowingly did not comply with state statute," Murnaghan said adding that the teacher was issued a letter of reprimand The district opted not to renew Calhoun's contract as the state would be reviewing her teaching certification following her noncompliance with the law Murnaghan didn't specify when the district became aware of Calhoun calling a student by the student's preferred name or who made the report showed up at Tuesday's school board meeting to speak in support of Calhoun questioned the handling of the situation and accused the district of trying to "slip this under the rug." "My colleague and child's teacher was let go after just two weeks of internal review," Staniec said adding that Calhoun's violation of the law was unintentional just a teacher trying to connect with a student Calhoun is a teacher loved by all of her students," he said "Her goal was to make everyone feel welcome .. and to enhance their learning experience." 284 students had signed a physical copy of a petition to keep her at the school and — at the time of the board meeting — 1,655 people had signed a similar online petition "The mission statement on the banner behind the board says 'Our mission: to serve every student with excellence as the standard,'" Ryan said "Why should this teacher be punished when she is just serving her students with excellence and understanding?" Another student said Calhoun went "above and beyond" to make sure students understood the material they were learning She spoke of Calhoun's involvement coaching the mock trial team and attending sports games to support the school are a gift I will cherish always and protect and defend just as they advocate for me and my education," the student said there have been no reported cases of Florida educators losing their jobs as a result of Florida's rule requiring parental permission to use an alternative name for a student While BPS opted to reprimand Calhoun and not renew her contract it's not clear if these consequences would universally apply to other teachers who didn't comply with Florida's law The 2023 rule dictates that Florida districts must develop a form for parents to sign indicating they consent to the use of an alternative name for their child but the law doesn't lay out what the consequences are for teachers and other staff members who don't comply While another Florida statute that has been challenged and partially blocked from being enforced prohibits public K-12 educators from requiring students to address them by a preferred pronoun or a "personal title" that does "not correspond to that person's sex," the statute doesn't dictate whether or not students may go by another name or pronoun Guidelines in The Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida address certain issues related to LGBTQ issues — such as prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity except in certain cases and using restrooms designated for the opposite sex — but don't address the usage of alternative names Teachers shouldn't discourage or prohibit parental notification of decisions related to a student's mental though it is not specific about what these decisions may encompass It also adds that an educator may withhold this information if there's a reasonable belief that disclosing it would cause abuse or neglect to the student Florida's law prohibiting K-12 teachers from using preferred pronouns has been challenged, with teachers suing the Florida Department of Education and other officials within it as well as the Hillsborough County School Board Lee County School Board and Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees Federal Judge Mark Walker blocked part of the law Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com a teacher at Satellite High School in Brevard County will not have her contract renewed for the 2025-2026 school year after calling a student by a preferred name without getting a signed form according to Brevard Public Schools Spokesperson Janet Murnaghan The decision is the first of its kind in reaction to Florida's law and Florida law affirms their right to be informed," Murnaghan said in an email statement Tuesday night The decision sparked outrage among some current students alumni and pockets of the community on social media A handful spoke at Tuesday's school board meeting and thousands signed an online petition to reinstate Calhoun at the school How did the district respond?The district was made aware of Calhoun calling a student by a preferred name by the student's parent though she didn't specify when this took place during which Calhoun allegedly said she "knowingly did not comply with state statute," a letter of reprimand was issued the district chose not to renew Calhoun's annual contract as the state would be reviewing her teaching credentials because her actions violated state law "At BPS our focus is on education — teachers are here to teach and support students academically," Murnaghan said Calhoun's LinkedIn profile shows she has worked for the district since 2013 Her most recent role places her as an AP Literature teacher at Satellite High where she is scheduled to finish out the school year on a contract which expires in May She did not respond to FLORIDA TODAY's requests for comment Brevard's school board members did not respond to FLORIDA TODAY's request for comment The Brevard incident is the first reported case of an educator losing their job as a result of "Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form," a 2023 rule requiring parental permission to use an alternative name for a student The law applies to any deviation from a student's legal name whether that be a name used because of a student's transgender identity or a shortened form of a given name Community members believed this is a case related to the student's gender identity The 2023 rule says Florida districts must develop a form for parents to sign indicating whether or not they consent to the use of an alternative name for their child The "Parental Authroization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form," created by Florida's board of education and signed by DeSantis in 2023, doesn't say what the consequences are for educators who don't comply. And while Florida's state guidelines laying out educator ethics address certain topics related to LGBTQ issues such as prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity except in select cases and using facilities designated for the opposite sex they don't mention the use of alternative names for students The guidelines do say that teachers should include parents in decisions related to a student's mental emotional or physical wellbeing — though the guidelines aren't specific about what those decisions may encompass If a teacher believes the inclusion of a parent in these decisions may cause a student to be abused or neglected the teacher doesn't have to disclose the information While Florida has a statute that addresses the use of preferred pronouns and a "personal title" that doesn't "correspond to that person's sex" by K-12 educators it says nothing about whether or not a student may go by another name or pronoun That law has been challenged in federal court and was blocked in part by Judge Mark Walker with teachers suing multiple defendants including the Florida Department of Education FLORIDA TODAY reached out to the family of the child in question During Tuesday's board meeting called Calhoun a "foundational teacher," adding that Calhoun had taught three of her children "She is one of those teachers that builds the character of the people that she teaches," Pinsky said and a teacher like that does not come around very often So I implore you as a board to please reconsider your decision." Kristine Staniec, a media specialist at Satellite High and mother, compared the situation to the case of former principal Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan and teacher Karly Anderson at Roosevelt Elementary School being charged in connection to a house party involving minors whereas Calhoun's contract was not renewed and yet they still receive the benefit of time privacy and due process and up until today's agenda item referencing an agenda item at Tuesday's school board meeting that suspended Hill's compensation FLORIDA TODAY confirmed through employee records that both women were placed on paid leave pending the outcome of an investigation "How can a serious legal matter involving student safety be met with patience and protection while a policy level misstep ends a respected teacher's career in silence?" boasting nearly 6,650 signatures just after 6 p.m "This teacher was not committing a crime or posing a threat to her students like others but rather making her students feel comfortable in their own skin and in the classroom," said Ryan Some students planned to protest by staging a walkout from school Thursday afternoon multiple statewide advocacy organizations responded to the district's decision not to renew Calhoun's contract Brevard County resident and public policy associate at Equality Florida the state's largest civil rights advocacy organization for LGBTQ people said that respecting a student's name is the "easiest way for teachers to create a positive" learning environment "This dedicated teacher is being fired for recognizing a student in the same manner that we acknowledge our family their middle name or a shortened name," Diaz said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY "Hundreds of students have spoken out in support of this teacher who is being ousted from the classroom at a time when we have a dramatic teacher shortage Governor DeSantis and the Brevard County School Board have prioritized culture wars at the expense of high-quality ACLU of Florida called into question how Calhoun's removal would help students learn and thrive in a statement sent to FLORIDA TODAY Wednesday afternoon "Administrators should strive to retain great teachers not toss them out merely for being respectful," said Daniel Tilley "Every student deserves a learning environment where they feel seen In a joint press release issued Wednesday afternoon National Parents Union and Our Florida called on Brevard's school board to reverse their decision and renew Calhoun's contract "(This moment is) about standing up for students supporting educators and preserving the moral backbone of our public schools," the release said Now it's time for us to stand up for her." This story has been updated to include a comment from Brevard School Board Member John Thomas Satellite High School senior Natalia Rojas says she knew that when Florida's 2023 law requiring parental consent for K-12 students to go by any alternative to their legal name in school went into effect it was only a matter of time before a teacher lost their job She just didn't think it would be one of her teachers "I knew something could happen," the senior at Satellite High School said as she and a group of about 75 stood outside the school Thursday afternoon that was the worst teacher it could happen to." It's the first known incident of an educator losing their job as a result of not complying with the law. But students disagreed with the characterization of Calhoun's actions A group held hands in front of the school's flagpole after dismissal on Thursday then gathered in the parking lot with signs shouting Calhoun's name and cheering from the windows of their vehicles Some walked out during class after being warned by the school that doing so would result in a 10-day suspension While students told FLORIDA TODAY that the teens were suspended Brevard Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment Brevard Federation of Teachers put out a statement regarding the situation on their Facebook page we stand in solidarity with a teacher in Brevard for the actions taken against her for calling a soon-to-be graduating high school senior by the name the student has been known as for most of their high school career," the post said "We are shocked at the superintendent's heavy-handed decision to essentially terminate a veteran teacher who has inspired and advocated for her community profession and students for more than 12 years." the state's largest association of professional employees shared part of BFT's statement to their Facebook later in the evening we’re standing in solidarity with the Brevard Federation of Teachers and the hardworking educators of Brevard and across Florida," the post said "Let's empower them to focus on what matters most: educating our students." the only school board member to respond to multiple requests for comment said the situation was "regrettable," but the district was acting in accordance to state law in making the decision regarding Calhoun's contract "Brevard Public Schools has a clear responsibility to uphold the law respect parental rights and maintain a strong focus on academic excellence in every classroom," he said adding that Calhoun's teaching certification may be in jeopardy with the state board of education due to her actions "Renewing a teacher’s contract while their certification is under active review would not only be inappropriate but also unfair to our students and school community." FLORIDA TODAY reached out to the parent of the student in question multiple times via text and email The parent declined to comment during a phone call Superintendent Mark Rendell did not respond to multiple requests for comment Calhoun did not respond to multiple requests for comment Florida's law prohibiting the use of an alternative to a nickname applies to shortened forms of a student's given name or a name associated with a gender identity different from one's assigned sex at birth Community members and students believe this was a case involving the student's gender While Brevard Public Schools and conservatives have argued that the use of any name that deviates from a student's given one falls under the umbrella of parental rights Satellite High dad Robert Jones said he felt it was more an issue of the First Amendment and that not respecting the student's wishes violated that right "I've always been of the perspective that the Constitution protects children as well as adults," he said "It honestly seems like a basic violation of the First Amendment and freedom of speech." She's run or been involved with National Beta Club and she shows up to nearly every sporting event On top of teaching pre-AP English and AP Literature she's helped numerous teens with their college application essays and taken on more work than the job demands just to make sure they succeed who had Calhoun during her sophomore year and again this year said she has an interest in writing only because of her teacher but her advice just makes me want to get back to the paper and start writing stuff," she said adding that she had spent a portion of her day drafting emails to school board members about Calhoun's situation said Calhoun makes English easy to understand "She's really good at explaining the annotations when we read books," she said A lot of teachers will find assignments online but she walks around and actually does stuff." Sophomore Brianna Knight called Calhoun an "incredible teacher," adding that Calhoun pushes students to be their best "It's really unfortunate that we're losing such a positive impact on our community." She was shocked when she found out Calhoun wouldn't be allowed to come back next year -- a decision multiple students said was made by the school district within two weeks though Murnaghan did not respond to FLORIDA TODAY's request to confirm the timeline of the investigation into Calhoun's actions as someone who has made such a positive impact between literally pushing us to our absolute best helping 1,000 seniors write their college essay .. just to see that she was just not renewed was truly very upsetting," Brianna said An online petition was started Tuesday to reinstate Calhoun a junior who helped organize the gathering Thursday felt the situation was being handled unfairly and hoped community members continued to spread the petition they didn't do any sort of trial or any sort of different punishment they just immediately shut her down and didn't give her a chance to do anything .. adding that he's concerned at the reaction to Calhoun versus other educators who he feels have received a lesser punishment for more harmful infractions and they still get paid leave while she just gets completely censored and silenced from the public," he said Student: 'We just really want them to feel safe'The parent of the student in question reported the use of their preferred name to the district who didn't specify how the parent became aware of the use of the name who doesn't go by her legal name at school said she found the incident extremely concerning "The fact that that could have been any teacher is scary That could have been one of my teachers," she said "(Calhoun) was trying to be respectful to the student I think that what they did was so mean and terrible to a teacher who is trying to be a good it was targeting trans people," Natalia said "It's only to make the kids scared about coming out to their parents and not doing anything about it not letting them express themselves at school." Ryan called the situation a "blatant act of censorship of LGBTQ+ youth." "The student — we just really want them to feel safe in their own skin," he said "We just want it to be known to everyone that they deserve to be who they are and that we're not going to sit down and allow them to just be censored for who they are and what they want to do with their life." The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office is asking for help in identifying a man found dead Feb It was determined the man had died from exposure "Fingerprint records indicate the man was previously in Georgia in December 2022 during which time he used the name Missla Lopez He was accompanied by two other individuals Reports suggest Orlando Lopez may be the deceased’s brother," the sheriff's office said in a statement the individual was admitted to a medical facility in Kalamazoo under the name Misael Sanchez." More news: Michigan State Police investigating shooting on Six Mile Road The deceased is believed to be from Guatemala The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying this individual and locating any family members who may be in the area Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt Chris Bacik at 269-781-0880 or provide an anonymous tip through Silent Observer at 269-964-3888 Johnson began its Class 3A second round journey in the Georgia High School Association soccer playoffs on Friday The Knights hope to finally be able put the finishing touches on it on Monday Johnson had a 1-0 lead over Calhoun when torrential rains hit west Georgia Friday night forcing the suspension of play with 12:37 left in the first half They tried to resume on Saturday but the Yellow Jackets’ field was ruled unplayable even as the Knights’ team buses were already rolling and en route They had to turn around and head back to Oakwood It’s a situation most long-time coaches “I’ve never been a part of something like this It's definitely an unusual situation,” he said Monday as they prepared to leave for Calhoun for a third time in four days But he said you have to be ready no matter what time and you have to be ready to play a full game regardless of whether it's chunked into two halves or three or or four or however many days it takes to play the game I believe the home team will always have a little bit of an advantage in situations like this just because they're not making those long road trips But at the end of the day we just have to be able to push through and find a way to emerge from all of this.” Waiting in the wings for the winner in the quarterfinal round is Chestatee 2 seed Richmond Academy in penalty kicks on Friday in Augusta It was one of two upsets and three overtime games in Class 3A in the Sweet 16 The GHSA had set the Elite 8 to be played on Tuesday with the semifinals set for Friday No one is sure how that will be settled as of Monday who were the Class 4A state runners-up in 2024 face the prospect of perhaps playing three games in five days if they continue to find a way to advance we haven’t had any conversations with Chestatee yet I haven’t even really given it much thought,” Zamora said we have to take care of business today or we won’t even be able to have that conversation.  “But you saw what happened on Friday We’ve talked about that over the weekend I feel like we're focused and locked in.” — A federal agent shot a man and a woman in a car that was headed right for him in Calhoun when police and members of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) tried to do a traffic stop on a suspect vehicle on Outlet Center Drive The Calhoun Police release says the FBI has now taken over the investigation and says there are no more details to report about this incident at the moment Update:The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports that both the man and woman were taken the hospital with the woman being flown by a LIFE FORCE helicopter We can confirm that the stop was initiated by one of our marked units all actions taken were within policy,' the Calhoun Police release says no local officers were injured during the incident Depend on us to keep you posted as we learn more about this incident We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at wboc@wboc.com or call us at 410-749-1111 according to Brevard Public Schools spokesperson Janet Murnaghan Here's what we know about the teacher and the school's response an AP English teacher at Satellite High School in Satellite Beach an employee of Brevard Public Schools for more than 12 years will no longer be allowed to teach for the district after her annual contract expires in May 2025 according to BPS spokesperson Janet Murnaghan Calhoun's LinkedIn profile shows she has worked for the Brevard County School District in Florida since 2013 where she is scheduled to finish out the school year on a contract which expires in May 2025 The reason: Calhoun called a student by their preferred name without obtaining parental consent as mandated by the "Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form," a 2023 rule from the state board of education that lays out how to enforce a section regarding pronouns and names from House Bill 1069 Was the Satellite High School student in Florida who was referred to by their referred name transgender?Community members believed the case in which a Satellite High School teacher in Satellite Beach was fired over usage of calling a student a preferred name without getting a signed form is related to the student's gender identity Are other teachers' jobs at risk?A little less than a month after Calhoun's contract wasn't renewed because of her unauthorized use of a high school senior's chosen name related to their gender identity investigations into educators continue — this time related not only to their use of students' name preferences but also to whether or not they display LGBTQ pride flags or discuss gender and sexual orientation And it isn't just teachers who have been subject to questioning who served on Brevard's school board from 2020 to 2025: At least 24 students at two schools were asked about their teachers' classroom actions In response to social media comments, Brevard Public Schools has recently questioned at least two teachers about their use of students' preferred names as well as classroom discussions of gender and sexuality The Brevard County School District in Florida was made aware of Melissa Calhoun calling a student by a preferred name by the student's parent The rules? Do students need permission to use their nickname in class? Florida will now require parents consent first The "Parental Authroization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form," created by Florida's board of education and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023, doesn't say what the consequences are for educators who don't comply. And while Florida's state guidelines laying out educator ethics address certain topics related to LGBTQ issues While Florida has a statute that addresses the use of preferred pronouns and a "personal title" that doesn't "correspond to that person's sex" by K-12 educators including the Florida Department of Education During a school board meeting on Tuesday called Melissa Calhoun a "foundational teacher," adding that Calhoun had taught three of her children Kristine Staniec, a media specialist at Satellite High School and mother, compared the situation to the case of former principal Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan and teacher Karly Anderson at Roosevelt Elementary School being charged in connection to a house party involving minors but rather making her students feel comfortable in their own skin and in the classroom," said Ryan Matrigali a junior who helped organize the an April 10 student protest in support of Calhoun NOCO Humane's longtime CEO Judy Calhoun will retire in 2025 with a national search for her replacement in the works Calhoun started at the organization in 2008, when it was Larimer Humane Society. She briefly left to work at Pathways of Northern Colorado in 2020 and returned to the humane society in the fall of 2021 according to NOCO Humane marketing manager Scott Wendelberger During her time there, Calhoun saw the organization through the successful "Yes on 200" campaign, which funded the construction of its current facility in Loveland. She was also at its helm when it absorbed Humane Society of Weld County and became NOCO Humane in 2023 and an unwavering commitment to the animals and people we serve and we are committed to finding a leader who will honor her legacy and continue moving NOCO Humane forward," NOCO Humane board chair Jo Tatti said in a statement A national search for Calhoun's replacement is expected to launch in the next four to six weeks Calhoun will remain in her role throughout her replacement's transition Want to see more stories like this? Subscribe to The Buzz, the Coloradoan's new weekly dive into local business, development, real estate and restaurant news. — It may eventually go down as the longest soccer match in Georgia High School Association history when it’s all said and done Johnson’s Class 3A second match with Calhoun which began Friday night and was suspended less than 28 minutes into it due to weather conditions after the Knights were already en route to the west Georgia city “We were en route to (Calhoun) and got notification from their coach about the field conditions and a video of everything and the field conditions were in poor shape,” Johnson Athletics Director Lewis Pulliam said on Saturday morning and just trying to be level headed about it we decided to give it a couple days of clearing and try to put it on Monday.” When the match was suspended late Friday night the Knights led 1-0 on a goal by Junior Castillo in the first 10 minutes But heavy rains forced the game to be stopped with 12:37 left in the first half the quarterfinal round is set to begin the next day on Tuesday GHSA typically does not like to move games if possible and both teams have to agree on moving a game Waiting in the wings for whomever wins between Calhoun and Johnson is Chestatee 2 seed Richmond Academy 2-1 on Friday in penalty kicks (5-4) we just found out about this as well so that's going to be a decision made by us as admin and our head coach,” Chestatee Athletics Director David Bishop said “It's not been something we've sat down and discussed It would be something we’d all sit down and talk about.” With the semifinals set to be played on Friday there doesn’t appear to be much wiggle room “What I’ve learned in all my years of coaching especially this time of year in the playoffs is to be ready for anything,” Chestatee coach Mike Herrin said “This isn’t something we can control so first we have to wait and see who we play then we have to talk with that group and see what’s possible with the semifinals set for Friday and the finals locations rented and set and not movable we may not have a lot of choice no matter what round we’re talking about My job is to have my team ready and that’s what we’re focused on right now.” RAIN AHEAD: Most of Alabama will be dry during the day today but a few showers are possible over the southwest corner of the state this afternoon Tonight a large rain mass will likely move into the state ahead of a slow moving upper low to the west which will keep Alabama’s weather wet at times for several days Read More PLEASANT SPRING DAY: The sky is partly to mostly sunny across Alabama this afternoon with temperatures in the 60s and 70s A few isolated showers could form this evening over the Tennessee Valley otherwise tonight will be mostly fair with a low in the 50s Read More it will likely be October before we see weather this nice again across Alabama with a few more clouds the farther north you go as an upper-level low spins over the Ohio River Valley Read More knew he made the right decision to open his own business but it wasn’t until he won the 2023 Birmingham Small Business Week Pitch Competition that he got an additional boost Read More COOL START: Temperatures are in the 40s across much of North/Central Alabama just before daybreak… for some places this will most likely be the last morning with temperatures in the 40s until late September or October Read More Sunday brought Alabama a taste of early spring and a mix of sun and clouds—especially north of the Tennessee River where a few sprinkles are still possible Read More Exceptional Anglers events at Oak Mountain State Park teach basic fishing skills to students with disabilities from Alabaster and Pelham city schools and the Shelby and Jefferson County school systems Read More Sunday brings Alabama a breath of fresh air—literally and figuratively—with cooler temperatures and low humidity replacing Saturday’s storms in a refreshing pattern shift worthy of a “Cool Change.” Read More but dense fog may pose a travel hazard overnight and into Sunday morning across north Alabama and southern Tennessee Read More the severe threat is nearly over in Alabama as storms shift east into Georgia Read More strong storms remain active in eastern Alabama this evening with gusty winds Read More A new severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for northeastern Lee County and heavy rain moving east toward Auburn and Opelika Read More Severe storms continue across east Alabama with warnings active in Chambers County and strong storms impacting several others under Severe Thunderstorm Watch #221 through 10 PM Read More Strong to severe storms continue moving through east-central and southeast Alabama this evening with the threat of damaging winds and frequent lightning continuing through 10 PM Read More AL – The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating recent property crimes and is calling on the public for help the Sheriff’s Office hopes to improve public safety and hold those accountable for these criminal activities someone stole an early 1900’s style red colored non-working gas pump from a residence on Lloyds Road in Wellington a 2004 white Ford F-150 Lariat with beige lining on the bottom was stolen from a residence on SulpherSprings Road in Wellington The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office emphasizes the importance of community involvement in ensuring the safety and security of the region. If you have any information related to these incidents or any other criminal activities, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 256-236-6600 Your assistance is crucial in helping to solve these cases and prevent further criminal activity in our community Paid Advertisement – Click for More Information Copyright © 2025 Calhoun Journal  |  Designed and Managed by JLM Communications More than 50 students, parents and advocates gathered at the Brevard County School Board meeting Tuesday to call for the renewal of teacher Melissa Calhoun’s contract Calhoun was fired after she used a student’s preferred name. Under the expanded Parental Rights in Education law, what some critics call the Don’t Say Gay law Florida teachers can lose their jobs and their certifications for using a student’s preferred name or pronouns without parental permission Dozens of former and current Brevard County School students showed up to the rally “Having good teachers is really important and really impactful,” said Brevard student Julia Cohen “And not having good teachers also makes a big difference I had one bad math teacher and it changed my whole life trajectory and having teachers that inspire makes a difference.” She said Calhoun was one of the good teachers along with other English courses at Satellite High School She was a teacher in the district for 12 years The board did not choose to reconsider their decision to fire Calhoun at Tuesday’s meeting but protesters said they will be at every school board meeting until they do Zander Moricz coordinated the rally. He is the executive director of the SEE Alliance a student-led advocacy group that fights for social equity in Florida “We're asking that this phenomenal teacher – who only showed a student basic respect – be allowed to continue to do what they do well especially at a time where we're struggling to find teachers for our public schools,” said Moricz In a statement, the Florida Department of Education pointed to the law and said “student name change decisions lay with parents Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and other Republicans who support the policy said it’s keeping parents informed about big changes in their children’s lives that might align with a student’s sexuality or gender identity said it will make a statewide teacher shortage worse and make schools even more unwelcoming places for gay and trans kids More than 50,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for Calhoun to get her job back Watch the full BPS Board meeting here: Calhoun County, AL – High school sports events for area teams for the week of May 5-10. Coaches, report schedules/results to 256-452-4240 or [email protected] AL —Time is running out to recognize the most visually impressive homes and businesses across Calhoun County The Calhoun County Beautification Board (CCBB) is reminding residents that the nomination period for the Annual Beautification Awards will close on May 31 This long-standing tradition honors properties that showcase exceptional landscaping Nominations are open to all residents who wish to highlight homes and other properties that make Calhoun County a more beautiful place to live Each of the county’s Commission Districts will have two awards—one for Commercial/Civic properties (such as churches and restaurants) and one for Residential properties (including single-family homes and multi-family dwellings like apartments or condominiums) properties must have been maintained and landscaped within the past year Judging will be based on two key criteria: Appearance: Properties should exhibit a well-groomed Landscape Design: Judges will evaluate how plantings relate to the structure and how the design blends with the natural surroundings With the nomination deadline quickly approaching residents are encouraged to act now to recognize neighbors or their own properties for outstanding beautification efforts Completed nomination forms should be submitted by mail or in person to: CCBB Beautification AwardsAlabama Cooperative Extension System1702 Noble Street Whether it’s a flower-filled front yard or a meticulously maintained civic space now is the time to shine a spotlight on those making a difference—one landscape at a time Have you noticed a property that deserves recognition boost statewide service from strategic Sandy Run site — Blanchard Machinery Company has officially broken ground on a $46 million facility at Sandy Run Industrial Park in South Columbia marking a major investment in Calhoun County that could shape the region’s economic and infrastructure future The new six-acre facility will serve as a hub for parts and support services for Blanchard’s 14 branches across South Carolina The expansion is expected to create 30 new jobs and increase the company’s ability to meet growing statewide demand “This marks the first step in the first chapter of a bright future for our business and our state,” said Boyd Blanchard He emphasized the strategic location near major interstates including I-26 County leaders say the development will strengthen the local economy while preserving the area's low tax rates so anything we can land in industry like this helps,” said Calhoun County Council Chairman James Haigler “Calhoun County has one of the lowest tax rates in the state and this helps us keep that going.” Blanchard Machinery is the lead distributor for Caterpillar equipment in South Carolina The company serves key sectors such as construction a construction worker with Morgan Corp—a longtime customer of Blanchard—spoke to the importance of the company’s equipment “This equipment is our lifeline on the job site The efficiency has increased greatly over the years and there’s a lot of comfort for the operator to get the job done.” Blanchard Machinery will continue to operate its West Columbia location with the new facility expected to be completed by 2026 JCA’s Mullinax wins two state titles on a day that saw 12 area athletes take gold in the state outdoor track championships A total of 12 area athletes won state championships during Friday’s action in the state track meets at Gulf Shores and Cullman Friday’s winners included White Plains’ Maddyn Conn Jacksonville Christian’s Mollie Mullinax Weaver’s KeShawn Allen and Harper Williams Jacksonville’s Tyshaun Cameron and Central-Clay’s Tristan Wilson 2A and 3A meets in Cullman were rescheduled to Saturday after a weather delay 6A and 7A meets in Gulf Shores proceeded as scheduled Saturday marks the final day of events at both sites Faith Christian has 43 points and stands second to Winterboro (72) Winterboro’s Carter Castleberry won the 400 dash (49.06) and William Shepherd won the triple jump (43-03.00) The 4×800 relay team took second (9:07.61) Kadan Ponder was third in the discus (144-09) and Kevin McKenzie was third in the triple jump (42-00.50) Faith’s Jack Tant took second in the pole vault (10-06) VInson Montgomery was second in the 400 dash (50.84) and Parker Robertson third (51.39) Cameron Rogers was third in the 1,600 run (4:52.02) and Jayden Smith was third in the high jump (6-00.00) Coosa Christian’s Kylen Johnson took second in the 110 hurdles (15.56) and Donoho’s Hunter Hartwell took second in the 1,600 run (4:41.67) Woodland’s 4×800 relay team took third (9:10.22) and Damarrious Spradling was fourth in the triple jump (41-07.25) Winterboro’s girls lead with 49 points Coosa Christian (5) is 17th and Woodland (1) 22nd Winterboro’s Zakiha Buchanan won the high jump (5-02.00) and the 4×800 relay team took second (11:26.15) Ta’Shianna Chatman third third in the 400 dash (1:02.12) Faith’s Anna Claire Mitchell was second in the 1,600 (6:03.49) and Kayson Cronan was fourth in the pole vault (7-00.00) The 4×800 relay team finished fourth (11:41.45) Jacksonville Christian’s Mollie Mullinax won the 110 hurdles (15.55) and 400 dash (59.77) Wadley’s A’Mya Brown took second in the discus (102-03) and Coosa Christian’s 4×800 relay team finished third (12-02.00) Woodland’s Emma Hines scored with an eighth-place finish in the discus (85-00) Luke’s Episcopal leads with 29 points The Raiders’ Braxton Salster took sixth in the 110 hurdles (16.39) Pleasant Valley’s Ella Parris won the 400 dash (1:00.46) Weaver’s boys are in the hunt in second place with 34 points Weaver continued the tradition of Hurdle High School Ohatchee’s Ethan Wiggins finished second in pole vault (11-06.00) and Luke Vinson was third in the discus (144-01) Westbrook Christian’s Brodey Wood finished second in the javelin (171-07) and Wellborn’s Karson Holley finished third in the 400 dash (51.28) Piedmont’s Elijah Young took sixth in the javelin (141-10) and John David Taylor was seventh in the 400 dash (51.99) Saks’ Damarion Slocum scored with a sixth-place finish in the 110 hurdles (16.19) Whitesburg Christian is dominating with 71.33 points Weaver’s Jaylee Carter took second in the high jump (4-10.00) and Randolph County’s JaBreia Birdsong was fourth in the shot put (32-05.50) Glencoe’s Chloe Douglas scored with an eighth-place finish in the 400 dash (1::03.61) Anniston stands in second place with 32 points Alexandria (6) tied for 20th and Cherokee County (2) tied for 28th Anniston’s Keddrick Jordan took second in the 400 dash (49.23) Ahmad Kelly second in the long jump (22-02.50) and Sharontee Bailey second in shot put (50-07.25) The 4×800 relay team took third (8:23.17) Conner Wellingham led Hokes Bluff’s boys finishing second in discus (144-05) and javelin (162-06) Handley’s Ridge Nelson won the javelin (163-11) and Alex Busbin took third in the 400 dash (49.70) Josh Duke had the top finishes for White Plains’ boys at fourth in the 3,200 run (9:57.25) and sixth in the 1,600 (4:25.61) Jayden Phelps led Alexandria’s with a fifth-place finish in the 3,200 (10:04.97) Cherokee County’s Daniel Burton took first in two ambulatory events: discus (41–06) and shot put (14-01.50) White Plains leads area teams in third with 24 points Cherokee County (14) 11th and Anniston (3) 26th Conn has led the charge for White Plains’ girls adding her 10th and 11th state titles in cross country She won the 1,600 run (5:20.85) Thursday and the 3,200 run (11:52.49) Friday Anna Beth Stewart’s state high-jump title (5-02.00) on Thursday leads Alexandria and Tyasha Hunt took fifth in the discus (103-06) Cherokee County’s Deannia Starr took fourth in discus (111-02) and sixth in the shot put (35-00.50) Shamiya McElrath finished fifth in the 400 dash (59.55) Anniston’s Liberty Lewis took sixth in the 400 dash (59.63) Jacksonville stands in second place with 36 points Central-Clay (28) is third and Lincoln (21) seventh Jacksonville’s Tyshaun Cameron is a state champion in the 400 dash (50.50) Aaron Nixon took second in the triple jump (43-05.75) and fourth in the long jump (20-10.50) Quinn Weaver took third in the 1,600 (4:31.57) Central-Clay’s Tristan Wilson won the triple jump (43-06) and DeShaun Gibbons was second in the long jump (21-10.75) Lincoln’s Jack Wiggins finished fourth in the 1,600 run (4:35.80) and fifth in the 3,200 run (10:02.01) Elijah Carter was fourth in the triple jump (43-02.00) Scottsboro’s girls lead with 58.5 points and Jacksonville (12) leads area teams in eighth Jacksonville’s Jayci Taylor finished third in the 400 dash (59.93) Central-Clay’s Dymond Heflin finished fourth in the triple jump (35-07.50) and Mia Lindsey took fifth in the 400 dash (1:00.27) Wilson finished second in the 400 dash (49.00) and the 4×800 relay team finished third (8:08.65) Southside’s Evan Christopher scored with an eighth-place finish in the 3,200 run (9:45.49) Rylann Shaw finished third in the javelin (124-05) Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application to the late John Henry Calhoun and Evelyn McKaughan Calhoun He spent his time playing guitar and spent much of his life listening to and playing music Johnny also was fond of woodworking and tinkered with tractors and other farm equipment hardworking man and was proud of his 37 years of employment at Johnson Controls and cherished the moments he spent with his wife A funeral service will be held at 3:00PM on Friday Interment will follow the service at Bunker Hill Methodist Church A visitation will be held from 2:00-2:45 PM prior to the service at the funeral home friends will be received at the family’s home Donations in Johnny’s honor may be made out to the Local American Cancer Society at PO Box 11796 Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors points and statistics through two points events on the 2025 Calhoun County Golf Tour The tour resumes with the Pine Hill Invitational on Saturday and Sunday That teacher, Melissa Calhoun — the first known Florida teacher to suffer job loss due to a 2023 Florida parental rights law — has stayed quiet who find themselves at odds with the school board and school district officials who say they need to put parent rights first — and note that Calhoun violated the law parents are the ones that get to direct what happens," school board member Megan Wright said during the April 22 school board meeting They exist because of things that have happened around our state that are horrific and have caused major damage to families." This particular case involved a senior who is also dual-enrolled at Eastern Florida State College and is set to graduate in May. The student was using a name that aligns with their gender identity, classmates said It's not a name that their parent gave permission for the school to use The parent reported the use of the student's chosen name to the district BPS' assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction Many of them and their parents have come to her defense "She really makes connections with her students and she just really teaches life lessons," said Audrey Ciccone a senior at Satellite High who's been in two of Calhoun's classes "I think we're just running out of people that truly care about their students." While many applauded Calhoun for focusing on the student Brevard's Superintendent Mark Rendell disagreed "We contact parents when students misbehave or don’t turn in assignments," he said in a statement sent to FLORIDA TODAY "This student was questioning their identity said he always hoped his daughter would move back to live near him who attended the April 22 school board meeting "You guys are now infamous nationally for this And for this applicant pool that you have to get teachers from you've just X'ed out at least two thirds of it and you're going to have to pick from what's left over." Calhoun's punishment comes three years after Florida began passing a slew of bills that conservatives lauded as pro-parental rights, with Democrats raising concerns that they targeted LGBTQ people and content in school classrooms It started in 2022 with House Bill 1557 also known as the "Parental Rights in Education" bill or to critics as the "Don't Say Gay" law This law required school districts to create procedures for notifying parents of changes related to the student's wellbeing and banned classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity through grade three the law was expanded to ban these discussions for all grade levels with Florida's legislature also targeting the use of chosen names and pronouns In 2023, House Bill 1069 said no one at a public K-12 school could be required to refer to anyone by a preferred personal title or pronoun if "such a personal title or pronouns do not correspond to that person's sex." It also required that schools acknowledge sex as an "immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe" a pronoun that "does not correspond to such person's sex." After the law was signed in May of that year it was up to the Florida Board of Education to adopt rules to administer the guidelines laid out within it While this applied to any deviation from a student's legal name to remove the autonomy from trans students to go by a chosen name at school if they were closeted at home or had unsupportive parents titled the "Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form," doesn’t lay out a punishment for an educator who defies the mandate The district noted that her teaching credentials would be under review with the state Department of Education due to the infraction The parent of the Satellite High student in question did not fill out such a form and Calhoun “knowingly did not comply with state statute.” It was a point board member John Thomas agreed with. But he also said he worried the district was acting too harshly, and during last week's school board meeting, he made a motion to retrain Calhoun and consider renewing her contract. "This is not a case with a pending criminal charge," he said even good teachers are capable of making them." Other members on the all-Republican board disagreed emphasizing parental rights and the possibility that Calhoun's teaching credentials could be revoked by the state "I think it's worth upholding what the recommendation is and seeing what happens when the state looks at all the factors here of what was going on and they come down and decide what they're going to do," Wright said School board member Katye Campbell had a similar viewpoint adding that Calhoun could always come back to teach in Brevard if her credentials were upheld and I just — I have a hesitation on that," she said "We're not saying that she can't ever come back That is the way that it stands right now." In an email Campbell has been sending to constituents who reached out to her about this issue she also noted that this "was not a simple case of someone named Madison wanting to go by Maddie School Board Vice Chair Matt Susin offered next to no comment "I will support the superintendent and continue to do so." While Thomas said no child had been harmed by Calhoun's actions Board Chair Gene Trent challenged him on the assertion "You mentioned it didn't do any harm to the student," Trent said "I think I would talk to the parent about that first." Rendell held firm on his position in a statement to FLORIDA TODAY "This is not a case of simply retraining a teacher," he said "How do you retrain someone who knowingly and admittedly violated state law She fully understood the law and made a conscious choice to violate it repeatedly The teacher put her beliefs above the parents in this case." 'You are piercing a hole in our hearts'Most issues at Brevard's school board meetings are split by political party Republicans argue for more restrictions on books while Democrats decry the banning of texts Liberals bring up worries about having guns in schools through the guardian program which allows district employees to be armed while conservatives say firearms on the premise are the only way to stop a shooting After two weeks of protesting and gathering signatures on a Change.org petition parents and community members rallied ahead of the meeting with additional people congregating to pack the board room The meeting stretched over five hours and had to be halted multiple times with the board exiting the room as community members shouted that they weren’t being heard and that their First Amendment rights were being violated who commended the board for not renewing Calhoun's contract either spoke in favor of keeping Calhoun on at Satellite High or addressed other issues former high school teacher and self-described Republican compared Calhoun's actions to those of Jesus and called on educators to treat transgender students with love I think we should be training teachers and teaching them more about trans kids and what their needs are and how to help them," he said adding to the board that in "a hundred years from now Bill Pearlman said the district's handling of the situation was "extreme." "I argue that the law puts the wishes of a misguided parent over an emerging adult a Satellite High student who spoke at a previous meeting about Calhoun told the board that she and other students were hurt by their decision she asked that FLORIDA TODAY only use her first name in every student at Satellite High School," she said "I was going to have her as a teacher next year." worried about the hole Calhoun would leave behind for the students who felt safe with her "When I heard about what's been going on with Ms "I had teachers like her at (my school) who were a safe person to go to It honestly sucks to see such great teachers like that leave." Former school board member Jennifer Jenkins the lone Democrat on Brevard's school board before the 2024 election spoke ahead of the meeting at the rally and offered supportive words to Calhoun's student who went by a chosen name it was not a bad decision and nobody needs to be retrained," Jenkins said It's not clear what will come next for Calhoun Her teaching credentials are under review with the state and depending on what determination they make she may or may not be allowed to teach in Florida schools this upcoming school year The next school board meeting is scheduled for May 6 "It is my hope that it will be recognized that I have presented a way that we can comply with the DOE while saving the career of a valued teacher," Thomas told FLORIDA TODAY via email when asked whether or not he had plans to raise the issue of reinstating Calhoun at future meetings "I believe this has turned into an ideological battle with an unsuspecting teacher caught in the middle We should be keeping our focus on what is best for the students Thomas didn't say for sure whether or not he plans to bring the topic up at future meetings he's worried about how other teachers may be punished in the future "While I was disappointed that the motion did not pass my concern remains with the broader implications as we strive to protect parental rights," he said and I believe the decision not to renew her contract sets a concerning precedent for how similar situations may be handled in the future corrective approaches rooted in accountability and growth." president of Brevard Federation of Teachers called Calhoun an "active member of her community" and praised her for continuing to "dedicate herself to her students." "Brevard Public Schools issued a Letter of Reprimand to Ms Calhoun for an alleged violation that was brought to her attention by her administration," Colucci said in an emailed statement to FLORIDA TODAY "When they decided to also non-renew this highly effective rated teacher’s contract they issued a punishment that in our opinion doesn’t fit the alleged violation Calhoun is currently preparing her senior students to pass their college-level exams and no students have been removed from her class Our students are collateral damage if our community loses the phenomenal educator that Ms president of Florida Education Association — the state's largest association of professional employees — said teachers must be allowed to connect with their students in order to teach effectively "When you have a teacher who is clearly as impactful as Melissa has been and no teacher should get in trouble for doing their job at the high level that she's doing her job," Spar said But Gov. Ron DeSantis, who championed the law under which Calhoun is being reprimanded, said he supported the district's decision in an April 23 interview with Orlando's WKMG Channel 6 News. "Here’s the thing: Our schools should be about education Some of these woke items don’t have a place in education," he told the news station "Most parents do not want to send their kid to elementary school and have them be taught things like 'transgender' and 'gender fluidity.' It’s just not appropriate So I think Florida’s really stood on the side of parents." Troy Campbell Leer en español “It is not clear what the social media post was or who made the initial post as it was completely redacted,” a message from the union reads an investigation was launched into the incident which resulted in school officials deciding not to renew her contract after it expires this month union officials explained that the teacher being investigated this time around is not from the same high school as Calhoun though that teacher’s identity has yet to be revealed “We have heard that other teachers have received letters that they are being investigated,” a union representative wrote they have not reached out to us for representation.” News 6 reached out to the school district to verify whether these investigations are taking place A spokeswoman responded with the following statement: “The district is required by state statute to investigate complaints There are investigations across the district on a variety of topics We do not release information about active investigations What I can tell you is that thus far no other employee has received a letter of reprimand or other disciplinary action related to referring to a student by a different gender identity without parental permission." BFT representatives also told News 6 that students have been pulled to make statements about teachers Former Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins took to Facebook to comment on the allegations “I’ve been told alarmingly that dozens of kids have been pulled into offices having conversations trying to out their teachers,” Jenkins said “This is a week when kids are already dealing with test anxiety.” Jenkins told News 6 that she had received a message that local principals were being warned about a parent who was “specifically targeting teachers all across this county taking pictures of screenshots of social media posts and comments and replies that they made.” Jenkins claimed that the district is now targeting teachers who expressed public support for Calhoun “They’re asking if teachers discuss sexuality if they have banned books or Pride flags in their classrooms,” Jenkins said “They’re telling them that rainbow flags are illegal in Florida No additional information has been provided at this time including what these other investigations may entail Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved Troy graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication He has reported on Mexican drug cartel violence on the El Paso/ Juarez border nuclear testing facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory and severe Winter weather in Michigan TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Closed Captioning / Audio Description Contact Us Careers at WPLG Terms of Use Privacy Policy Public File FCC Applications EEO Report Do Not Sell My Info 1.0 Host Exhibit Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC. Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice Coach Jim Calhoun recently joined the Department of Neurosurgery to share his leadership principles and how they translate from the basketball court to our everyday work and life UConn Health’s Department of Neurosurgery recently welcomed Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun for a powerful and personal presentation as part of the Calhoun Leadership Initiative created within the department to inspire the next generation of clinical and academic leaders Widely regarded as one of the greatest program builders in college basketball history Coach Calhoun shared timeless leadership insights with faculty and the administrative team at the Brain and Spine Institute demonstrating how the principles that built a basketball dynasty can equally strengthen the foundation of excellence in health care During his celebrated coaching career at the University of Connecticut Calhoun led his teams to three NCAA National Championships and unique ability to inspire individuals to rise as a team those same leadership principles are being shared with the department’s rising clinical and academic talent Bulsara saw in Coach Calhoun a model for building high-performance teams He believes these lessons are essential for shaping a neurosurgery program that not only meets the highest standards in medicine and one of his most profound came at age 15 After scoring the winning basket in an all-star game he returned home to the unthinkable his father had died from a heart attack he traded scholarship offers for a job cutting stone to help support them coaches and mentors helped him find his way back to college What once seemed like the worst day of his life it shaped the futures of his entire family His brother would go on to become a cardiologist and Calhoun and his wife became major donors to the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at UConn Health Jim Calhoun didn’t just build a basketball legacy he built a playbook for life “Whatever you put your name on—you own it.” “You can’t be great without greatness around you.” Every lesson reinforces a core belief: that leadership is about lifting others and rising to meet each moment with intention “Coach Calhoun has an innate ability to make people believe in the greatest of great dreams and empower them to accomplish them He has selflessly inspired and continues to inspire countless people who went onto achieve national and international acclaim All of them credit him for their success and can’t wait to share their achievements with him I am truly grateful to him for his continued inspiration as we build on this initiative I am also grateful to the leadership of our School of Medicine and Hospital for their commitment to making our medical center one of the premier academic centers in the country,” says Bulsara Bulsara is confident that the department will continue to grow as a team that leads with integrity and never forgets the power of purpose-driven work the greatest victories come from believing in something bigger than yourself and then giving everything you have to it The Owensboro Times 1980 in Owensboro to Ricky Carrol & Leslie Karen Crick Page Seth was a 1998 graduate and football player at McLean County High School He was a commercial plumber and enjoyed spending time with his daughter Liza and his family He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Carrol & Faye Page and Linda Crick Evans; and a brother-in-law Ricky and Leslie Karen Page of Utica; brother Brittany Whitaker of Calhoun; several nieces Friends may visit with the family from 1:30 P.M The Calvin Seth Page family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to an educational fund for his daughter They can be mailed to Karen Page; 185 West Locust Grove Road; Utica Seths’s services will be streamed live on musterfuneralhomes.com at 3:00 P.M Share your memories and photos of Seth at musterfuneralhomes.com Privacy Policy Site by Tanner+West — Residents of Newton Township have called on elected officials to act on the potholes that have littered 6 Mile Road for years Many residents News Channel 3 has spoken to over years of covering this story have said there has not been a clear answer of what will be done The Calhoun County Road Department (CCRD) said it will soon widen and re-pave the road it will continue to fill the potholes with hot asphalt the CCRD is waiting on funds from a federal grant it received to be available which it will not be able to access until October it will be able to remove the trees that line the road so it can begin to widen the road because you don't want to do the roadwork before the trees are removed also you'll have trees in the way," CCRD Director Kristine Parsons said a resident of Hickory Hills Village just off 6 Mile Road has had her car damaged by the potholes on several different occasions three tires between mine and my neighbor's car," she told News Channel 3 then we're back to these deep pits in the road." Parsons is well aware of how frustrated residents are but is asking them to be patient for a little while longer while they work on securing the funds from the federal grant Parsons said the final product will be worth the wait "All those things will ultimately be positive when the road is constructed but we understand people's frustrations," she said "Just a little patience is required." AL – Weaver boys surge to lead on Saturday Will be updated as events in other classifications are complete Weaver’s boys’ have their first state track championship the Bearcats surged to the lead in Class 3A on Saturday then held off a charge by T.R Weaver broke through for a “blue map” eight years after the 2017 team finished as runner up It marks Weaver’s first team state title in a boys’ sport other than wrestling an Alexandria graduate who was part of the Valley Cubs; 1997 state-title football team drove home with the AHSAA “blue map” trophy strapped into his passenger seat “We took 12 with two alternates in some of the throwers ‘You have an opportunity individually to accomplish something collectively,.’ Williams (38.72) and Gooden (41.08) finished first and  Allen took second in the long jump (20-10.50) Lorenzo Blake took second in the triple jump (44-00.00) The 4×100 relay team took third (44.49) to how it finished in the long jump,” Winn said and KeShawn’s last jump got him second place (eight points) Randolph County and Piedmont (16) tied for 11th and Wellborn (6) finished 26th of 35 teams Highlights from 3A boys’ area teams: OHATCHEE: Ethan Wiggins finished second in pole vault (11-06.00) and Luke Vinson was third in the discus (144-01) and third in the shot put (46-06.00) RANDOLPH COUNTY: Mo Winston finished second in the 100 dash (10.96) and second in the 200 dash (22.65) PIEDMONT: Elijah Young took sixth in the javelin (141-10) The 4×800 relay team took third (8:33.94) and the 4×400 relay team took fourth (3:36.00) SAKS: Lajuan Curry took third in the 200 dash (23.04) and Damarion Slocum scored with a sixth-place finish in the 110 hurdles (16.19) and Gionni Harris finished sixth in the 800 run (2:05.13) WESTBROOK CHRISTIAN: Brodey Wood finished second in the javelin (171-07) and Erik Kirkpatrick finished sixth in the shot put (45-04.75) WELLBORN: Karson Holley finished third in the 400 dash (51.28) Whitesburg Christian dominated with 140.33 points and Westminster–Oak Mountain (72) was second WEAVER: Jaylee Carter took second in the high jump (4-10.00) and Lena Johannson finished fourth in the 300 hurdles (51.63) RANDOLPH COUNTY: JaBreia Birdsong was second in the discus (113-02) and fourth in the shot put (32-05.50) GLENCOE: Chloe Douglas scored with an eighth-place finish in the 400 dash (1::03.61) PIEDMONT: Mattie Todd took seventh in the 3,200 run (13:02.82) SAKS: Terriuanna Huguley finished eighth in the 100 dash (13.25) Winterboro and Faith Christian gave the area a 1-2 punch atop the team standings WINTERBORO: Carter Castleberry won the 400 dash (49.06) and 200 dash (22.52) and was fourth in the high jump (6-00.00) William Shepherd won the triple jump (43-03.00) and was fourth in the long jump (19-07.75) Kadan Ponder was second in the shot put (46-04.00) and third in the discus (144-09) Kevin McKenzie was third in the triple jump (42-00.50) and fourth in the 400 dash (51.76) Kenny Simmons was third in the 300 hurdles (42.67) and fourth in the 110 hurdles (16.71) and the 4×800 relay took second (9:07.61) FAITH CHRISTIAN: Jack Tant took second in the pole vault (10-06) VInson Montgomery was second in the 400 dash (50.84) and fourth in the 200 dash (50.84) Parker Robertson third in the 400 dash (51.39) and and sixth in the 100 dash (11.52) fourth in the 800 run (2:07.75) and fifth in the 3,200 run (11::01.21) Jayden Smith was third in the high jump (6-00.00) COOSA CHRISTIAN: Kylen Johnson won the 300 hurdles (41.25) and took second in the 110 hurdles (15.56) Antron Mostella was second in the 100 dash (11.16) and third in the 200 dash (23.28) DONOHO: Hunter Hartwell won the 3,200 run (10:18.32) took second in the 1,600 run (4:41.67) and took second in the 800 run (2:04.40) WOODLAND: Asa Burge took second in the javelin (136-11) and Andrew Sanchez was third in the shot put (42-06.00) The 4×800 relay team took third (9:10.22) WADLEY: Damarrious Spradling was fourth in the triple jump (41-07.25) and scored in eight place in the javelin (125–10) Jacksonville Christian reached as high as second in the team standings and finished fifth with 42 points WINTERBORO: Zakiha Buchanan won the high jump (5-02.00) took second in the 100 dash (12.85) and took third in the 200 dash (27.13) Ta’Shianna Chatman third third in the 400 dash (1:02.12) and third in the 300 hurdles (49.82) Skyeler Green finished second in the triple jump (33-03.75) and Scotlyn Griffin finished second in the 800 run (2:37.29) The 4×100 (51.53) and 4×400 (4:24.08) relay teams took first play and the 4×800 (11:26.15) finished second JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN: Mollie Mullinax scored 30 total points with three state titles The 4×400 relay finished second (4:40.992) FAITH CHRISTIAN: Anna Claire Mitchell was second in the 1,600 (6:03.49) and third in the 3,200 run (13:17.48) Kayson Cronan was fourth in the pole vault (7-00.00) COOSA CHRITIAN: Jayleigh Dupree took second in the 200 dash (26.90) and the 4×400 relay team took third (4:41.60) WADLEY:: A’Mya Brown took second in the discus (102-03) and fifth in the shot put (31-04.00) DONOH0: The 4×100 relay took sixth (54.97) and Zainatu Sesay scored with an eighth-place finish in the 100 dash (13.49) WOODLAND: Emma Hines scored with an eighth-place finish in the discus (85-00) Loachapoke edged Mars Hill Bible 55-53 to win the team title and Pleasant Valley (31) led area teams in 11th PLEASANT VALLEY:: Clark Hill won the pole vault (13-00.00) Braxton Salster took second in the high jump (5-10.00) and sixth in the 110 hurdles (16.39) Cold Springs edged Cornerstone 101-95 to win the state title PLEASANT VALLEY: Ella Parris won state titles in the 400 dash (1.00.46) and 800 run (2:23.50) and took second in the 300 hurdles (49.76)