1945 in Haleyville to Clyde and Ruth (Smith) Vickery She was raised in Delmar and graduated from Haleyville High School who made sure her family was well taken care of making floral arrangements and being outdoors She was a member of Sharon Baptist Church Barbara was preceded in death by her parents Those left to cherish her memory are husband of Tecumseh; 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren and numerous other family members and friends Visitation will be from  12-8 p.m. Monday, May 5, 2025, with the family gathering from 5:30-8 p.m., Monday, May 5, 2025 at Cooper Funeral Home in Tecumseh Burial will follow at Forrest Hill Cemetery Please join the celebration of Barbara’s life through Cooper Funeral Home’s Facebook page for live streaming of the service The Christian County Lady Colonel bats had a hard time getting started Friday evening The Lady Colonels mustered just one hit as they fell to Tecumseh in their opening game of the Softball Catholic Classic at Jack Fisher Park in Owensboro The only hit in the game for Christian County was an Avery Adcock blast to left field in the bottom of the first inning that tied the game at 1-1 Tecumseh set down 12 of the next 13 batters for the Lady Colonels allowing just one walk the rest of the way The game ended with Tecumseh batting in the top of the fifth due to the time limit Jordan Turner went the distance for the Lady Colonels in the circle and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" — Tecumseh coach Gordon Wood recalls a conversation a few years back The subject was an upcoming Cub softball game between the Braves and Gibson Southern chose not to mince words: “You better be able to field a bunt.” There was no ill intention with the statement One who was already throwing batting practice to varsity hitters in middle school A teenager whose potential has only grown exponentially in the following years More: How a former program star and deep senior class has Mater Dei baseball surging this season Seiler is now a freshman at Tecumseh High School The right-hander has barely scratched the surface on her potential But the early returns already have folks in Warrick County buzzing the freshman has 79 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings and only 10 earned runs allowed ― six of which came in her first appearance Those efforts include a trio of dominant performances against the top teams in the Pocket Athletic Conference She’s also batting .464 with five doubles and 10 RBIs What has transpired over the first month is not from a typical freshman “She is one of the better pitchers I have ever caught,” said senior catcher Alena Holder She has a lot of confidence when she’s in the circle.” How is a freshman already this good at the varsity level Her coaches and teammates see an athlete beyond her years points to her mentality and how she absorbs the game Seiler chooses to sit next to the Tecumseh coaches when she isn’t in the game and listens Her confidence has consistently risen with each outing She has a strong rise ball and even better spin rate The freshman has already touched 65 miles per hour on the radar gun She threw batting practice to Tecumseh hitters as early as sixth grade ― the Braves won a state championship that season She was also tested prior to arriving in high school Seiler plays travel ball for Lady Dukes Lamar 18U against athletes two or three years older ranked her the number one pitcher nationally in the Class of 2028 “It’s awesome playing with people I’ve grown up with my whole life,” Seiler said It only took one weekend to witness her potential and offer a reminder Seiler’s first outing against Daviess County (Ky.) was a genuine "welcome to high school" introduction one of the top teams across the Ohio River rocked her for six earned runs on nine hits in six innings Seiler said her head was spinning and she “couldn’t breathe.” How she responded spoke volumes More: Winners, plus what we learned from the 2025 Evansville City track & field meet The freshman allowed four hits and registered 19 strikeouts against Boonville the following morning She was also called upon to close the next game versus Bedford North Lawrence The first came against Auburn recruit Ava Ratliff the state’s all-time career leader in home runs “I went home feeling really good that second day,” said Wood “Not just the 19 strikeouts against a good hitting Boonville team but coming in to face that catcher from Bedford North Lawrence I’d like to have a (radar) gun to see how hard she was throwing The lesson for Seiler: there will be growing pains in addition to forthcoming success She pitched a three-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts against North Posey Her latest outing was an 18-whiff effort versus Gibson Southern ― the Braves’ first win over the Titans in seven years Seiler also struck out 10 against defending state champion Henderson County (Ky.) but also allowed seven runs Holder added “the sky is the limit” should Seiler continue on this path It might require some patience as she learns on the job especially if the Braves progress deep in the state tournament “I felt a lot better overall,” Seiler said “We got more comfortable with each other and knew what to throw in certain situations I need to work on consistently getting better Just try to improve as a player and teammate.” Wood never wants to put undue pressure on any individual player But he quickly learned the importance of Seiler to this team The freshman quickly moved from eighth to fourth in the batting order Seiler aspires to play big-time college softball Wood is witnessing similar characteristics to one former program star: Audra Sanders who is third in Indiana history for career strikeouts “She already has a lot of attention through travel ball She’s going to get that much more as far as we go in postseason The way we are playing right now and with her in the circle (KLKN) – Three staff members at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution were seriously injured Thursday after they were assaulted by an inmate According to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services the inmate attacked staff members with a homemade weapon One staff member sustained a broken nose and two received staples for head injuries All three staff members were treated at the hospital and released NDCS has launched an investigation into the assault and all findings will be provided to the county attorney for criminal prosecution Officials said disciplinary process includes loss of good time applied according to the rules and regulations TECUMSEH — All students who qualify for graduation at Tecumseh Public Schools will be able to participate in commencement under a policy update presented to the school board Monday Tecumseh students also can graduate with a Michigan Merit Curriculum diploma or a certificate of completion only students receiving the high school diploma or a certificate of completion could participate in the commencement ceremony High school Principal Kimberly Irish told the board Monday that the school administration and building improvement teams have been discussing the commencement policy and asked Superintendent Matt Hilton for his thoughts on changing the policy to allow all of the graduates to participate or there's no way for anyone to tell who's getting what," Irish said about how the names are listed in the ceremony's program "It's just individually on their own paperwork that they get later." The certificate of completion is for students who have a personal curriculum which is usually students with an individualized education program Curriculum Director Meghan Way told the board IEPs detail the educational needs and goals of students with disabilities and any programs and services that they need from their local district or the intermediate school district, according to the state of Michigan Way explained that the Michigan Merit Curriculum is the 18 credits the state requires all students to complete to receive a diploma have additional requirements to get a diploma such as taking additional elective courses and completing all state testing and career planning Support local news: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content. students in the Tecumseh Virtual Academy typically earn a Michigan Merit Curriculum diploma Some of those students have fallen behind in credits for various reasons Most students would opt for completing a high school diploma curriculum over the Michigan Merit Curriculum but the MMC gives students who have fallen behind a chance to catch up "Most kids aren't going to get rid of the five electives because those are the (classes) they usually enjoy," she said But by not completing the district's graduation requirements those students have been excluded from commencement Way said this policy update would change that and recognize their accomplishment "We feel like they should be included as well," she said Irish and Way also presented proposed updates to the district's policies on how to count credits when a student who has been home-schooled enrolls in the high school and how to allow students to graduate early including making sure the parents and the student's college or employer are involved in the decision and what school events they would be able to participate in even though they had graduated Students who graduate midway through their senior year will still be able to participate in some events "But the mystery trip and those things get a little dicey because they're not legally our student anymore once they graduated." Irish said the most recent was a student who had been offered a prestigious internship The board is expected to vote on the proposed policy changes at its meeting May 12 — Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian. Liberal Irek Kusmierczyk is asking the courts for a recount in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore after multiple tabulation errors and a high number of rejected ballots made an already painfully tight race almost too close to call Kusmierczyk told the Star his team applied for a judicial recount Monday morning after the discovery of 526 rejected ballots and more than 20 “discrepancies” — four of which changed the ballot count by 157 votes Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience The 526 rejected ballots accounted for “one of the highest totals in the country,” he said “We had dozens of volunteers serving as scrutineers in polling stations across the region we know there were ballots that were wrongly counted and wrongly rejected,” said Kusmierczyk the riding’s Liberal member of Parliament since 2019 simply in how the results were communicated “It’s how the numbers were communicated to Elections Canada in Ottawa including four errors that had a material impact on the vote.” After a standard post-election validation of results last week the discovery of those four errors alone resulted in Conservative Kathy Borrelli’s lead in the April 28 federal election narrowing from 233 votes to 77 That’s only seven ballots short of the threshold for an automatic judicial recount Elections Canada’s preliminary results following Monday’s election had Borrelli at 31,901 votes and Kusmierczyk at 31,668 The official count for Borrelli is now 32,062 votes A judicial recount is automatically triggered when the difference between the two leading candidates is less than one one-thousandth of the total votes cast “We feel very strongly that we owe it to all residents to make sure that every vote was valid and that every valid vote was counted,” said Kusmierczyk “This is a process to make sure that we have 100 per cent confidence that residents have 100 per cent confidence in the outcome of this election.” Until the counts are confirmed in the validation of votes election results are considered preliminary The validated results are considered final unless changes are subsequently made following a judicial recount or a contested election proceeding Recounts are currently underway or expected in several other ridings across Canada including Terra Nova-The Peninsulas in Newfoundland where winning Liberal candidate eked past the Conservative runner-up with 12 votes The Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne flipped on Thursday after Elections Canada published validated results for the region that showed the Bloc Quebecois nudged out the Liberals by 44 votes the validation process ended with Liberals inching past the Conservatives by 29 votes Elections Canada told the Star last week that the validation of results is a safety measure to catch human error the local Elections Canada officer receives results from each polling location by phone before entering them into the system The agency said that staff could mishear a result that was called in or make a mistake entering the data Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore had 282 polls reporting Kusmierczyk said such mistakes were what led to the four “significant” errors that changed the vote by 157 ballots some of which Kusmierczyk feels were wrongly rejected Kusmierczyk said someone wrote an X in the circle next to his name then wrote a second X next to his name outside the circle the intent of the voter is clear,” he said The next step in Kusmierczyk’s application will be a judicial hearing His team must present evidence before a judge who will decide if a recount should proceed That hearing had yet to be scheduled Monday morning “I want to make this absolutely clear as well,” said Kusmierczyk unequivocally accept the results of the judicial recount.” twilhelm@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account 9:52 AM MDTBy Doug KennedyTecumseh State PrisonTECUMSEH =Three staff members at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution suffered sustained serious injuries in an inmate assault.  when an inmate attacked staff members with a homemade weapon An investigation of the incident has been launched Findings will be provided to the Johson County Attorney for determination of criminal prosecution The NDCS disciplinary process will be utilized with sanctions such as loss of good time                         Jonathan Alder’s baseball squad swept the season series over Tecumseh with a 4-0 victory on Wednesday The Pioneers kept their record unblemished at 15-0 overall and 12-0 in the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division TECUMSEH — The Tecumseh Pops Orchestra and Community Chorus will host their Annual Spring Concert on Sunday titled "An American Travelogue," will start at 3 p.m at the Tecumseh Center for the Arts at 400 N The concert will feature a variety of musical selections including "Oklahoma!," "Route 66" and "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." The community chorus will perform under the direction of conductor Bill Abbott while Joe McInchak will lead the pops orchestra The performance will also include a rendition of "The Battle Hymn of The Republic," showcasing the talents of both groups The Daily Telegram is bringing you more local news: Here's how to submit your announcements Tickets for the concert are priced at $12 for adults and $10 for seniors, students and military personnel. They can be purchased at the TCA Box Office on Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m., online at thetca.org or by calling 517-423-6617 Tickets will also be available one hour before the concert but advance purchase is recommended to avoid lines on the day of the event This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct or share your thoughts at http://bit.ly/3RapUkA with our News Automation and AI team TECUMSEH =Three staff members at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution suffered sustained serious injuries in an inmate assault.  10:52 AM CDTBy Doug KennedyTecumseh State PrisonTECUMSEH =Three staff members at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution suffered sustained serious injuries in an inmate assault.  Tecumseh and Morenci girls basketball hit the floor Tuesday, looking for spots at the Breslin Center later this week, as both played in the quarterfinals to earn its first trip to the semifinals since 1976 while the Division 4 No 6 Bulldogs fell in the quarterfinal for the second-straight season against No NORTHVILLE — They don’t give out medals for winning a quarterfinal game Tecumseh trainer Jody Manes should have been in the first in line Tecumseh took some lumps before slipping past Goodrich 61-53 to advance to Friday’s Division 2 semifinals when Alli Zajac needed help into the locker room at halftime jogged a few times across the floor and scored 11 of her 21 points to lead Tecumseh to its first quarterfinal victory since 1976 “It worried me a little because it was the same ankle I hurt earlier this season Zajac shrugged off the injury to dominate in the post She also went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line She had two blocked shots and showed why she was a Miss Basketball finalist “That was a blood bath,” Tecumseh coach Kristy Zajac said Tecumseh (25-1) trailed only once – 4-2 – but that was only following four straight turnovers five if you count a shot that missed the rim Goodrich couldn’t capitalize on the early errors and trailed Tecumseh 6-4 after eight minutes All six Tecumseh points in the opening quarter were by Addi Zajac Her field goal with 1:51 left in the half made it 23-13 but seconds later she went down with the ankle injury Ashlyn Moorehead scored on a floater in the lane and Tecumseh led 25-16 at the break While Goodrich came out of the locker room early to get some shots up Tecumseh stayed in the locker room until the final seconds only to see Alli jogging back to the floor She started the half and scored twice in the first two minutes of the half to make it 29-19 then scored inside and from long range to make it 37-25 with 3:44 left in the third quarter despite being down by as many as 16 points A couple of late three pointers and some intense pressure cut the lead to 55-47 with 1:55 left “They play good defense,” Kristy Zajac said We’ll have to look at that a little bit on film Makayla Schlorf scored 11 points and Addi Zajac had 10 but a 30-16 advantage in the paint and 12-5 advantage in second-chance points paved the way to victory which Tecumseh beat 70-65 in double overtime earlier in the season and Grand Rapids West Catholic are the other semifinalists “It’s been a goal since I was in the fifth grade,” Alli Zajac said BRIGHTON — Another memorable season came to a close for Morenci as the sixth-ranked Bulldogs fell 31-22 in the quarterfinals for the second-straight season for most of the first quarter before the Soldiers went on a 6-0 run to go up 8-2 with about three minutes to go in the opening frame The Bulldogs were unable to get much offensive rhythm going and trailed 21-8 at the half and 28-17 going into the fourth holding Genesee Christian to its' second-lowest scoring effort of the season but the Bulldogs couldn't come up with a run to back into the game Colbie Ekins had nine points while the team's lone senior The Bulldogs cap the season with a third-straight TCC title and back-to-back regional championships 1:11 PM CDTBy Dan SwansonTECUMSEH - Amy Severe of Tecumseh is charged in Johnson County with possession of a deadly weapon April 1 Johnson County Sheriff’s Office affidavits say deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a Lincoln Street residence and served a search warrant for the residence the following day The affidavit says deputies found a bladed weapon with a brass knuckle-style handle with metal spikes and a fixed-blade knife that measured nine inches Deputies also seized a safe from a garage at the residence which is purportedly owned by 40-year-old Bernie Turner Jr The sheriff’s office obtained a warrant to search the safe on April 2 and a judge’s permission to use Turner’s key from an inmate’s possessions to open the safe The affidavit says a gun and ammunition were taken from the safe Investigators say Severe is prohibited from possession of deadly weapons due to a felony convictions in Otoe and Nemaha counties Turner is charged in Johnson County with felony weapons offenses on March 31 EAST LANSING — Tecumseh watched a massive lead slowly dwindle throughout the Michigan high school Division 2 girls basketball state championship but never fell behind Tecumseh built a 14-point lead in the first five minutes of the game and rode that lead until the end — despite a ferocious comeback from Grand Rapids West Catholic — to a 54-44 victory to take the state championship head coach Kristy Zajac said the win was dedicated to former assistant head coach Bart Bartels who suffered a knee injury in Friday's semifinals "We've been playing for coach Bartels all along and then with Maddy going down we had another person that we could go to like The lead got down to one entering the fourth quarter but clutch baskets from Addi Zajac (nine points Chloe Bullinger (11 points) and free throws from Miss Basketball finalist Alli Zajac (14 points) closed out the Indians’ first state championship since 1974 Tecumseh jumped out to a 14-point lead in the first six minutes after Makayla Schlorf got hot out of the gate Tecumseh started the game with an 8-0 run including 3-pointers from Schlorf and Ashlyn Moorehead Schlorf then answered four straight West Catholic points with another 3 and then converted a three-point play two possessions later during a 10-0 run to build the double-digit lead "I was really thinking about Maddy in the first quarter and how I just wanted to do my best to play for everybody on my team," Schlorf said "I knew it was going to be our last game no matter what and I wanted it to go off on such a high note." West Catholic started whittling away in the second the Falcons ended the first half on a 12-3 run and cut Tecumseh’s lead to 32-27 entering halftime Tecumseh’s lead kept shrinking in the third quarter Anna Ignatoski and Alexis Asekomeh (nine points six rebounds) combined for seven of West Catholic’s 11 third-quarter points while holding Tecumseh to seven total and cut the lead to a single point entering the fourth quarter Tecumseh held off West Catholic down the stretch finding an answer for every Falcons basket and surge Bullinger answered an Elisha Dykstra for West Catholic and Addi Zajac followed an Asekomeh layup with another one of her own to keep the lead at five Tecumseh played keep away with two minutes left "It's really just confidence," Alli Zajac said "I know I spent a lot of time in the gym and practicing those free throws so once I step up to the line in the game Ignatoski led West Catholic with 12 points and seven rebounds Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky TECUMSEH — Two bridges on main roads in Tecumseh will be rehabilitated this year The contract amount includes a 5% contingency fund The Russell Road bridge is the city's worst-rated bridge The North Evans Street bridge is the second most in need of work Vaughn Miller from the city's engineering consultant firm It is among the three other bridges the city intends to repair using the street millage funds Anlaan was the only contractor to bid on the work Swallow said the city originally bid out the Russell Road bridge in August 2024 due to its condition the decision was made to rebid it with some minor modifications to the specifications and with the Evans Street bridge included to try to attract more bidders by creating economy of scale by having two jobs instead of one and the bid again came in higher than what the city's engineering consulting firm had projected Swallow said Martin and the city's public works superintendent met with Anlaan to understand why the projects didn't draw more bids and why the costs were more than expected Martin told the council that Anlaan told them that there are so many bridges being replaced or repaired in Michigan that contractors can pick and choose which projects they want to do Anlaan's bid on this work was more than expected because it is rehabilitation equipment and labor would be needed to build a new bridge there is uncertainty about what will be needed which raises the costs because they have to mobilize equipment and workers that might not end up being needed Another issue making the bid more than expected was Anlaan's mobilization costs to bring the workers and materials from southwest Michigan to Tecumseh Martin and Swallow said Anlaan agreed to reduce its mobilization costs from $80,000 to $20,000 if the two projects were awarded together Swallow said city staff considered rebidding the work again but after consulting with the Lenawee County Road Commission and finding out it also is finding bridge work to be more expensive than expected and considering the possible inflationary effects of tariffs being implemented by President Donald Trump they recommended awarding the contract for the two bridges to Anlaan Another risk in rebidding is the bridges would continue to deteriorate the project summary on the agenda review form said but delays would take their toll on the bridges Council member Ron Wimple asked if the bid included the costs of tariffs the new bids would include any added costs from tariffs but the bid documentation contains a note that Anlaan will set the schedule with the work being completed by Dec the city council awarded a contract to Gerken Paving Inc for up to $684,500 to resurface parts or all of 11 streets with the work to be paid for from street construction millage — Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian TECUMSEH — Offers from local investors to buy two closed school buildings in Tecumseh have been accepted by the school board At a special meeting Wednesday, the Tecumseh Board of Education voted to authorize Superintendent Matt Hilton to execute purchase agreements for the Herrick Park and Patterson schools ZB Investments LLC and Timandia LLC offered $150,000 for each of the buildings The board voted 6-0 to sell Herrick Park to Timandia and 5-1 to sell Patterson to ZB Investments Superintendent Matt Hilton told the board the district received the ZB and Timandia offers as well as an offer from a California firm for Herrick Park over spring break The California firm sent a letter with an informal offer of $60,000 for each building ZB and Timanda set a deadline of April 4 to consider their offers They sent a cash offer purchase agreement to buy the properties as is He said his understanding is that they intend to convert the buildings into apartments No one from those companies attended the meeting According to paperwork filed with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Timandia's agents are Timothy and Amandia Bock The district earlier this year sought requests for proposals for Herrick Park, but that Feb. 28 deadline passed without any submissions An appraisal of the Herrick Park property assessed its value at $180,000 to $370,000 but board members have discussed the possibility of selling it going back to the bond proposals in 2022 that voters rejected With an understanding that closed school buildings become more difficult to sell the longer they sit unused and that a study showed the county's birthrate is declining Hilton recommended that the board accept ZB's and Timandia's offers If the district were to keep the buildings each would need $1.5 million or more in capital improvements mostly for roofs and heating and cooling equipment He said the cost could be higher due to a state requirement that schools that have been closed for more than a year be brought up to code before they can be reopened If they were reopened as elementary schools they also would have additional operating costs including administration and office staff While the county's birthrate does not indicate an influx of new students in the near future Hilton said the district has space to accommodate growth within the remaining buildings He said the high school was designed for 1,200 to 1,300 students but now has about 750 He said the current third grade has a larger number of students and will be moving to the middle school next year making room at Sutton and Tecumseh Acres early learning centers for possibly larger class of incoming kindergarteners The board also had discussed keeping Patterson and converting it into a preschool building Hilton said there was a waitlist for the district's preschool program at Sutton last fall but there is no waitlist now He said to reopen Patterson as a preschool would require additional modifications to the building and playground such as smaller toilets and age-appropriate playground equipment Trustee Darin Miller said the district's preschool director told him those changes would cost about $1.5 million in addition to the other $1.5 million in work needed on the roof and HVAC units Trustee Heather McGee was the lone "no" vote on selling Patterson She said she wants to see a plan for student population growth "I was thinking about any other opportunities for where we could put additional students outside of carving out a place (at the high school) which isn't really feasible unless you move up a grade you'd have to rent space or something from someone else at a higher cost and I don't know where that would be," she said after the meeting Other board members said selling the buildings was the right thing to do but the space we have is going to be cost-prohibitive for us and we have space throughout to support what we need in the near future," Miller said McGee that we do need to think about growth in the future," Miller said "…I hope the community understands that it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction There was a lot of discussion for a long time prior to me being on the board and I'm confident that it is the right decision." More: Clinton community takes a look at high school addition. Here are its features Miller and McGee were elected in November to their first terms on the board "This is a very good deal for the school district," board Treasurer Tim Simpson said "We have a lot of space in these buildings Selling the properties puts them on the tax rolls which will benefit the city and the school district the district's 18-mill nonhomestead operating millage will be levied on them Board President Greg Lewis said after voters rejected the bond proposals in 2022 that would have replaced the four existing elementary schools with one the district knew it could cut two buildings he worked with consultants that confirmed the board's expectations about how many children might be born in the near future "We're aware you can't cut your way to prosperity The voter-approved sinking fund is allowing the district to spend more but the board has to show it can spend it wisely we're going to have to continue to find ways to expand and do it the right way do it in a way that the community is happy with," he said "The community is also going to have to understand we can only work with what they give us." "It's very hard for a community of this size to have to give up buildings with such history and I hope we can find a way to honor those buildings in some form or fashion," board Vice President Lynne Davis said Simpson asked if the schools' dedication plaques could be preserved and donated to the Tecumseh Area Historical Society Hilton said he would take care of doing that The district's prospects for growth are "constrained … by the realistic situation that our state and region see themselves in," Davis said "And anyone that you would talk to from the Michigan Economic Development Corp or the Michigan Department of Education would share those same concerns." McGee said she would have liked to have seen something in the purchase agreement to try to prevent a situation like what has happened with the former administration building on North Ottawa Street. The district sold it to a Metro Detroit development company that planned to turn it into apartments Hilton said the difference in this situation is ZB and Timandia are local companies and the investors live in the area and have reputations here but I don't have any reason to believe that what happened then will occur again," Hilton said if it sits vacant under our books or their books I would rather it be under their books," board Secretary Becky Brooks said More: What to do with Tecumseh Products site: City, Lenawee County officials say plan is needed Simpson said he didn't think the board could put into a purchase agreement something that would require the buildings do certain things with the property and Lewis said the buyers should be familiar with the work the buildings need especially since one of the investors has worked for a mechanical firm that has done work in the buildings Hilton said the buyers have also met with the city to discuss their plans TECUMSEH — Voters in the Tecumseh school district approved the creation of a sinking fund millage in Tuesday's election and elected six school board members The proposal to levy 1.75 mills for five years passed with 5,560 "yes" votes The sinking fund will help the district repair the Tecumseh Memorial Community Pool building and do other repair and improvement projects around the district resurfaced parking lots and upgraded technology The fund can only be used for building and site projects It will supplement the funds the district receives through the state's per-pupil funding formula The school board has been budgeting 3% of its general fund toward capital projects in recent years and has pledged to continue to do so along with the sinking fund money "Today, we celebrate our community's dedication to creating a brighter future for Tecumseh Public Schools," Superintendent Matt Hilton said in a statement posted the district's Facebook page "This support for our sinking fund allows us to tackle much-needed repairs and upgrades that will benefit our students We are honored and grateful for your trust in us to carry this work forward!" "On behalf of the Tecumseh Public Schools Board of Education I wish to thank the citizens of our community for their support in approving the Sinking Fund for our schools," board President Tony Rebottaro said in the statement "The board is committed to being good stewards of your money and pledge to use it to make Tecumseh Public Schools the best school district in the region." Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content. The passage of the proposal comes after Hilton who took office in June as the board was deciding how to pay for the repairs to the pool building made a push both with in-person meetings with various community groups and online videos to explain the proposal and how the district intends to spend the money Hilton and his staff for their tireless efforts in educating the community on this issue," Rebottaro said "His hard work and dedication were instrumental in the passing of this funding." Board electionAll four current Tecumseh school board members running to remain on the board were elected Tuesday Becky Brooks (3,907) and Lynne Davis (3,856) were elected to four-year terms and Tim Simpson received 6,158 votes to complete a partial term that ends in 2026 Also being elected to four-year terms were Darin Miller with 3,493 votes and Heather McGee with 3,800 votes Jacob Willey filed as a write-in candidate for the partial term that Simpson won The Lenawee County Clerk's Office reported there were 537 write-in votes Willey's total from that will be announced later The new terms for the board members begin Jan TECUMSEH — A wooded barely accessible piece of land along the River Raisin is essentially being donated to the city of Tecumseh The 7.89 acres in the 100 block of Water Street belonged to the Tecumseh Products Co in 2006 when the parcel was included in the sale of land along the west bank of Red Mill Pond that is now the Lone Oak residential development at the end of Bishop Reed Drive It was not included in the 2017 sale to Lone Oak developer Al Roberts and stayed with Kwest Group LLC of Perrysburg "We've had on-and-off conversations with the property owner about the disposition of the property, potential donation in the city," Tecumseh City Manager Dan Swallow told the city council during its meeting Monday "We have had some trespass issues on the particular property where we had to contact the property owner The transaction also aligns with Kwest's corporate goals of natural resource protection the city will buy the land for $1 and pay for the closing costs The council voted 7-0 to accept the property "It is a nice gesture for Kwest to make a donation of that property that Parks and Rec probably can utilize," Mayor Brian Radant said noting that the city passed its annual Arbor Day proclamation earlier in the meeting and the property is heavily wooded "It's probably not going to be the next site of anything huge or spectacular but it could be used in many good ways so I thank them for that," Radant said The property is a peninsula in a bend in the River Raisin just east of the Red Mill Pond dam It runs north from where North Maumee Street turns to the left and becomes Water Street behind the plaza that contains Jerry's Market and Fabricare Cleaners The city owns the land to the west on either side of the river including Evans Park on the north side of the dam Swallow said about half of the property is in a flood plain but about half is buildable To reach it from the city-owned land to the west would mean navigating a steep Another option could be negotiating an easement for a driveway with the property owner to the east TECUMSEH — Two closed elementary schools in Tecumseh are back on the market After the Tecumseh Board of Education accepted offers of $150,000 each for the Patterson and Herrick Park schools at a special meeting on April 2 Superintendent Matt Hilton learned that the investors "The reason they backed out is because they're not zoned how they wanted to use it," board Treasurer Tim Simpson said during Monday's meeting he would proceed as they had planned in March to list the buildings with a real estate agent while also looking into having the Lenawee County Land Bank sell the property He and board members said they don't want the buildings to sit unused because they become more of a liability the longer they're vacant The land bank has interest in redeveloping properties that could be used for housing The investors' planned to convert the buildings to apartments both neighborhoods the schools are in are zoned RA-2 Hilton said anyone wanting to rezone the properties would have to first get the Tecumseh Planning Commission to recommend the rezoning to the Tecumseh City Council Board President Greg Lewis said the process can take about six months Simpson mentioned that the city rezoned the former administration building on North Ottawa Street to facilitate its redevelopment into apartments. It also is in an RA-2 zone, but a planned unit development the city council approved in 2020 would have allowed it to be converted into apartments The city's zoning map, however, shows that property is across the street from a B-2 Downtown Edge zone where apartments are allowed as a special land use, according to the city's zoning ordinance The planning commission and council in the past have been willing to allow a zoning change or a special use if that use was already allowed in a neighboring property The situation with the Patterson and Herrick Park buildings is more like when the schools sold the former Carnegie Library building on West Chicago Boulevard in 2002 wanted the city to rezone it to office-service so he could use the building for his own office and to rent out space for other offices but the city refused because it would be spot zoning in the middle of an area zoned for residential use City officials were concerned if they allowed the Carnegie Library property to be rezoned that future owners of the houses between it and the downtown core might want to rezone their properties to allow offices and the city officials wanted to preserve the historic character of those houses as residences Rezoning the Herrick Park and Patterson properties to allow apartments also would be spot zoning as the surrounding properties would remain RA-2 The schools' use of the Carnegie Library as its central office building was allowed because it was owned by the school district and school buildings are allowed in single-family residential zones also are allowed in single-family residential zones Lewis said there had been some interest in the past from the Lenawee County Department on Aging in leasing one of the buildings as a senior center Community centers are allowed in RA-2 zones He said if the school district could afford to fix up either building it probably would The district's new sinking fund is designated for other projects at the schools that are still open and the amount the board expects to designate from the general fund for capital projects wouldn't cover the cost to fix the roofs and make other repairs in either of the closed buildings It would cost at least $1.5 million to do the roofs and other repairs at either Herrick Park or Patterson An impediment to selling either property may be the school buildings themselves The demolition of either building would cost $500,000 to $1 million Simpson said he would like to know what the bare land would be worth Board Secretary Becky Brooks said the appraiser who worked with the district earlier this year when it sought bids for Herrick Park should have information on what the land is worth without the buildings That appraisal of the Herrick Park property assessed its value at $180,000 to $370,000 Board Trustee Heather McGee asked that any future purchase proposals include the intended use of the property She also would like there to be an agreement with any buyer that the buildings not sit unused EAST LANSING — The tears were flowing for Tecumseh once the final buzzer sounded and the second-ranked team in the state defeated No as the program advanced to its' first state championship game since 1975 but also ones of heartache as junior Maddy VanBlack went down clutching her knee after a push off in the game's final moments "Great win for our program," coach Kristy Zajac said We're all in tears because Maddy VanBlack has worked so hard to get back to us She's missed almost two years and to have her go down at the end of the game on a push off I feel so terrible for her." who was a Division 2 Second Team All-State volleyball player in the fall missed all of last season with a torn ACL from the summer She went down grabbing her opposite knee with mere seconds left in the game and was distraught on the bench Tecumseh now has a night to regroup and perhaps figure out how to play without one of their key athletes off the bench "We're hoping she can get back and is going to be OK," Zajac said "We rely on her a lot and our depth is really what has got us here We're here to win for coach (Bart) Bartels and now we're here for Maddy Tecumseh (26-1) found a way in the semifinal to win despite Miss Basketball finalist senior Alli Zajac being in foul trouble and held to six points Zajac exited the game with 4:15 left in the third after recording her third foul and the Eagles leading 30-20 Tecumseh finished the final 12 minutes outscoring Frankenmuth The Adrian College commit knocked down 3-pointer after 3-pointer "I knew my teammates and coaches had confidence in me shooting the ball," Moorehead said Moorehead: Ashlyn Moorehead breaks Tecumseh girls' assists record Tecumseh was able to create a few open looks in the second half as junior Makayla Schlorf finished with eight points after being held scoreless in the first half and another junior Chloe Bullinger ended up with seven points who finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds "She's one of the best rebounders I've ever seen," coach Zajac said you know you have Addi underneath and she's going to go get the boards Tecumseh will turnaround quickly and look to earn the program's first state title since 1974 as it'll take on Grand Rapids West Catholic at 6:15 p.m The Falcons beat defending champions Detroit Edison "They have some great shooters and Elisha Dykstra is going to Toledo," coach Zajac said "We'll spend all night watching film on them and watch the game tonight to see what they do." EAST LANSING — Saturday was a day Bart Bartels predicted eight years ago for the Tecumseh girls basketball program "He told me when I was in fourth or fifth grade that my senior year we were going to win a state championship," Alli Zajac said It was an emotional weekend for the Tecumseh girls basketball program that culminated with Bartels' prediction becoming reality as it beat Grand Rapids West Catholic in the MHSAA Division 2 state championship "We've been playing for coach Bartels all along and with Maddy going down we had another person we could go to," coach Kristy Zajac said After losing junior Maddy VanBlack in the final moments of the semifinal and assistant coach Bart Bartels' death in the offseason Tecumseh played with heavy hearts Saturday Tecumseh came out firing to start the game jumping out to a quick 8-0 run and leading 21-9 after the start but the Falcons slowly creeped back into the game The team was confident as it knocked down its free throws late to close the game out "(Bartles would've said) Trust each other and trust the process," Zajac said as long as we're up by one at the end of the game we still win the state championship (Bartels) would've had confidence in every single one of these guys to continue battling to the very end." junior Makayla Schlorf had all the confidence She scored all of her 11 points in the opening eight minutes to create some distance from West Catholic She also finished with eight rebounds and two steals it was senior Alli Zajac going 8-for-8 from the free throw line to finish with a team-high 14 points to go with five rebounds Tecumseh volleyball: Tecumseh falls in Division 2 volleyball state championship match who had 11 points and four rebounds; senior Ashlyn Moorehead who had nine points and five assists; and senior Lauren Kilbarger off the bench — were all part of the volleyball team who also made it to the state championship falling in Division 2 final back in November "Ashlyn and I have been working toward this since we were little freshmen starting It's amazing I get to end my career off on a note like this TECUMSEH — Mimosas and Bloody Marys are expected to be on the menu at a new breakfast and brunch cafe that plans to open this spring in the former JR's Hometown Grill & Pub location in downtown Tecumseh At its meeting Tuesday, the Tecumseh City Council voted 7-0 to give its approval to Rosie's Tecumseh Cafe LLC's application to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission for a redevelopment liquor license Restaurant developer Bill Leisenring told the council that having a liquor license will enable the cafe to serve cocktails that are a traditional part of brunch menus "We established our goal to be the premier brunch destination in Lenawee County," Leisenring said So we feel like there's a void there that we can fill of course a great brunch place has to have a liquor program and it allow us to do some very cool things not just from our general cocktails but also seasonal things that will be a key element to hit that target to be that destination in our downtown that we want to be able to provide." Renovations are underway in the restaurant at 111 W which longtime Tecumseh residents will remember as the location of Don's Beef Buffet It was Doby's Smokehouse before JR's opened its second location there JR's closed all of its locations, including the original in Adrian, in January 2024. A new restaurant, Bits and Brews is in the works for the Adrian location on Division Street This will be the second hospitality business in Leisenring's Ring Restaurant Group which started with the Tecumseh Tavern at 204-206 E Jack runs the tavern and will run Rosie's Cafe Leisenring's Ring Estates LLC turned the former Tecumseh Camera Shop into the Tecumseh Tavern and received a commendation from the Tecumseh Historical Preservation Commission for their efforts to preserve the 1880 building They also bought and remodeled the building next door to the tavern at 214 E into the Tecumseh Commons Commercial Center More: The results are in: Here's Lenawee County's most romantic restaurant Leisenring said their goal is to open Rosie's in May He described the atmosphere they're going for as "affordable luxury." He said it's not fine dining You're going to get good service and great food and have a great time "We really want you to feel like you're spending maybe an hour or two over at Grandma's house or getting a cup of coffee from Great-Aunt Veronica," Leisenring said the love you felt there and that's really what we want is for you to feel like you come into Rosie's and you're going to be treated fantastic The restaurant will have a seating capacity of 92 They also will serve grab-and-go dishes and be able to accommodate delivery services The menu will feature traditional breakfast and brunch items as well as more contemporary dishes The breakfast and brunch category of restaurants is growing with about a 7% annual growth rate from 2020 to 2025 the city's redevelopment plan for the nearby Evans Street corridor showed restaurants were a promising opportunity based on potential spending habits of people living within a 20-minute drive Leisenring showed the council a computer-generated "fly-through" video of what the interior is expected to look like He said it will have more light inside than JR's He also said they plan to update the building's second-floor apartment They have no current plans for the vacant third floor More: Restaurant changes: Lenawee County saw new dining options open in 2024 while others closed Council member Ron Wimple told Leisenring he thinks the community will support this kind of restaurant I was concerned about what would go in there or how long it would be vacant," Wimple said "This presentation was very impressive as far as what you plan on putting in there." Mayor Brian Radant thanked Leisenring for working to fill what is now three formerly vacant buildings in the downtown area "I appreciate you making those investments in Tecumseh," Radant said "I think that your plan is going to be very successful." The council met Tuesday because of the Presidents Day holiday on Monday One difference between a redevelopment liquor license and a regular liquor license is that the redevelopment license is attached to the property Tecumseh City Manager Dan Swallow told the council Redevelopment licenses also can ony be awarded in certain districts such as a downtown development authority district and developers have to show they have invested a certain amount of money into the property According to the Michigan Municipal League the applicant also must show an attempt was made to acquire either an existing liquor license that is held in escrow or one of the regular "quota" licenses that are made available to municipalities based on their population Information provided to the council showed the Leisenrings had tried to contact the owners of the licenses in Lenawee County that are held in escrow but they were either unable to contact them the price was too high or the license was connected with a property that is for sale TECUMSEH — A boil-water advisory has been issued for the city of Tecumseh due to multiple water main breaks that occurred Sunday The advisory is due to a loss of pressure in the water supply which may have allowed bacterial contamination in the water system, an email sent Sunday to city water customers and a post on the city's Facebook page said "Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout our environment," the email said "Corrective measures are currently being undertaken to correct the situation." The boil advisory was issued out of caution and is recommended by the state of Michigan due to the low water pressure issue that began on Jan The state recommended a 48-hour boil-water advisory during required state testing to ensure safe drinking water qualities This boil notice shall remain in effect until results from the water sampling verify it is safe to drink Customers will be notified when the boil advisory has been lifted Do not drink the water without boiling it first Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water Continue using boiled or bottled water until further notice The estimated end of the advisory is noon Tuesday Some residents may have noticed a drop in water pressure around 8 a.m The city reported there were multiple water main breaks on Sunday which caused a low-pressure system warning "Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time precautionary measures are recommended," the email said The city is working to get pressure restored and city staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples from around the system The samples will be collected to determine that the water quality meets state drinking water standards "We will inform you when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water," the email said "We anticipate resolving the problem within 48 hours." For more information, contact the Tecumseh Utilities Department by calling 517-423-0402 or by email at WWTPsuperintendent@tecumsehmi.gov Tecumseh Public Schools' mascot is the topic of controversy in the district's community after a regular meeting of its Board of Education Monday evening The schools' mascot is called "The Savages," with a Native American head depicted on the logo Some community members feel this is inappropriate because of the use of "savage" as a derogatory term towards Native Americans throughout history Though there was not an item on the Board of Education meeting agenda to address a change in mascot several community members used the public comment period to put pressure on Board members "What is the point in taking pride in something that is a racial slur?" one speaker in Native American dress said "We could be proud in a more respectful term and something that is more uplifting." One Tecumseh High School parent and alumni "I feel like it's very disrespectful to the Native Americans in the community and at the school that something that more than 40% of the student population is a member of a Native American tribe Other community members voiced support for the mascot name at the board meeting "I also think it should be taken into account how many people are proud to be Savages which means we are fierce," a speaker in attendance said other alumni chimed in saying they were proud to be a Tecumseh Savage and claiming it would be a financial burden for the school to change its mascot The Tecumseh Public Schools Board of Education took no action at Monday's meeting but those pushing for change are hopeful it will be on a board meeting agenda in the future "I think it at least deserves to be put on the agenda The Board of Education said in a statement to News 9 "Board members will continue to dedicate themselves to listening to the community and making decisions about whether to change or keep the current mascot of Tecumseh Public Schools." Cameron Joiner was born and raised in Texas but found her home in the Sooner state after studying Broadcast Journalism at the University of Oklahoma Cameron Joiner joined the News 9 team as a Multimedia Journalist in January of 2023 The schools' mascot is called \"The Savages,\" with a Native American head depicted on the logo Some community members feel this is inappropriate because of the use of \"savage\" as a derogatory term towards Native Americans throughout history \"What is the point in taking pride in something that is a racial slur?\" one speaker in Native American dress said \"We could be proud in a more respectful term and something that is more uplifting.\" \"I feel like it's very disrespectful to the Native Americans in the community and at the school that something that it's a hurtful word for them,\" Young said \"I also think it should be taken into account how many people are proud to be Savages which means we are fierce,\" a speaker in attendance said \"I think it at least deserves to be put on the agenda \"Board members will continue to dedicate themselves to listening to the community and making decisions about whether to change or keep the current mascot of Tecumseh Public Schools.\" and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox TECUMSEH — Residents in the city of Tecumseh no longer have to boil water before using it City officials lifted the boil-water advisory Tuesday morning. The advisory was issued Sunday after multiple water main breaks caused a drop in pressure in the water system that may have allowed bacteria into the water supply The city will continue to to collect routine water samples and have them analyzed for bacteria monthly. This is a requirement of the Safe Drinking Water Act To get fresh water into homes and businesses residents should "flush" their water lines which includes includes interior and exterior faucets according to an email from the city to its water customers and a message on the city's website The city provided the following recommendations for flushing the potentially contaminated water from pipes: Cold water faucets: Run tap water until the water feels cold brushing teeth or using for food preparation Single-lever faucets should be set to run cold water first Hot water faucets: To clear hot-water pipes and water heaters of untreated water flush the hot water line for a minimum of 15 minutes for a typical household 40-gallon hot-water tank or 30 minutes for an 80-gallon tank or larger Hot water is then safe to use for washing hands and for hand-washing dishes Never use water from the "hot" faucet for drinking Dishwashers: After flushing hot water pipes and the water heater Humidifiers: Discard any water used in humidifiers; continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices; and oral Food and baby formula: Discard baby formula and other foods prepared with water on the days of the boil order Refrigerator Water-Dispensing Machines: Water dispensers from refrigerators should be flushed by at least one quart of water Ice Cubes: Automatic ice dispensers should be emptied of ice made during the boil order and run through a 24-hour cycle discarding the ice to assure purging of the icemaker water supply line Tecumseh water customers with questions or concerns about the water should contact Utilities Superintendent Brad Faust by calling 517-423-0402 or by email at WWTPsuperintendent@tecumsehmi.gov Wins do not always have sunshine and rainbows above them Sometimes they need to be grinded out and that’s what Jonathan Alder’s baseball team had to do against visiting Tecumseh on Monday you are going to get anybody’s best shot,” JA coach Craig Kyle said The Tecumseh Local School Board unanimously passed a resolution allowing select staff members to have a firearm on campus the board for the western Clark County school district said they’re doing this to ensure the safety of their students and staff President Sue Anne Martin told parents and community members in the audience this decision was made after lengthy discussions Keep up with all WYSO's local coverage and sign up for our morning newsletter. TECUMSEH — A change may be coming in how Tecumseh Public Schools conducts its schools of choice program Historically, Tecumseh has offered unlimited schools of choice, which means it has set no limits on how many students the district will take in from other school districts. At the Tecumseh Board of Education meeting Monday Superintendent Matt Hilton proposed setting a limit for first through fifth grades as well as application periods Hilton's proposal sets minimum of one student per grade in first through fifth grades the district could accept more depending on factors such as class size The other grade levels would not have limits "Schools of choice isn't just about enrolling as many kids as we can," Hilton said "It's about enrolling thoughtfully while attending to a number of other factors." More: Tecumseh school board puts Herrick Park school on market amid declining enrollment First through fifth grades is where the district currently has a "bubble" of higher student enrollment Setting limits on how many students are accepted helps with managing that bubble as well as facilities and staffing plans Hilton said adding students can lead to having to hire more teachers While adding students means the district receives more state funding if too many students join in any one grade the amount of added state aid might not cover the cost of hiring another teacher Hilton gave an example of a grade level starting out with 54 students which would be divided into two classes of 27 If six students were to be added to that grade level the district would have to decide whether to have 30 students in a class which is generally considered to be too many or hiring a teacher and having three sections with 20 students per class The catch is those six students would bring in about $60,000 in state funding while a beginning teacher starts at about $40,000 before adding in benefits such as health insurance A more experienced teacher would be paid more than $40,000 "So this gives us a way to do all of the things that Trustee Davis just mentioned and with class size and keeping it where we want it to be thoughtfully enrolling and planning as well as keeping an eye towards the budget," Hilton said If more students apply in a particular grade than the district is able to accept the district would follow Michigan law and give priority to students from households outside the district that already have a student in the Tecumseh schools The district also could establish a waitlist and hold a lottery to decide which students would be accepted The district also would implement application periods there would be an initial application period from May 1-30 with families notified by June 13 if their student has been accepted If there is still space available after the first round a second application period would run in July and August Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content. kindergarten and sixth through 12th grades would have an application period from March 8 to Aug 22 with families notified on an ongoing basis about whether their students have been accepted Hilton said the application periods are set based on historical data on when most schools of choice applications are made He said about 50% of all schools of choice applications are for Young 5's and kindergarten and most of those are made in March or April which coincides with when the kindergarten roundup registration events take place The rest of the schools of choice enrollment is spread among the other grades and generally takes place in July and August with some in April and May The board is expected to vote on this proposal at its Feb The high school football coaching carousel took an interesting turn on Monday night who had been coaching at Evansville's North High School was approved to be the next Tecumseh High School coach during the Warrick County School Corp He takes over a Class 1A program with just one victory over the past two seasons More: Derek Hart chosen to be the next Jasper High School football coach The move follows a seven-year run at North that concludes with 35 victories and a sectional championship "You have to make decisions as a coach and a teacher in this profession sometimes," said Paridaen I feel like it’s just best for me and my family at this point in time I’m really excited and grateful for this opportunity at Tecumseh." Paridaen said among the reasons was the time commitment required at a 5A program like North A smaller school could allow more attention for his young family; Paridaen and his wife have three daughters His head coaching career began at smaller programs The Gibson Southern High School graduate coached Eastern Greene to the Class 1A state championship game in 2017 He has a 71-72 record across 13 seasons that also included a stop at Wood Memorial "The one thing I missed being at a smaller school was building those relationships," he said "You get to see those kids on a more consistent basis there’s 1,500 students and only one of me." The idea of returning to the Pocket Athletic Conference was also enticing. Tecumseh rejoined the conference in football two years ago. The Braves went 0-9 last fall under Bret Szabo, who announced his retirement in November. The program last won a sectional in 2003 but did have an undefeated regular season in 2022 "Every program goes through ups and downs," said Paridaen "Tecumseh in the late 90s and early 2000s had some really good teams My hope is to build some consistency within that program and build some excitement by being competitive in that conference." North went 5-6 last year and lost to Castle in the Class 5A sectional championship It was only the second losing season for Paridaen at North His best year came in 2023 with eight wins a second-place finish in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference and the program’s first postseason title in 23 years The Huskies will be looking to replace multiple starters on both sides of the ball next season Among the key returners will be all-state linebacker Ricky White Jr "We would like to sincerely thank Coach Paridaen for his years of dedication and leadership as the head coach of North High School football," North Athletics Director Tyler Choate said in a statement program and community has been truly appreciated and we are grateful for the time and effort he has put into developing our players both on and off the field "As we begin the search for a new head coach we are excited about the future of North football With a strong foundation and a talented group of student-athletes the program is in a great position to continue growing and achieving success We appreciate the support of our North football family during this transition and look forward to the next chapter of Huskies football." Paridaen said his biggest lesson from coaching a larger school was thinking big picture The Huskies had five straight losing seasons before he took over in 2018 He believes North still has "big things yet to come." He specifically thanked the North administration for the opportunity one which allowed a move back to Evansville But a smaller program such as Tecumseh was ultimately the right move for his family "No doubt they’ll get somebody to build off that momentum and hopefully take (North) to the next level," said Paridaen It didn't require a move for me in any way Looking forward to being a part of that culture there at Tecumseh and Warrick County."