Entries by Ben Munro

The Brian Smith era at East Jackson will get off to its unofficial start Thursday when the Eagles scrimmage Johnson at home.

But it will be official enough for Smith. His team gets to hit someone else for a change and won’t have to worry about being black flagged due to an afternoon heat index. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at home.

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Modeling Murfreesboro?

Shane Short said the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce and other county leaders will soon tour Murfreesboro, TN, which 10 years ago was very similar to Jackson County.

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The Omaha, Neb. comparison made Rick Sanders laugh when suggested to him by a reporter.

“The Omaha of Dizzy Dean Baseball?” the Jackson County Parks and Recreation director responded. “That’s a pretty good moniker there.”

It might not be Omaha and the College World Series just yet, but Jackson County continues to build on a reputation as a central locale for the Dizzy Dean Baseball ranks. With three Dizzy Dean World Series events slated for this week, Jackson County will have hosted five world series in the last three years after this summer’s championships are decided. [Full Story »] 

If there’s a simple, all-encompassing word to describe both the East Jackson boys’ and girls’ basketball programs, it’s this – young.

The boys return just three players with varsity experience, while the girls lose their entire starting five from a year ago. Both coaches got an extensive look at their tenderfoots in June during summer basketball workouts.

“We’re going to be young,” boys’ coach Brian Turner said. “I’m excited about the group we’ve got. If we mature and learn, I think we could be pretty good. If we don’t, we might be a year away.” [Full Story »] 

Hoping to stop a trend from ever starting, the Nicholson Planning and Zoning Committee (NPZC) will look into any situations in which people are dwelling in buildings zoned commercial.

The planning committee said Thursday, Jan. 6, that citizens living in business-only facilities aren’t good situations, especially if children are involved. The committee only mentioned one such instance — a family reportedly living in a garage in town. The NPZC noted that the facility has no bathroom, only a port-a-potty. [Full Story »] 

Commerce students’ summer break just got longer.

Faced with either laying off teachers or shortening next school year, the Commerce Board of Education will reduce the 2010-2011 school calendar by 10 days.

Students will attend class 170 days. Teachers will work 180. [Full Story »] 

Commerce education leaders continue to play the waiting game with the state as they wait to set next year’s local school budget.

Superintendent James “Mac” McCoy told the Commerce Board of Education (BOE) Monday night that there’s been no new information from the state capitol to change the troubling financial scenario he presented April 1 for Commerce Schools.
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This was no April Fool’s joke.

Due to shrinking state funding, an anticipated deficit and dwindling enrollment, the Commerce School System could cut personnel next year. [Full Story »] 

Commerce teachers can look forward to three more days off without pay.
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