Blog posts by Blake Aued, Editor
-
New School Board Appointee Misled Board About Graduating From Cedar Shoals
Blog: In the Loop
Newly appointed Clarke County Board of Education member Antwon Stephens did not graduate from Cedar Shoals High School in 2014, as he implied when he sought a vacant position on the board last month, according to a report in the Cedar Shoals student newspaper.
A majority of the board chose Stephens from among four applicants to fill the vacancy in District 2 for the remainder of 2020. In his written application and in a speech to the board, he described himself as "Cedar Shoals class of 2014." One of his champions on the board, Tawanna Mattox, cited the fact that he is a recent CCSD graduate as reason to support him.
But when confronted by reporters from Cedar BluePrints — who noted that he wasn't in the yearbook or listed on the graduation program — Stephens admitted that he didn't actually graduate from Cedar Shoals. He left during either his sophomore or junior year, and said he received a diploma from an online high school.
-
UGA Prof Richard Dien Winfield Launches Senate Campaign
Blog: In the Loop
University of Georgia philosophy professor Richard Dien Winfield is running for U.S. Senate, he announced today.
Winfield, a Democrat, is seeking to fill out the remainder of former Sen. Johnny Isakson's term, which runs through 2022. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp appointed businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to the seat in December, after Isakson resigned for health reasons. A special election will be held this November.
He supports a federal job guarantee, paid family leave and vacation time, the Green New Deal, free child and elder care, the right to unionize and "Medicare for all" single-payer health insurance. His website includes more information about his platform.
-
BOE Picks Antwon Stephens as New Member
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: photo via Twitter
A 23-year-old political consultant will serve out the year as the District 2 representative on the Clarke County Board of Education, other board members decided Thursday. A majority of the BOE selected Antwon Stephens from among five applicants to replace Frances Berry, who resigned in December.
In a speech to the school board at its Jan. 16 meeting, Stephens said he is concerned about the school-to-prison pipeline. He called Vernon Payne—who held the East Athens seat for decades before illness forced him to resign—a mentor. “I’m tried, I’m tested, and I’m ready to serve,” he said.
Stephens is perhaps best known as a potential candidate for Athens-Clarke County mayor in 2018, although in the end he opted not to run because of health problems. He also made headlines in 2013, when he ran for chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia as a 17-year-old and faced charges of not paying speakers at a tea party conference he organized. Despite not being old enough to serve in Congress, he has been running as a Democrat against U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Gainesville).
-
Wallace Announces Bid to Retake House Seat
Blog: In the Loop
Watkinsville Democrat Jonathan Wallace will try to retake the seat he lost in 2018 to Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville).
Wallace won the GOP-held District 119 seat in a 2017 special election, defeating three Republicans, including Wiedower, with 57% of the vote. He was helped by a sales tax referendum that drove turnout in heavily Democratic Clarke County, but with higher turnout in heavily Republican Oconee County the following year, Wiedower beat Wallace 53–47.
-
Hospital and Medical Office on Prince Will Be Renovated
Blog: In the Loop
Piedmont Athens Regional and the medical office across the street will both look different soon.
Owner Richard L. Thompson of Atlanta-based StructSured is renovating the medical office at 1270 Prince Ave. The building will receive a new white facade that will blend in with the medical office under construction where the landmark bar Allen’s used to be, as well as interior improvements, Thompson said. “Hopefully it will enhance the area, make it more attractive to the eye,” he told Flagpole.
The building currently houses Piedmont QuickCare, Athens Women’s Clinic and several other practices. They are all staying, and an additional 1,900 square-foot suite will be available for lease once renovations are complete, according to Thompson.
-
Mokah Johnson Officially Announces State House Run
Blog: In the Loop
Local educator and civil rights activist Mokah Jasmine Johnson will formally kick off her campaign for the Georgia House of Representatives later this month.
Johnson has been exploring a run against Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens) since August. She will make it official at a City Hall rally Jan. 18.
“Over the past few months, I have listened to the people of our district and worked to understand the issues that are most important to working families,” Johnson said in a news release. “I believe it’s time we bring bold progress and fearless leadership to the State House from District 117.”
-
John Knox Won't Run for Re-Election to BOE
Blog: In the Loop
Clarke County Board of Education member John Knox won't run for re-election this year, he recently announced.
The UGA geography professor posted a message on his Facebook page Dec. 21 stating that his growing academic duties do not allow him enough time to devote to serving on the school board.
-
Accreditation Agency Will Conduct 'Special Review' of CCSD
Blog: In the Loop
School accreditation agency Cognia will conduct a "special review" of the Clarke County School District in response to complaints that board members attempted to micromanage and undermine the authority of former superintendent Demond Means.
Cognia—formerly known as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and AdvancED before recently merging with another education nonprofit—informed CCSD of the special review in a letter dated Dec. 16.
Unknown parties filed complaints with Cognia in August, and Means wrote a letter to the company in September inviting it to investigate the allegations. SInce then, more unknown parties have come forward with similar complaints, according to Chief Certification Officer Annette Bohling.
Among Means' allegations:
-
Both Athens Congressmen Vote Against Impeachment
Blog: In the Loop
Rep. Doug Collins (R-Gainesville)
It should come as no surprise, given that both are Republicans, but Athens congressmen Jody Hice and Doug Collins voted Wednesday night against impeaching President Donald Trump, although they were defeated by a Democratic majority, so the GOP-controlled Senate will now quickly dispense of the charges hold a trial on whether Trump should be removed from office.
-
BOE Names Xernona Thomas Interim Superintendent
Blog: In the Loop
The Clarke County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to name Xernona Thomas as interim superintendent.
Thomas had served as former superintendent Demond Means' chief of staff until last week, when the board placed Means on administrative leave, ending his controversial two-and-a-half year tenure.
Thomas is a Clarke Central High School and University of Georgia graduate who holds a bachelor's degree in journalism, a master's in social work and a doctorate in education, and has 27 years of experience as a social worker and school administrator in Clarke and Oconee counties.
-
New Voting Machines Available for Testing
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: ACC Board of Elections
Georgia’s new voting machines are available for testing in Athens through early February.
Voters use a touch screen to make their choices, then the machine prints a paper ballot that is run through a scanner.
"I'm excited to use the new system and for Athens-Clarke County voters to try it out for themselves," Charlotte Sosebee, director of elections and voter registration, said in a news release. "The new voting system is easy to use, provides opportunities for voters to review their votes on a screen and on paper before casting their ballot, and also provides our office with multiple ways to review election results if necessary."
Voters can try out the machines at the Board of Elections Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Other sites include:
-
BOE Puts Superintendent Demond Means on Leave
Blog: In the Loop
The Clarke County Board of Education voted 5-3 Monday to place Superintendent Demond Means on leave and name his chief of staff, Xernona Thomas, the chief executive until an interim superintendent is found.
The vote ended Means' tumultuous two-and-a-half year tenure, although a number of details still remain to be worked out, including any severance package. Means' contract runs through the 2021-2022 school year, so he is owed more than $500,000 if he's fired without cause.
Greg Davis, Kara Dyckman, Patricia Yager, Tawana Mattox and John Knox voted in favor of the motion, made by Yager, while Charles Worthy, Linda Davis and LaKeisha Gantt voted against it. District 2 representative Frances Berry resigned last month, leaving that seat vacant.
-
Avid Bookshop Is Closing Its Prince Location
Blog: Culture Briefs
Photo Credit: Blake Aued/file
Avid Bookshop owner Janet Geddis at the Prince Avenue location in 2014.
Sad news for Cobbham residents: Avid Bookshop is closing its Prince Avenue location at the end of the year, owner Janet Geddis announced in her monthly newsletter to customers.
Geddis reassured readers that Avid is not in danger of going out of business, and the newer Five Points location will remain open. But sales declining and a recession looming, she wrote that she made the difficult decision to downsize out of an abundance of caution.
She chose to keep the Five Points store over Prince because it's larger, with an office and storage in back, and because of challenges negotiating a long-term lease for the Prince space.
-
School Board May Appoint Interim Superintendent
Blog: In the Loop
Demond Means
The Clarke County Board of Education has scheduled another called meeting for Monday to discuss Superintendent Demond Means' departure.
In addition to an executive session to discuss personnel matters, the agenda also includes an action item: "Potential Action to Appoint an Interim Superintendent." The 3:30 p.m. meeting will be held at the H.T. Edwards building.
Whether or not an interim superintendent is appointed depends on how much progress the board makes during the closed session, President LaKeisha Gantt told Flagpole.
-
Demond Means Is Out as CCSD Superintendent
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Austin Steele/file
Superintendent Demond Means and the Clarke County School District will be parting ways .
"The board has entered into negotiations for his exit," President LaKeisha Gantt announced after the school board met for nearly four hours behind closed doors.
The board took no vote on Means' departure. It's unclear if he is resigning, being fired or—most likely—negotiating a buyout. It's also unclear when his rocky tenure as superintendent will formally end. Gantt declined to answer any questions, saying that discussions in executive session are confidential.
-
Superintendent Means Is Still in Office—for Now
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Andrea Farnham
A rally for Clarke County School Superintendent Demond Means drew about 50 people Friday.
Demond Means came to work Friday and apparently will stay on as superintendent of the Clarke County School District at least through next week.
Means said he would resign after a contentious discussion at Thursday's school board meetingregarding the board's response to an ethics complaint filed against Means with the Professional Standards Commission, which certifies educators. The board urged the PSC to dismiss the formal complaint, but a line added by board member Tawana Mattox saying that the board would hold Means accountable drew the superintendent's ire.
"By virtue of that vote, you don't want me as superintendent, and we need to have a discussion about how I leave," he told the board Thursday.
-
School Superintendent Demond Means Says He's Quitting
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Whitley Carpenter/file
Clarke County School Superintendent Demond Means said he is resigning during a Board of Education meeting tonight that quickly devolved from sedate to a spectacle.
Frustrations spilled over when the board discussed a letter to the state Professional Standards Commission, which certifies educators, informing the PSC that three allegations of unethical behavior made against Means in May don't warrant sanctions by the PSC.
-
Frances Berry Resigns From School Board
Blog: In the Loop
Clarke County Board of Education member Frances Berry resigned Friday after just nine months on the school board.
Berry was appointed in February to serve out the remainder of Vernon Payne's term representing District 2, in the northeastern part of the county. Payne resigned in December for health reasons.
In response to a call seeking comment, Berry emailed a brief statement to Flagpole: "I joined the board hoping I could help make a difference, but I learned this year that I am not cut out for the stress of politics. I resigned in order to focus on my health and my family."
-
School Board Won't Pursue Ethics Complaint Against Means
Blog: In the Loop
Clarke County Board of Education members decided last week that they don't want to pursue an ethics complaint filed against Superintendent Demond Means with the state Professional Standards Commission in May.
The complaint—filed by a Newnan lawyer on behalf of anonymous group of clients—alleged that Means plagiarized a passage from a self-help book in a memo to staff, inappropriately accepted payment for teaching an AVID training course while also pushing the BOE to hire the company, and questioned whether he completed his dissertation.
The PSC wrote to the school board in June asking it to investigate the allegations. The school district's attorney, Michael Pruett, told the board that PSC likely perceived the complaint as merely "local political turmoil."
-
Funding Restored for Clarke Middle Renovations
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Blake Aued
Clarke Middle School is back on the Clarke County School District’s ESPLOST project list.
Superintendent Demond Means told school board members at a work session Thursday that he wants to restore $10 million for Clarke Middle renovations and postponing a new district headquarters.
Page 4 of 76, showing 20 records out of 1503 total, starting on record 61, ending on 80
latest stories
-
In the Loop | January 31, 2020 3:14pm
New School Board Appointee Misled Board About Graduating From Cedar Shoals
-
In the Loop | January 22, 2020 1:36pm
UGA Prof Richard Dien Winfield Launches Senate Campaign
-
In the Loop | January 17, 2020 3:35pm
BOE Picks Antwon Stephens as New Member
-
In the Loop | January 15, 2020 11:46am
Wallace Announces Bid to Retake House Seat
-
In the Loop | January 14, 2020 12:45pm
Hospital and Medical Office on Prince Will Be Renovated
-
In the Loop | January 3, 2020 10:35am
Mokah Johnson Officially Announces State House Run
-
In the Loop | December 30, 2019 4:26pm
John Knox Won't Run for Re-Election to BOE
-
In the Loop | December 20, 2019 11:31am
Accreditation Agency Will Conduct 'Special Review' of CCSD
-
In the Loop | December 19, 2019 10:26am
Both Athens Congressmen Vote Against Impeachment
-
In the Loop | December 17, 2019 9:15pm
BOE Names Xernona Thomas Interim Superintendent
-
In the Loop | December 16, 2019 11:05am
New Voting Machines Available for Testing
-
In the Loop | December 9, 2019 8:33pm
BOE Puts Superintendent Demond Means on Leave
-
Culture Briefs | December 6, 2019 3:11pm
Avid Bookshop Is Closing Its Prince Location
-
In the Loop | December 6, 2019 1:32pm
School Board May Appoint Interim Superintendent
-
In the Loop | December 3, 2019 10:34pm
Demond Means Is Out as CCSD Superintendent
-
In the Loop | November 22, 2019 6:19pm
Superintendent Means Is Still in Office—for Now
-
In the Loop | November 21, 2019 9:31pm
School Superintendent Demond Means Says He's Quitting
-
In the Loop | November 17, 2019 4:14pm
Frances Berry Resigns From School Board
-
In the Loop | November 12, 2019 1:32pm
School Board Won't Pursue Ethics Complaint Against Means
-
In the Loop | November 8, 2019 4:12pm
Funding Restored for Clarke Middle Renovations