MONDAY 161st YEAR • NO. 81 AUGUST 3, 2015 CLEVELAND, TN 16 PAGES • 50¢ City’s Denning Center dedicated School’s founder returns for Sunday ribbon cutting By LARRY C. BOWERS his retirement, was joined by his wife, Evelyn, a for- honor.” Banner Staff Writer mer Cleveland educator; his son, U.S. Army Capt. “This type of thing (the alternative school) takes Brandon Denning, and his wife Laura; son Carson people working together,” Denning said. “It was a Around 200 people turned out Sunday for the and daughter Anna Kaye; and Denning’s daughter, team effort which began in 1994 to establish the dedication and ribbon cutting of the Cleveland City Mary Alice Watts, husband Andy, and daughter Teen Learning Center.” School System’s F.I. Denning Center of Technology Sydney. The former director of schools said the alternative and Careers. The Watts are residents of Cleveland, while school was launched on two components, a school The new stand-alone education facility was [Brandon] Denning is now stationed at Fort for young ladies who were pregnant, and youth Banner photo, LARRY C. BOWERS named for former Cleveland Director of Schools Dr. Jackson in Columbia, S.C. returning from state custody. DR. RICK DENNING, and his wife Evelyn, were Rick Denning who attended Sunday’s celebration After being introduced by Cleveland Director of That focus later shifted to two new components: honored Sunday afternoon with the dedication of with his extended family. Denning founded the Schools Dr. Martin Ringstaff, Denning said, “I’m school remediation, and extreme truancy with refer- Cleveland’s F.I. Denning Center of Technology and alternative school in 1994. very humbled. I was in a state of shock for two days Careers. Denning, who moved to Wilmington, N.C. after after Dr. Ringstaff called to tell me about this See DENNING, Page 16 Inside Today Kids need Gibson vaccines believes to return police to school ‘on task’ Waters urges parents to act Interim leader sees turnaround By LARRY C. BOWERS Banner Staff Writer — Second in series — Bears sharpen Bradley County Health By BRIAN GRAVES Department Director Eloise Waters Banner Staff Writer football claws is reminding local parents it is time Cleveland interim Chief of The Bradley Central Bears to get their children’s back-to- Police Mark Gibson says the honed their early season skills school immunizations. department is "back on task" fol- Children in the Cleveland and Contributed photo with a live scrimmage Saturday JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT volunteers lead students in activities during the “JA in a Day” event at lowing more than a year dealing against the Baylor Red Raiders. Bradley County school systems will with some high-profile personnel be returning to class in a very short Charleston Elementary School last year. Volunteers from Junior Achievement work with teachers Head coach Ken Whisenhunt to plan money and business-related activities for their classes, and the organization is in need of problems. shook up the Titans camp with time, and this is no time to delay on His comments were part of the locker reassignments. Falcon getting vaccinations. new volunteers for the new school year. Cleveland Daily Banner's joint quarterback Matt Ryan is feeling Waters emphasizes that in interview Friday with Gibson, very comfortable with the new Tennessee, children enrolling in Bradley County Sheriff Eric scheme in Atlanta. See Sports, school for the first time, and all Watson and 10th District Attorney Pages 9-11. children going into seventh grade, General Steve Crump broadcast on must provide schools with a state Teaching the future WOOP-FM's "Mark in the Morning" immunization certificate before twice-weekly talk show. A five-year review classes start as proof they have had "We have a great department," of Dodd-Frank Act all the immunizations necessary to Junior Achievement looking for volunteers Gibson said. "We have some of the protect them and their classmates best officers in the state and prob- This summer marks the fifth from serious vaccine-preventable By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG Junior Achievement lessons anniversary of the Dodd-Frank once a week for a few weeks. ably in the country." diseases. Banner Staff Writer Gibson said the department Act, a sweeping overhaul of finan- “It’s very important for children One local school, Charleston cial regulation. Five years in, one Junior Achievement of the Elementary, last year decided "had some people that made mis- to be up to date on their immuniza- takes and people are going to make writer feels this is a good point to tions because vaccines help protect Ocoee Region is looking for to hold an event called “JA in turn and evaluate how the law is people to help teach children a Day” during which multiple mistakes in the department." the health of students when they "What is different about this sit- working so far, especially because are in the classroom,” said Waters. about money and business volunteers visited classrooms of its impact on small banking during the new school season. to go through an entire uation is the whole department got The staff of the Bradley County beat up over the mistakes of a few," operations in Tennessee. See the Health Department is now giving all Last year, volunteers helped semester’s worth of activities guest “Viewpoint” on Page 12 of the organization reach 4,263 in a day. he said. "That's the unfortunate school vaccines requirements with- part of it." today’s edition. out an appointment. students in schools in the Overall, the feedback from Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, teachers has been “very posi- Gibson said those like himself in If you are needing a school administrative roles "had the luxu- screening and the vaccines, it is Monroe and Polk counties. tive.” Forecast Junior Achievement is a “Teachers welcome JA back ry of scurrying up the back stairs" recommended that you call for an while the officers on the street had appointment. You should call them nonprofit organization that year after year,” Connatser Sunny and hot today with a teaches children in school said. to take the public's criticism at the at 728-7020 and press zero for the ground level. high near 94. Wind will be mostly operator. about financial literacy, work- The organization is current- calm, coming from the north at place readiness and entrepre- ly accepting requests from "The boots on the ground — the “All students entering seventh men and women that go out every about 5 mph. Tonight, skies will be grade are required to have proof neurship. teachers who would like to mostly clear with a low around 68. “We really want them to have Junior Achievement for day — had to face the public and they have had two doses of chick- Melanie Connatser hear about this," he said. Wind will remain calm, coming enpox vaccine (or a history of ill- think about their future,” local their students this year, and from the southeast at 5 mph. JA President Melanie more volunteers are needed to Gibson said morale within the ness) and a booster shot for department has improved and the On Tuesday, mostly sunny and Connatser said. to teach students what the teach in last year’s classrooms tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis department "is getting a lot more hot with a high near 93. Heat The organization trains vol- real working world is like.” and any new ones requesting or whooping cough, commonly positive feedback from the commu- index values could climb to as unteers and makes them The goal, she explained, is volunteers. known as ‘Tdap,’ to protect them nity." high as 97, with calm wind. On available to teachers of for children to learn lessons Junior Achievement is through their teens,” the director "They are back on task and it Tuesday night, skies will be partly kindergarten through 12th and skills they can take with already offered in the majority continued. didn't take them long to get back cloudy with a low around 71, with grade classes. Using a special them as they finish school of the public schools in Another required immunization on task. They pretty much stayed little wind. set of curricula, the volun- and begin looking for work. Cleveland and Bradley is for measles, mumps and rubella, on task," he said. "The only differ- On the extended outlook, teers teach practical lessons Connatser stressed volun- County, but Connatser said also known as MMR.” ence is these men and women that Wednesday will bring a 20 percent on everything from making a teers do not need to have having more volunteers could This is also the age pediatricians come into work every day and do chance of thunderstorms and 30 budget to starting a business. prior teaching experience; allow the organization to offer recommend preteens get their first their jobs every day were getting percent Wednesday night. Rain Connatser said the curricu- they just need to be willing to its programs to more students of three doses of a vaccine to help criticized and scrutinized for the chances will increase Thursday la are designed to supplement share the experience they do in more classrooms. prevent cancers caused by the actions of others. We had some and Friday. what children are already have to teach their specific The classes each enjoy age- human papillomavirus and their people that didn't take responsibil- learning in school, allowing curriculum. appropriate activities that are first dose of meningitis vaccine. ity for their actions and we dealt Index the students to practice skills Volunteers and teachers designed to be hands-on. Although HPV and meningitis with that and we're trying to move like math.