Grateful for a life saved School Board takes next step to intensify drive for literacy gains

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Fulton County School Board voted to move forward with the third edition of a program designed to sharpen instructor’s skills in teaching reading.

The Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling program, which carries a price tag of approximately $1.48 million, was passed unanimously at a Feb. 7 work session and will join a block of other topics set for formal approval at the Feb. 23 School Board meeting.

The curriculum designed for teachers, also called LETRS, is based on “the science of reading.” It trains teachers on “five essential pillars of reading,” phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. It also instructs on writing, spelling and oral language.

The school system has already implemented versions of the program. Fulton County Schools Chief Academic Officer Cliff Jones said the third edition of the program is like the newest edition of a textbook.

Fulton County Schools launched the program in 2018 at the prompting of Schools Superintendent Mike Looney. When COVID-19 hit, the need

See LITERACY, Page 21

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Imposter uses man’s ID to ring up hospital bills

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MILTON, Ga. — A man received two bills from Northside Hospitals, totaling more than $10,000, but he said he hadn’t received either service listed on the bills.

Both bills were dated from October. The man told Milton Police Feb. 2 that he didn’t go to either location nor receive any type of medical attention from Northside Hospital. He said he has been in contact with the hospital to get the issue resolved and sent over a photo of his Georgia driver’s license.

Staff said his license was the same as what was on file, except for the photo.

Neither the man nor his insurance provider have paid any money on the bill, the police report said. But the man said the bill was sent to his insurance company.

Fraudulent account set up in man’s name

MILTON, Ga. — A man received a Verizon Wireless bill in the mail for an account he never opened with the company.

Weeks later on Feb. 3, he informed Milton Police he had not been with Verizon for at least three years. When he called Verizon about the account, Verizon terminated it immediately, the police report said.

Verizon provided an email associated with the fraudulent account. But the man does not know if his Social Security number was stolen or whether the con artist used another document.

The man did not pay any bill associated with the fraudulent account, the report said.

Man cited for speeding, driving while unlicensed

MILTON, Ga. — When conducting a traffic stop on Morris Road Feb. 3, Milton Police noticed a silver sedan approaching at a high rate of speed.

The posted speed limit for Morris Road is 35 mph, the police report said. Police confirmed the vehicle’s speed at 60 mph.

As the vehicle passed, police activated lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop at Webb Road. As police approached the driver side window, the driver opened the door and said his window couldn’t roll down.

When police ran the vehicle, the North Carolina tag came up suspended but appeared to have valid insurance. Police also ran his Mexico driver’s license, but nothing pulled up, and there were no prior incidents police could find.

The driver told police he had been in Georgia for three years and had not gone through the necessary procedures that would allow him to drive in this state.

Police issued citations for speeding and for driving while unlicensed.

Woman’s mail diverted to different address

MILTON, Ga. — A woman, whose mail was forwarded to another address without her consent, told police she thinks the person responsible also opened a Verizon account in her name and charged $8,000 in January.

The woman explained to Milton Police Feb. 3 that she received a notice from the U.S. Postal Service about a confirmation to a request of an address change in her name. She said she did not make the request to change her address.

In the request for an address change, the “new address” was not listed, the police report said.

The woman called the USPS Fraud Hotline to open a case.

She said she has tried to cancel the change of address, but that USPS cannot cancel the request for some reason.