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THE LEADER THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 ! VO L . 1 2 6 , N O. 4 4 ! T H E VO I C E O F TIPTON COUNTY S I N C E 1 8 8 6 !
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Teresa Smith marches in the memory of her son, Darius “Dee Dee� Heaston, who was shot to death in a Covington park last month. Photo by Desmond Muex
Group rallies to stop the violence By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com On Saturday the scene of a Covington man’s murder became the site of rally in his honor, a rally urging the community to stop the violence. “We wanted to do something positive for the community,� said Desmond Muex, a classmate of the late Darius “Dee Dee� Heaston who was shot in Frazier Park on Friday, Aug. 19. Heaston, 20, died the next morning. “When he was killed it took a big toll on our community,� Muex said. “He got along with everybody, he was laid-back like his mom said, it took us all by surprise.� Another classmate, Alyssa Maclin Grandberry, came up with the idea to hold a rally and Muex said he helped organize the event. The group’s mission is to encourage the community to come together to put an end to violent behavior. “We don’t need to kill each other, we need to love one another,� he Desmond Muex said. “This is all about us coming together as a whole.� Marching with four dozen others, Muex said the group carried posters and chanted “Stop the violence, increase the peace� it moved from the park to Best Street, down Simonton and made its way back to the park. Along the way, people sat on porches and cheered the group on, he said. “Everyone knew what we were doing and people were giving us their support.� City officials – mayor David Gordon and Covington Police Lt. Cavat Bass – were also on-hand to speak at the rally. Muex said he believed Darius would be honored by the event. “I think it’s something he’d be proud we decided to do.� Muex said there are plans to make the rally an annual event. “We want to make it bigger and better, to show the community that someone does care.�
“We don’t need to kill each other, we need to love one another.� -
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ple attended the annual festival in the city’s downtown area. The county’s festival season continues this week with Heritage Day in Covington. For more information on the festival, see our special insert in today’s edition. Photo by Shane Waits
MMS students are on the ball By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com Earlier this month Darren Walker, a science teacher at Munford Middle School, changed things in his classroom: instead of tables and chairs, students are now using stability balls as seats. And it’s a change that’s been welcomed. “The kids are now enthusiastic about coming to class,� Walker said. “They’re more focused.� For students, it’s fun because it’s different; for Walker, it’s about helping his students learn. “I’m using yoga balls because they promote better posture and because sitting on them makes the kids more attentive,� he said. Parents, he said, had surprisingly positive reactions to the balls. Pam Taylor, whose daughter Jennifer is in Walker’s class, said she would have loved having yoga balls as seats in school. “My daughter was such a wiggle worm in her desk; she said she always felt claustrophobic in it like she needed to stand and stretch her legs,� she said. “Jennifer is so excited about the yoga balls. There are so
Students in Darren Walker’s seventh grade class have made some changes in seating arrangements, ditching the traditional chairs for a more unconventional approach: yoga stability balls. Photo by Justin Hanson
many benefits in them that people don’t even realize.� Where they used to sit in plastic chairs, which allow students to easily lean back and become disengaged, they now sit atop brightlycolored rubber balls. These balls are most often used in yoga and pilates. Because students have to actively work to stay upright on the balls, they are more likely to remain engaged in the lesson and
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CELEBRATE! Festival season continues this week with Heritage Day on the square in Covington! Don’t miss our special section on this event in today’s issue. HOW TO REACH US Call 901.476.7116 Fax 901.476.0373 Email news@covingtonleader.com Visit us at 2001 Hwy. 51 South, Covington, TN 38019 or online at covingtonleader.com
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By JEFF IRELAND jireland@covingtonleader.com The 7th Annual 5K Rotary Run/ Walk will be held Saturday at 8 a.m. in Covington, preceding the Heritage Day Festival. Runners of all ages and skill levels, as well as walkers, are welcome to take part in the event, which is sponsored by the Covington Rotary Club. The majority of the money raised will go to the soon-to-be-opened Boys and Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region, which will serve the
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are more likely to participate. Studies show children learn better in an environment that uses sensory input, such as making small movements to stay on the balls. Walker is currently the only teacher with a complete set of yoga balls in his classroom. He said he used his $100 Basic Education Partnership grant from the school system to purchase several balls; the rest
were purchased by Sherri Yarbro, the school health coordinator. So far, the change has been welcomed. And it’s also added another dimension to classroom discipline. “If they don’t behave, they have to go back to sitting on a chair,� he said, “and no one wants to sit in a chair anymore.�
Rotary 5K run/walk set for Saturday
TODAY’S WEATHER Chance of rain. High, 80. Low, 54. INSIDE Opinion Faith Obituaries Education Lifestyles
DOMO ARIGATO Munford Celebrate was the place to be Saturday, even for those in non-human form. Officials say approximately 2,500 peo-
Covington Integrated Arts Academy 760 Bert Johnston Avenue " Covington, Tennessee 38019 Phone: 901-476-1444 " Web: www.tipton-county.com/ciaa
Covington area. “We’re shooting for about 100 people,� said race director Clay Crockett. “We usually have about half walkers and half runners. There will be a one-mile track for those who want to walk a shorter distance.� The first 100 participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt. Refreshments, goody bags and door prizes will also be available for participants. “The Boys and Girls Club is set make a great impact in the Covington area,� Crockett said. “Rotary is excited to partner with them to help in
their efforts. The Rotary Club of Covington will continue to support many other worthy causes in addition to its support of the Boys and Girls Club.� Early registration is $15 for adults and $10 for children under 14. Race day registration is $20. The deadline for early registration is Sept. 22. Registration begins at 7 a.m. at Shelton Park. For more information about the race or corporate sponsorship, contact Crockett at 359-0126.
LOCAL EVENTS SEPT. 24 7th Annual Rotary 5K Run/Walk, 7 a.m. Shelton Park, Covington SEPT. 24 Heritage Day Court Square, Covington
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