Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
Virginia
Four districts in 4 months: Central Virginia schools grapple with superintendent turnover
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The recent departure of several school superintendents across Central Virginia has sparked concerns and raised questions about the stability of educational leadership within the region.
Over the past few months, four school districts — Petersburg, Prince George County, Chesterfield County and Hanover County — have all seen their superintendents step down for various reasons, leaving their respective districts without permanent leaders as the new school year approaches.
The issue first came to the forefront in Petersburg, where superintendent Tamara Sterling announced her resignation in March after just over a year in the role.
Her departure was followed by Acting Superintendent John Farrelly, who resigned in June to take a new position with Caroline County Schools.
Yolanda Brown has since been appointed as the acting superintendent, tasked with stabilizing the district until Oct. 31. She shared a 100-day entry plan with community members at a meeting on Wednesday, July 17.
Cool Springs Elementary School PTA President Lakeisha Tinsley said they need someone to stay in the role, so the district can experience long-term, positive change.
“Because we know getting Petersburg is a lot of issues, but I feel like we really can make the change if the person wants to make the change,” Tinsley said.
Chesterfield County faces a similar scenario, as Mervin B. Daugherty retired on April 9 after nearly six years as superintendent and a distinguished 50-year career in education.
The district is currently in the process of finding a replacement.
In Prince George County, Lisa Pennycuff announced her retirement on April 19, citing personal reasons related to family care.
The school board has appointed Joseph O. Cox Jr. as the acting superintendent while they search for a permanent successor.
The Prince George County School Board will be conducting interviews for the position of superintendent from Aug. 7 to Aug. 21, according to Prince George County Public Schools.
Most recently, Michael Gill announced his resignation as superintendent of Hanover County Schools, citing the school board’s new objectives as a catalyst for his decision to step down after nearly a decade in the role.
Kimberly Bridges, a professor of educational leadership at VCU who specialized in K-12, emphasized the complexities of the superintendent role, noting that districts with higher levels of poverty and racial segregation tend to have shorter superintendent tenures.
“The students that need that stability and that longer tenure for real, deep change to happen are the ones that are getting that the least,” Bridges said.
According to Bridges, these searches can be time-consuming, especially if districts opt for national searches to attract diverse and qualified candidates. It’s also difficult for a school district to thrive when they don’t have a permanent leader.
“It takes a little while to make sure the measures they’re putting in place [are] paying off in student outcomes,” Bridges said. “So, that’s the biggest barrier for an interim, time to get to know everyone and build relationships.”
She emphasized that the superintendent job is not easy, nor able to be done by just anyone.
“If folks are looking at other opportunities, you can’t really blame them because, in some respects, it’s a tough job,” Bridges said. “But, in other respects, we got to work harder to find people who want to be there for the long run.”
As Central Virginia prepares for the upcoming academic year starting on Aug. 19, the focus remains on stabilizing leadership and ensuring a seamless transition for students and staff alike.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Follow
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Five people were charged after Virginia Beach Police conducted a two-day human trafficking and vice operation on July 3, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
The department’s Special Investigations Bureau conducted the operation, which was aimed at identifiying human trafficking victims, reducing the demand for commercial sex and targeting individuals seeking to exploit or recruit children for prostitution.
Detectives used many investigative techniques to proactively identify individuals involved in criminal activity related to prostitution, human trafficking and offenses against children. The operation was conducted in Virginia Beach, involving personnel from all of the bureau’s squads.
As a result of the operation, five people were identified and charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of prostitution to sex trafficking and crimes involving minors. Two vehicles and U.S. currency were seized during the operation. Other people were connected to victim services through Samaritan House.
The operation led to the following people being charged:
- Shane Carter, 28, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
- Robert Harris, 64, of Virginia Beach, was charged with solicitation of prostitution and assault and battery.
- Larry Pittman, 53, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking and use of electronic devices to facilitaate certain offenses involving minors.
- Kenric Frazier, 46, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking, use of electronic devices to facilitate certain offenses involving minors and solicitation of child pornography.
- Cameron Lewis, 24, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
Investigators also developed leads about people who are suspected of trafficking and exploiting others for commercial sex. Those are now active and ongoing investigations. There may be more charges and arrests pending further investigation and consultation with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
If you’re a human trafficking victim or know someone who is, you can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
-
West Virginia40 seconds agoWest Virginia to conduct comprehensive review of all bridges as state targets repairs
-
Wyoming7 minutes agoNWSR issues Flood Watch advisory for portions of Central, Northwest Wyoming
-
Crypto13 minutes agoDeFi’s Newest Threat: How Malicious Liquidity Pools Are Trick-Quoting Ethereum and Polygon Users
-
Finance19 minutes agoGold Purchases Accelerate as Dollar Confidence Wanes
-
Fitness25 minutes agoStrength training over decades linked to longer life – Harvard Health
-
Movie Reviews37 minutes agoMovie Review: “The Odyssey” by Nolan
-
World49 minutes ago
US strikes bridges and collapses a tower at a key port as its Iran campaign expands
-
Lifestyle2 hours agoAn eco-journalist takes on a Big Tech in this modern twist on the heist novel
