School board approves calendar Thursday, March 20, 2014
Milton building catches fire, Page 16 50 Cents
By Amanda White
l Volume 116 l Issue 11
For The Cabell Standard
The Cabell County School Board unanimously approved the proposed school calendar as well as the proposed levy rates. The approved 2014 - 2015 calendar will be sent to the West Virginia Board of Education for approval, and includes an Aug. 6 start date and a May 28 end date. Despite some criticism during the public hearings of the early start date, the board decided to accept the calendar on the basis of Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeff Smith's research, which showed that a full week of Thanksgiving Break as well as a full two weeks of Christmas Break will lead to less absences for both students and faculty that have historically occurred in the days prior to the holiday. "It demonstrated some cost and attendance issues for students and staff when you had school before holidays," said Suzanne Oxley, school board president. "This was also the number one choice of the faculty." The 2014 informational campaign was also discussed at the meeting. Jedd Flowers, director of communications, presented the marketing campaign for next year, which includes television advertisements, a website update and a new logo. "Marketing is very important to a school system because it tells people who you are and what you're about," Flowers said in the last school board meeting before SEE BOARD ON PAGE 4
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Midland hangs tough for 3 quarters By Chris Stadelman chris@theputnamstandard.com
CHARLESTON – Despite it being their first time under the bright lights of the Civic Center, the Cabell Midland Lady Knights weren’t satisfied to be in the large shadow cast by No. 2 Greenbrier East. The inexperienced No. 7 seed gave the Lady Spartans all they wanted – and more – for three quarters March 12 in the first round of the Class AAA state tournament. Cabell Midland led 2320 at halftime and 35-34 heading into the final quarter. Ultimately, however, Greenbrier East turned up the heat and pulled out a hard-fought 48-38 victory. “I thought the girls played a great game,” Midland Coach Matt Adkins said. “Through three quarters we led most of the game. The SEE MIDLAND ON PAGES 8-9
Sophomore Summer Stephenson brings the ball up during Cabell Midland's first-round Class AAA state tournament game against Greenbrier East. The Lady Knights lost, but Stephenson will be counted on to be a leader on next year's team.
Community comes together for young boy with cancer
Memorial fund-raiser planned
By Amanda White For The Cabell Standard
Courageous. Independent. Smart. Inspiring. Funny. These are just some of the words friends used to describe Tracy Dale Evans, a six year old boy living with Medullomyoblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer with a despairingly short survival rate. Tracy was diagnosed in June of 2012, and after a brief period of remission, relapsed in October 2013. Last week, Tracy stopped chemotherapy treatments. The SEE BOY ON PAGE 7
The Milton VFW Post 9796 will host the first of many fundraisers for the Don Kinnard Memorial on March 29. The memorial will be placed at the Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetary. “We want to erect a memorial for Don so that people know about his achievements,” Quartermaster Dave Wallace said. The Milton VFW Post will John Buckland, known around town by his Batman alias, has been involved with Tracy Dale Evans and his family for months. Batman spoke at Tracy's event on Saturday, as well as gave him and his sisters a ride in his "Batmobile."
SEE KINNARD ON PAGE 3
Inside This Week: COMMISSION DISCUSSES GRANTS - PAGE 4 MATH FIELD DAY WINNERS - PAGE 5 ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE GRANTS - PAGE 7
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