Shikara Willis flies with the USAF Thunderbirds

Shikara Willis is in rare company. The Richmond County School System’s Teacher of the year learned a while ago that she had been selected to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thundedrbirds. Now, we’re not sure if Shikara knew that the T-birds cruise at 500 miles-an-hour and fly less than an arms length wingtip-to-wingtip, but we are sure that she was looking forward to it.

“I am incredibly excited and honored to be given this opportunity,” said Willis, a couple of days before her flight.

And on Friday morning, May 12, Shikara climbed into the backseat of Capt. Jeffrey “Simmer” Downie’s F-16 and prepared for the experience of her life.

On her 45-minute flight, Willis experienced the thrill of hitting up to seven G’s, along with the accompanying twists, spins and turns of the best roller coaster ride imaginable.

Willis was selected as part of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds “Hometown Hero” program that honors deserving local people.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were the featured performer when the Augusta Air Show played at the Augusta Regional Airport last weekend (May 13 and 14). In addition to the Thunderbirds, there was an amazing display of demonstrations including the F-16 Viper Demo Team, SOCOM Para-Commandos, Red Bull Helicopter, Red Bull Air Force, P-51 Mustang, as well as aerobatic pilots Buck Roetman and Kevin Coleman.

The Augusta Air Show was the third stop on the 2023 Air Dot Show Tour which also includes future shows in Ocean City, Maryland; New York; Atlanta; and Orlando.

•Shikara Willis has been an educator for 19 years and currently is a fifth-grade English language arts teacher at C.T. Walker Magnet School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in early childhood education, a Master’s in reading and literacy, and a Specialist in advanced studies. She also has a gifted endorsement and English of Second Languages (ESOL) endorsement which allows her to provide the challenging instruction that her students need as she guides them to think outside of the box while still providing all students with an equitable education.

•Willis is active in her school and community, serving on the instructional leadership team, data team, and is an Augusta University clinical teacher, where she assists perspective educators as they complete their student teaching. She received the Richmond County Retired Educator’s Scholarship which allowed her to continue her educational studies and was also accepted into and completed the GenCyber Teacher Training Camp, Future Leaders Academy, and the Governor’s School Leadership Academy Teacher Leader Program.

•Outside of school, Willis volunteers with Brown Girls Code, an organization working toward closing the gender and diversity gap in technology, and with the Golden Harvest Food Bank.

Educator Shikara Willis, who was named Richmond County School System’s “Teacher of the Year”, was honored by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as a “Hometown Hero”. Willis, who teaches 5th-grade at C.T. Walker Magnet School, took a ride in an F-16 fighter jet with Capt. Jeffrey “Simmer” Downie as her pilot. Willis is seen walking toward family and friends after her flight.

Got

STUDENTS FROM HEPHZIBAH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL work on the school’s storm drain artwork project.Seven public schools in Richmond County were selected to participate in an exciting pilot program designed to teach students about the water cycle, Augusta’s water ecosystem, the role of stormwater in that system, and our community’s responsibility as water system stewards. See story on Page 4

Augusta IT Dept. Receives Award for Best Practices

Augusta Information Technology Department has been recognized as the 2023 winner of the GA Government Management Information Sciences (GMIS) Best Practices Award presented at their Spring Conference in Athens, GA. The GA GMIS is a leading professional association for government technology leaders, both municipalities and states, throughout Georgia.

This award recognizes the department for its implementation of their Information Technology Reorganization Plan. The plan utilized industry standards and best practices to demonstrate a more effective and efficient technology organization. This project allowed the department to retain and recruit qualified staff members while remaining within the allotted budget.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO), Ms. Tameka Allen, stated “It was truly a team effort. The leadership in the department came together along with the respective staff to implement this plan”.

Meetings

Richmond County Schools

The following public meetings for the Richmond County Board of Education will be held on the dates listed below at 864 Broad Street, Board Room Auditorium, Augusta,

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 – 1st Public Hearing on FY24 Budget – 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 – 2nd Public Hearing on FY24 Budget – 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - Adoption of Final FY24 Budget – 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - June 2023 Committee and Regular Board Meeting – 4:00 p.m. (Regular Board will immediately follow the Committee Meeting)

Augusta, Georgia to host Tire & Electronic Recycling Event

Augusta, Georgia’s Environmental Services is hosting their quarterly Tire and Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 7am to 10am at the Richmond County Landfill, 4330 Deans Bridge Road. The event is only for Richmond County residents, and donors must show proof of residency. Below is a list of more details for donors:

• Tires may be on or off the rim.

• Tire companies or commercial businesses will not be permitted.

• Box vans or business or commercial vehicles will not be permitted.

The department’s next quarterly tire event will be held Saturday, September 16, 2023