Dalton school board OKs three new principals

DALTON, Ga. — Three schools in the Dalton Public Schools system will have new hands at the helm starting July 1. By a 4-0 vote on Monday, the members of the Board of Education approved new principals for Blue Ridge School, City Park School and Dalton Middle School. Christine Long will become principal at Blue Ridge. She is currently principal of Jackson Elementary School in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, and district Title 1 and federal programs coordinator. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Edinboro University and a bachelor of science degree in English from the State University of New York at Brockport. Kim Rhyne will become principal at City Park. She has been assistant principal at City Park since 2018 and before that was assistant principal at Blue Ridge. She has been with Dalton Public Schools for 13 years. She has a specialist’s degree in technology in education and a master of education degree in technology from Lesley University and a bachelor of science degree in elementary childhood education from Dalton State College. Lauri Johnson will become principal at Dalton Middle. She is director of organizational improvement for the Southern Regional Education Board, where she has worked for the past four-and-a-half years. She has a master’s degree in information science from the University of Albany and a bachelor of arts degree in English from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. 

ABAC Jazz Festival features 11 high school bands

TIFTON, Ga. — Student musicians in 11 different high school jazz bands from across the state will gather for an extraordinary performance on April 18 at the ABAC Jazz Festival on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Each of the jazz bands will perform in free mini-concerts beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing until 3:45 p.m.  Members of the community are invited to attend at no charge. Jazz bands will represent Tift County, Colquitt County, Americus-Sumter, Lanier County, Thomas County Central, Valdosta, Lee County, Berrien County, Thomasville, Riverdale, and Hampton. The ABAC Jazz Choir will also perform at noon. Visitors can bring their own lunch or just come and listen to the music. In the event of rain, the Jazz Festival will take place in Howard Auditorium.  A jazz clinic for the high school students with renowned trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling will be held at 4 p.m. in Howard Auditorium following the performances.

Knowledge share event set for April 27

WHITE SPRINGS, Fla. — A Knowledge Share event will be held April 27 at the Tourism center in White Springs. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is designed to inform Hamilton County residents what is available to them in the area. The event is sponsored by the Town of White Springs and Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park. There will be games for the children and a light snack available.