02/15/2017

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Inside A3 Concert raises $30,000 for PCPS

Powhatan, Virginia B1 Gerardi wins third straight region title

Vol. XXX No. 7

February 15, 2017

Jones named Superintendent of the Year By Laura McFarland News Editor

P

OWHATAN – Powhatan County School superintendent Dr. Eric L. Jones was recently named Region 1 Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. Jones said it was a special honor to be nominated and selected by other superintendents in the region for the work he has done in his school district

because they know firsthand what it takes to be in his position. “It’s always nice to feel that the people who you work with and who hold the same job as you value the work that you do and see you as a leader in the area,” he said. Jones added the award is also special to him because he believes Powhatan County Public Schools (PCPS) has a great team that works hard but doesn’t necessarily get the attention it deserves in compari-

DR. ERIC JONES

son to some of the other districts in the region. Region 1 consists of 15 school divisions – Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, New Kent, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince George, Surry and Sussex counties and Richmond City. “We are a smaller school district, so we don’t always receive a lot of recognition for the great work that we do outside of Powhatan’s borders. So, it is nice to get this regional

award for all the staff that works at Powhatan County Schools,” he said. Jones cited the work of his district’s teachers and staff for their tireless efforts to realize the school system’s mission of providing an environment where every student is able to reach his or her fullest potential. In his tenure the school district has expanded career and technical education offerings as well as advanced courses that lead to students earning see JONES, pg. 6

Flat Rock students honor Black History Month Staff Report

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As part of its recognition of Black History Month, Flat Rock Elementary School invited Bright Star Theatre to present two programs to its students. The kindergarten through second grade students attended a program called, “Meet Dr. King,” which celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and is an easy story for the students to follow, said Tanja Atkins-Nelson, principal. Students learned about key moments King’s life from his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia and the important lessons passed down by his father, to some of his greatest moments as an inspiring leader, she said. The program inspires young students to use peace, leadership, and conflict resolution in their own schools and communities. The schools third- through fifthgraders watched a production called “Heroes, Soldiers & Spies.” The show celebrates some of the many stories of African American heroes, such as the experiences of the Buffalo Soldiers and the Tuskegee Airmen. Students

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Thomas Nolan, right, director of public safety communications-911, said he has been working with 911 center manager Cindy Gillespie.

Nolan: fastest response to calls is goal for 911 By Laura McFarland News Editor

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Members of the Bright Star Theatre perform programs about influential African Americans as part of Flat Rock Elementary School’s recognition of Black History Month.

were intrigued to hear about spies like Mary Elizabeth Bowser,

Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass, Atkins-Nelson said.

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OWHATAN – A great deal of change is in store for the near future of Powhatan County’s 911 dispatch system, and all of it is aimed at one goal: getting people the help they need as quickly as possible.

That goal has been at the forefront for Thomas Nolan since he stepped into the role of the county’s new director of public safety communications911 last fall. He was pleased to report the county’s public safety answering point (PSAP), or its 911 communications center, has already been maksee NOLAN, pg. 5

Powhatan Sheriff’s Office creates safe exchange zone By Laura McFarland News Editor

POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office is helping residents add an extra sense of security during sensitive transactions with a new safe exchange zone it has created in the Village area. The sheriff’s office this month officially established two new parking spaces that can be used to conduct child custody exchanges or personal sales transactions for items purchased online or through the classified ads, Sheriff Brad Nunnally said. The spaces are located on Marion Harland Lane beside the sheriff’s investigations building and will be monitored via a surveillance camera 24 hours a day. The sheriff’s office has noticed an increasing number of people selling items online or needing safe, neutral

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office is helping residents add an extra sense of security during sensitive transactions with a new safe exchange zone it has created on Marion Harland Lane.

ground to exchange custody of their children for several years now, Nunnally said. “We don’t have the manpower to be

out here every time a judge orders a couple to exchange their children in a see SAFE, pg. 6

School district closes the book on failed key chiller unit By Laura McFarland News Editor

POWHATAN – Powhatan County Public Schools has closed the book on the issue of being forced to replace a key chiller at Powhatan High School last fall but ended the story on a positive note. The school district still had to pay $260,600 to replace the cooling unit that failed the week before the start of the 2016-2017 school year, said Dr. Eric Jones, superintendent. However, the school district filing and diligently following up on an insurance claim submitted to VACorp, PCPS’ insurance carrier,

COURTESY OF POWHATAN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Shown is the new chiller purchased for Powhatan High School last fall after the old unit failed.

resulted in the company agreeing to reimburse the school district $38,690 toward this unexpected expenditure. The amount being reimbursed by the insurance company covered the cost of a rental unit that was needed while a new chiller was ordered, the installation of the new unit and the removal of the old one, Jones said. “To be able to receive a reimbursement approaching $40,000 to cover the cost of the rental and the installation of the new unit is good for everybody in the community,” Jones said. “It is money that we got back that we didn’t originally see CHILLER, pg. 9


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