Murfreesboro, TN - Rutherford County school officials unanimously voted Wednesday night to dismiss a tenured high school teacher who is under investigation by local law enforcement.
Richard Kimberly, a criminal justice teacher and soccer coach at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, was suspended without pay last month after the board said it was investigation his alleged inappropriate conduct with students.
The Rutherford County Sheriff's office has said it is investigating the allegations.
In documents submitted Wednesday to the Rutherford County School Board, Schools Director Dr. Harry Gill said he received a report on April 13 that Kimberly had restrained a student and tickled him while on a bus going to an away soccer game.
Click here for full article and video, courtesy of WKRN Nashville News 2
Murfreesboro, TN - School is back in session, so the men and women of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office urge everyone to drive safely in our school zones and around public school buses.
Morning and evening traffic activity is also increasing as parents drop children off and pick them up, and as high school-age students drive themselves.
Besides our School Patrol officers with their bright yellow shirts directing traffic, citizens will often see patrol deputies in school zones for the first few weeks of the school year and periodically thereafter.
Sheriff Robert Arnold says we'll have zero tolerance for aggressive drivers endangering busloads of children and school zones by ignoring directions, safety lights and devices.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office wants to help ensure no child in our county gets hurt or killed while in transit to and from school this year.
Rutherford County and Murfreesboro schools will be closed Friday due to weather conditions.
A computer program prevented a convicted sex offender from attending a book fair last Friday at Stewarts Creek Elementary School, a Rutherford County sheriff’s detective supervisor said.
Convicted sex offender Eric Zephyre Butler, 36, of Walling, Tenn., attempted to attend the book fair with his girlfriend to visit her daughter when a Raptor Technologies computer program identified him as a convicted sex offender, said Detective Sgt. Mickey McCullough.
Deputy Andrea Knox charged Butler Wednesday with violation of the child sexual abuse registry. Butler is being held at Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on $100,000 bond set by General Sessions Court Judge David Loughry. A hearing on the charge is set Nov. 16 in General Sessions Court.
Rutherford County Schools’ spokesman James Evans said schools’ Director Harry Gill approved a pilot program for Stewarts Creek Elementary School Principal Richard Zago to install the Raptor Technologies system under a pilot program five years ago. Initial cost is about $1,500 to $2,000. Zago decided to keep the program with an annual fee of about $500 per year.
Gill reported he is currently evaluating the cost and is hopeful the system may be implemented at other Rutherford County schools.
McCullough said when visitors enter the school, their identification is scanned through the system and checks a national data base for the sexual offenders registry, outstanding warrants, orders of protection, custody disputes and parents whose rights have been terminated, the sergeant said.
School Resource Officer Kerry Nelson reported when a school official ran Butler’s driver’s license Friday, the Raptor Technologies system showed information about the sexual offenders’ registry. The couple was told there was a glitch in the system so the girlfriend told Butler to wait in the car.
Both Zago and a Raptor text notified Nelson immediately who located Butler in the car. McCullough directed Nelson to obtain information from Butler and advised him to call McCullough Monday.
McCullough interviewed Butler who gave a statement about knowingly violating the sexual offender registry’s rules and regulations because he was a convicted sexual offender on school grounds, the sergeant said. Butler surrendered to Knox Wednesday.
Butler was convicted of sexual molestation and attempting to rape three boys ages 6 to 9 in Ohio, the sergeant said.
“He is categorized as a violent sex offender and resides in White County,” McCullough said.
Butler is registered in White County and the state of Tennessee.
MURFREESBORO, TN - Local State Senator Jim Tracy announced today that Rutherford County has been awarded $23,655 in grant incentive funds from Tennessee's Energy Efficient Schools Initiative. The funds will be used to install energy efficient lighting at Oakland Middle School and Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School.
“This grant is especially needed this year as the extreme weather has put a strain on our school budgets to keep up with utility costs,” said Senator Tracy. “The funds will help us be ready for any future needs like this by improving energy efficiency in our schools.”
The General Assembly is recognized for the legislation that is assisting all school districts to become more energy efficient, resulting in lower operating costs and creating a healthier and safer learning environment. The Initiative is also retaining and creating jobs in Tennessee, both in the manufacturing sector in Tennessee as well as equipment vendors, contract labor for equipment installation, local equipment sales, etc.
For more information about the Energy Efficient Schools Initiative, please visit www.tn.gov/eesi.
All are invited to the Roy Waldron Schoolwide Annual Fall Meeting, Open House, and Playground Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, August 19, 2010 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
At 5:30 PM, we will be outside for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony dedicating the new Playground funded by the Pepsi Grant, Richard Siegel Grant, and RWS Fund Raiser Money. The presentation and drinks will be provided by Pepsi Refresh. (See www.refresheverything.com for information about the Pepsi Project.) This event would not have been possible without the support of the entire community!
At 6:00 PM, Dr. Pewitt, Roy Waldron Principal, will welcome everyone and announce upcoming events. The award-winning RWS Dance Team will perform, and Mr. Coulter, Assistant Principal, will introduce the faculty and staff. In addition, Mrs. Benton, RWS Librarian, will debut the premiere edition of the Wildcat News, a televised morning news show. Finally, the WRAP Department will share a special power point presentation.
At 6:30 PM, students and parents may visit classrooms. There will also be an opportunity to check out the new Parent Resource and Lending Library located in Portable 4.
Murfreesboro, TN - Applications are now available for the Express Yourself Arts Conference (EYAC), an annual arts event for 9th-12th grade students in Rutherford County. This year’s conference will be held Wednesday, October 27, 2010.
This year’s conference theme is “Art is the New Black (It Goes With Everything).”
“We have so many creative individuals in Rutherford County, and we want students to see the artists here who are using their talent in incredibly unique ways,” Laura Beth Jackson, BEP community relations specialist and conference director, said.
The conference gives high school students the opportunity to know fellow artists in Rutherford County, participate in arts workshops taught by professionals, gain perspective on arts-oriented careers, and find focus, support and resources locally for further creative work.
Students will choose from a variety of theatre, writing, poetry, painting, and music workshops led by local professionals, and engage in a panel discussion with guest artists. This year’s artists include representatives from the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Film Institute (NFI), Youth Speaks Nashville, YEAH, and other organizations.
“This is a great opportunity for artistic students to learn more about like-minded artists in Rutherford County,” Jackson said. Students meet peer artists and professional artists who can hopefully inspire and encourage them to keep pursuing their art, even into college or as a career. “
Public, private and home schooled students in Rutherford County who are currently in the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grades are eligible for the conference. Students from each school must be accompanied by at least one (1) sponsoring teacher who will accompany accepted students to the conference. EYAC is an approved activity of the Rutherford County school system and may be considered a field trip for students. Schools are responsible for arranging their own students’ mode of transportation to and from the conference.
The conference is directed by the Business Education Partnership (BEP) in partnership with Read To Succeed of Rutherford County, the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of Rutherford County (CADCOR), and Youth Empowerment Through the Arts and Humanities (YEAH). EYAC will be held 8am-2pm, Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at Patterson Park Community Center in Murfreesboro. A “zine” of submitted student art work will be published and copies given to attending students, as well as donated to the Linebaugh Library collection.
"The relationship between literacy and the arts is very powerful," Ronni Shaw, Read To Succeed executive director, said. "The Express Yourself Arts Conference is a great opportunity for young adults to explore their potential as artistic and creative beings. The work that comes out of the conference is always outstanding. “
“There are some amazingly talented teens in Rutherford County and CADCOR is so excited to be a part of this opportunity,” Karen Claud, CADCOR program coordinator, said. “The conference provides a positive connection that will help these teens engage their artistic talents in meaningful ways that will be an encouraging influence on all aspects of their lives, including the ability to make good decisions and resist the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
Applications are available in schools and online at www.rutherfordbep.org under “programs”. Applications are due September 15, 2010. Students will be notified of their acceptance by the first week in October. For additional information, contact Laura Beth Jackson at (615) 838-8444 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Murfreesboro, TN - Kroger stores in Rutherford County are hosting a School Supply Drive July 18th through August 8th to help support Rutherford County area schools. Customers are encouraged to place donations in the special drop-off bins at the front of every store.
“We are very excited to be able to support our schools in this way,” said Steve Grimsley, store manager at the Lascassas Pike Kroger. “Every year teachers are forced to dip into their own pockets to buy classroom supplies for students with the greatest need. We hope to collect enough supplies to where that won’t be necessary this year.”
Most needed items include crayons, dry erase markers, erasers, pencils, pens, rulers, glue, scissors, binders, hand sanitizer, and notebook paper.
Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. The company operates over 60 stores in Middle Tennessee. K-12 education is a key focus area of giving for Kroger. Through the gift card fundraising program that is available for K-12 accredited schools, approximately $1 million dollars was awarded last year in Middle Tennessee. For more information about this program, call 1-800-331-5304, ext. 34707.
Murfreesboro, TN - Frontline Scouting will conduct a half-day mini-camp at the D1 Sports Training facility in Cool Springs, Tennessee exclusively for select high school offensive and defensive linemen on Saturday, May 29, 2010. The camp starts at 12:30 pm and ends of 6:00pm. This intense technique camp features former Tennessee Titan Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman, Brad Hopkins and Rien Long, a former Tennessee Titan Defensive Lineman and Outland Trophy winner. Space is limited so players interested in raising their skills are encouraged to register quickly.
The $150 cost for the camp comes with a money-back guarantee. Rick Butler, Frontline Scouting founder and owner stated, “if this is not the best technique training camp you’ve ever attended we will refund your registration fee—you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain towards your goals.” Players, parents and coaches can register at http://www.frontlinescouting.com
Frontline Scouting’s information is promoted to all eligible college and university coaches in the southeast for them to easily research the lineman that attend all of their camps and combines. This free service to college recruiters and coaches promotes the athletes for the purpose of receiving scholarships.
“We offer camps specific to lineman because they are often overlooked. Our job is to give the athletes instruction and inspiration to get them noticed by colleges,” said Rick Butler. Butler is also head football coach at Lancaster Christian Academy in Smyrna, TN. He is a 23-year veteran of football coaching at the high school, college, and professional levels. Rick was a college football program recruiting coordinator, a college offensive and defensive coordinator and has spent over eight years as a head high school coach.
For more information visit: http://www.frontlinescouting.com or call 615-556-9599.
MURFREESBORO, TN – Nurses from Middle Tennessee Medical Center recently attended an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) conference hosted by the Middle Tennessee State University School of Nursing. The conference shared the latest in scientific nursing discoveries and how these discoveries have translated into best practices for nursing professionals.
“On a daily basis, nurses, physicians and other professional health-care providers are challenged to care for patients using the latest information. There is an urgent need for clinicians to translate research evidence into best practices in a time-efficient manner for the health of the community and nation,” said Dr. Lynn Parsons, professor and director of MTSU’s School of Nursing. “The Evidenced-Based Practice model ultimately offers better patient outcomes, and, in turn, shorter hospital stays.”
The EBP workshop guides leaders of local health-care facilities and the faculty members at MTSU School of Nursing in developing the ability to become critical consumers of research and translate evidence into practice. Kathleen White, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, an associate professor and director of the master’s program at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, facilitated the workshop. White helped develop the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice model and guidelines.
“MTMC donated $6,250 to the MTSU School of Nursing to help cover the cost of the conference,” said Michael Bratton, vice president of patient-care services and chief nursing officer at MTMC. “MTMC and the School of Nursing are long-term community partners and are equally committed to high quality nursing education.”
Additional contributions were made by the Tennessee Nurses Association District 15, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society Xi Alpha Chapter and the School of Nursing Alumni Association.
(Photo: MTMC vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer Michael Bratton- second from right- presents a check to MTSU School of Nursing assistant professor Carolyn Hix, professor and director Dr. Lynn C. Parsons and assistant professor Debra Sullivan for a recent educational conference for health-care providers.)
