T H U R S D A Y 162nd YEAR • No. 195 DECEMBER 15, 2016 CLEVELAND, TN 20 PAGES • 50¢ City, county get good Report Card marks Bradley Schools beat Tennessee Cleveland Schools improvement averages for English and math noted in ACT Composite Scores By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG “I am very pleased to report that we By SARALYN NORKUS recent years,” said Cleveland High Banner Staff Writer have scores of level 5 in all areas of our Banner Staff Writer Principal Autumn O’Bryan. District-Level Composite,” Dr. Linda According to Michael Kahrs, supervi- Bradley County Schools had a few Cash, director of Bradley County The Tennessee Department of sor of data management and assess- reasons to celebrate in light of the Schools, said in a statement. “A score of Education released the annual report ment, the high school has seen excellent Tennessee Department of Education’s ‘5’ is the most effective where there is Cash O’Bryan cards for school districts across the state results from integrating ACT activities release of its annual Report Card for significant evidence that students are on Tuesday, and for Cleveland City into academic and Career & Technical schools Tuesday. making substantially more progress Schools there are a number of reasons to Education courses, alongside a daily Though technological hiccups led to than the standard for academic growth.” be pleased with the results. advisement class called CLIMB Time. Tennessee students in grades 3 through The state Department of Education As it has been earlier reported, “We’re very excited at the positive 8 not completing all their state tests measures school systems’ performance Cleveland High School saw its ACT results after such hard work by stu- during the 2015-16 year, local school with the Tennessee Value-Added Composite Scores jump from 18.9 in dents, teachers and administration,” officials say they are happy with how Assessment System, or TVAAS. Looking 2015 to 20.4 this past year. Kahrs stated. the school students did. at students’ state-level test results, the “Preparation for the ACT is one of the Cleveland’s graduation rate of 90 per- The high schoolers’ end of course system assigns scores ranging from 1 to best things we can do for our students as exams led to the county school system cent has also given it plenty of reason to 5 in each of the following areas: Overall, they make postsecondary plans. The celebrate. receiving high marks on the state class of 2016 continues to leave its mark Report Card. See BRADLEY, Page 4 McQueen Kahrs by earning the highest ACT scores in See CLEVELAND, Page 4 Food for local families in need City school A goal to distribute 750 boxes of food staples and $24,000 in dona- IT’S A READING ‘WIN-WIN’ tions has been set by the William board will Hall Rodgers Christmas Basket Fund. The food staples will be given to families in need in the community be asked just before Christmas. The fund, which is a 501(c)(3), is a volunteer- supported effort. Donations may be to modify mailed to First Tennessee Bank, P.O. Box 3566, Cleveland TN 37320-3566 or dropped off at First contract Tennessee Bank at 3870 Keith St. Inside Today language Past projects prompt action By LARRY C. BOWERS Banner Staff Writer Cleveland Board of Education Site Committee members will recommend to the full school board that it modify the language of its general construction con- tract prior to obtaining a bid for the new Candy’s Creek Cherokee Elementary to be located on Georgetown Road. The Site Committee met Wednesday morning to review Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG modifications to the general con- SEVENTH-GRADERS Jackson Scarborough and Kaeli Standridge, both from Ocoee Middle School, read to first-graders at tract, prior to a vote by the Board Mayfield Elementary School during their visit Wednesday. of Education. Looking for security The change in language is being suggested by architect The Tennessee Titans are look- Brian Templeton of Upland ing to continue being stingy with Design Group in Murfreesboro. It turnovers Sunday, when they face Talented OMS writers take is based on information and the Kansas City Chiefs. The knowledge obtained through pre- Tennessee Volunteers will be fac- vious, major construction proj- ing a depleted quarterback corps ects — the Cleveland High School against Nebraska in the Music skills to Mayfield students Science Wing and the new City Bowl. Patrick MacCoon takes Cleveland High Raider Arena. a look at the departure of UTC By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG If approved by the entire head coach Russ Huesman. See Banner Staff Writer board, the modifications will be Sports, Pages 13-15. “I think it encourages our drawn in to the contract by Students from a Bradley County mid- students to read and write, school board attorney Chuck dle school recently wrote their own having older role models that Cagle. The contract will then Forecast books. On Wednesday, they visited a are writing and creating on their come back to the school board Cleveland elementary school to read own. It’s a win-win.” for final approval. Today looks to be sunny, with a their new books to younger students. — Bob Pritchard Templeton’s suggestions are high in the mid 30s. Tonight should The unusual city-county partnership Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG mainly in two areas. One is to be partly cloudy and cold, with lows allowed young authors from Ocoee OCOEE MIDDLE SCHOOL seventh- provide the school board with Middle School to share their work, while she had students write either nonfiction in the upper teens to low 20s. graders Kaitlyn South, left, and Desiray more oversight on the eventual Mayfield Elementary School students got or fiction books based on what they had Friday calls for mostly sunny skies Ngige present an original story they creat- contractor’s authority to change to meet students who could be “role been learning. and a high near 46. Friday night ed to a group of kindergarteners at his superintendent on the project models” to them. Working in pairs, students researched calls for increasing clouds and a 60 Mayfield Elementary School. without board consent. This came about after Judy Weir, a facts about African countries and decid- percent chance of rain, with a low The second suggestion is to seventh-grade English and social studies ed whether their stories would be fic- provide Cleveland Schools around 38. teacher at Ocoee Middle, found herself tional or fact-based. They then set to schoolers had real books in hand to Maintenance and Transportation looking for ways get her students excited work writing the stories together. read to the elementary school students. Supervisor Hal Taylor more about their lessons. Using school computers, they typed Index Upon their visit to Mayfield authority in overseeing the con- “I decided to give my students a proj- their stories. They then designed pages Elementary, the Ocoee Middle students struction project for the school ect that would help them in both class- and added either photos or original Classified................................18-19 took turns reading to kindergarten and board. es,” Weir said. “It helped them realize illustrations to their stories using Comics...........................................8 first-grade classes in the school library Taylor has been highly praised they can be creative and still relay Microsoft Publisher software. Editorials......................................16 and theater spaces. by the board and the architec- important information.” The completed books were then print- Horoscope......................................8 tural firm for his efforts with NASCAR......................................20 Inspired by a unit on African history, ed and spiral-bound, so the middle See READING, Page 6 Obituaries.......................................2 See CONTRACT, Page 6 Stocks............................................4 Sports......................................13-15 TV Schedule..................................9 Weather........................................11 Taylor Spring fundraiser to coincide with 175th Around Town By LARRY C. BOWERS It will be within easy walking distance of city historian Bob George, Cleveland the city of Cleveland’s incorporation (Feb. Banner Staff Writer a number of downtown businesses and Councilman Richard Banks (chairman), 4, 1842). Shirley Shadden meeting her offices, with easy access for visitors to the Cleveland Public Works Supervisor Barrett and Pendergrass have been neighbor coming home from work The prospect of a new, historic park in community. The Museum Center at Five Tommy Myers, and former Bradley directed by the committee to plan for the with a bowl of hot beef stew and downtown Cleveland is flowing a little Points, focusing on the history of the County Commissioner Jeff Morelock. February fundraiser, and the overall sausage balls ... Doug Blackwell stronger today after action by the Andrew Ocoee Region, is only a few blocks away. Myers could not attend Wednesday’s ses- fundraising effort. and Jennifer Sprague doing “car Taylor Spring Park Committee Cleveland City Manager Joe Fivas, sion. Committee members, especially Jones, karaoke” ... Mary Grace Wednesday. Cleveland Finance Director Shawn Contractors Dee Burris and Dennis are adamant that there be assorted levels Blackwell enjoying a book ... The committee took steps to launch a McKay, and Community Foundation Black, and Toby Pendergrass of Jones of giving. It was the consensus of the Charlie Blackwell getting into major community fundraiser to generate President Cathy Barrett were guests at Management, also attended the afternoon group that engraved bricks be available as football workouts. funds of around $250,000 for construc- Wednesday’s meeting. Barrett will help meeting. the Dog Park campaign featured. The tion of the park at the “birthplace” of the coordinate the fundraising effort, as she A by-invitation fundraiser has been ten- bricks will probably sell for $100, with city of Cleveland. The location of the did with the successful Cleveland Dog tatively scheduled for an historic day to around $20 the cost of the brick and spring, and future park, is on 1st Street, Park project.