AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County School Board’s recommendation to close three schools and build a new college and career academy has drawn reaction from across the community.

The board announced its recommendation on Tuesday to close Jenkins White Elementary and transition the T.W. Josey High and Murphy Middle school site into a college and career academy.

Board member Monique Braswell, speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the board, said she opposes the plan despite acknowledging that that schools need to close due to low attendance.

“I will go on to see glory and I will still never accept it. I will never accept the fact that we are displacing children. I will never accept the fact that if T.W. Josey goes away,” Braswell said. “I will take that to the grave with me.”

Braswell said the district needs to examine underlying causes before making changes.

“We need to figure out why the kids are not going to here, there, and there,” she said. “And we need to take the communities and all the alumni along with us on this ride.”

Sheffie Robinson, president of the T.W. Josey High School Alumni Association, said the proposed changes would disrupt an already affected community. According to the presentation, students would be redistributed to Butler, Laney and Richmond Academy.

“So it’s like you disrupt a community that was built around this that has already had significant disruption over the last 30 years,” Robinson said.

Under the recommendation, the Josey-Murphy site would close and construction of the college and career academy would start after this school year. Jenkins White Elementary School would also close.

Barton Chapel would be demolished, with a new building constructed for fall 2028.

Michael Thurman, who has three children in Richmond County Schools, questioned the district’s financial management.

“They really need to do a better job of being stewards of our money when they keep building left and right, school after school after school, and tearing down the others,” Thurman said.

Thurman said the district’s past spending raises concerns about the current plan.

“They definitely need to also take in mind that you’re just really wasting a lot of money building these buildings,” he said.

The district said alumni and community members will have opportunities to voice their opinions before the board votes. Public meetings are planned for January.

Braswell emphasized the importance of community engagement in the process.

“The public has to be more engaged. I don’t care if people push you away. You just have to stay engaged as the public,” she said.

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The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overruled a lower court ruling on Wednesday, allowing US President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard in Washington DC to continue for now.

The three-judge panel reversed US District Judge Jia Cobb’s November 20 decision, which disallowed Trump from deploying troops to DC to help control crime in the city. Cobb’s opinion and order state that the District was unable to perform its duties with the intrusion of the National Guard troops, holding that “the balance of equities and public interest weigh in the District’s favor.”

The appeals court disagreed with Cobb’s decision, stating that the president may prevail in his argument that he “possesses a unique power” to deploy troops in the nation’s capital. The court’s reasoning centered on the fact that DC is a federal district, stating:

Because the District of Columbia is a federal district created by Congress, rather than a constitutionally sovereign entity like the fifty States, the Defendants appear on this early record likely to prevail on the merits of their argument that the President possesses a unique power within the District—the seat of the federal government—to mobilize the Guard under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f). It also appears likely that the D.C. Code independently authorizes the deployment of the D.C. Guard.

This action was initially brought by DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb in August after Trump deployed around 2,300 regional National Guard members to patrol the city. In the months since, Trump has also deployed National Guard troops to other major US cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Memphis. The court’s ruling calls into question the constitutionality of Trump’s deployment of troops in US cities other that the nation’s capital in the future.

A spokesperson for Schwalb said in a statement that this was not the end of the fight against the deployment, stating, “This is a preliminary ruling that does not resolve the merits. We look forward to continuing our case in both the District and appellate courts.”

AUSTIN, Texas – In the wake of the Australia attack on Bondi Beach, Jewish community members flocked to join Governor Greg Abbott in the annual Hanukkah tradition, which looked different this year.

The traditional lighting of the menorah at the Capitol is typically held outside. However, with the recent attack, everyone piled into the Governor’s reception room for security reasons.

The backstory:

There was a weight in the air you could almost feel as members of the Jewish community gathered for the annual Texas Capitol Menorah Lighting Ceremony.

The celebration comes only days after two gunmen killed 15 people and injured about 40 others at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia.

“We have enhanced security, making sure celebrations will take place peacefully and respectfully,” said Governor Greg Abbott.

The terror attack hits home for many. One of the victims is a fellow Texan, Rabbi Liebel Lazaroff, who remains in the ICU fighting for his life.

“An attack on Jews anywhere is an attack on us.”

Rabbi Liebel Lazaroff and his father. 

Liebel’s siblings drove in from College Station, and his brother, Rabbi Menachem Lazaroff, spoke about his brother’s heroic actions on Bondi Beach.

“[Liebel] saw, close by, an Australian police officer who was injured and critically bleeding,” said Rabbi Menachem Lazaroff. “He ran over to him, took the shirt off his back, and applied a tourniquet and saved the man’s life.”

Liebel was shot twice while trying to save the Australian police officer. All of this unfolded as Liebel’s boss and mentor died right next to him. He was identified as Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

“[Liebel] said, ‘I could’ve saved the rabbi,’” said Rabbi Menachem Lazaroff. “[Liebel] said ‘Rabbi Schlanger has a family, a wife and children. I’m just a young boy. I could have done something, and I wish I would’ve done more.’”

The 20-year-old rabbi has undergone several surgeries and has more ahead of him before he can begin what will be a long road to recovery.

“He’s a good man, and he’s tough, but it definitely made me emotional for sure, and I’m proud of him,” said Rabbi Menachem Lazaroff. “I’m proud of who he is and what he represents.”

During the eight days of Hanukkah, one candle is lit each night until all eight are burning. On Thursday night, the fifth candle was lit, the symbolic transition of there being more light than darkness.

​The Lazaroff family is seeking donations to cover Liebel’s medical bills. Here’s a link if you would like to help.