Rick Wagner
Times-News Online
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Past articles by Rick:
Kingsport Times-News: Sullivan BOE hears concerns about Islamic indoctrination, adopts textbooks
Board of Education member Jane Thomas and four commenters, cheered on by audience members, opposed the McGraw-Hill “World” seventh grade history text because of its treatment of Islam and Christianity. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Sullivan BOE member questions new textbook's treatment of Islam, Christianity
The Sullivan County Board of Education Tuesday is to vote on social studies textbook adoption, normally a housekeeping matter, but it is to be opposed by board member Jane Thomas because of how the recommended seventh-grade textbook handles religions, specifically Islam and Christianity. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: North band heading south for Disney parade performance
Sullivan North High School’s Marching Raiders are headed to Disney World in Florida Friday evening for a Sunday performance in the Main Street USA parade at the Magic Kingdom. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: 14 new SROs are among Sullivan school safety upgrades
The program was expanded from one SRO at each of the four high schools to 18 SROs in the 2019-20 budget. That is one SRO per campus, which because some schools share campuses means that all 22 schools will have an SRO presence using the 18 SROs. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Crowe would make superintendent retention vote advisory, not binding
The legislation as written would allow a county commission, city council or board of mayor and aldermen, by a two-thirds vote, to place a superintendent or director of schools appointed by a school board in that locality on a retention question on an August general election ballot. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Sullivan County Commission, two school boards at odds over superintendent retention bill
The Kingsport and Sullivan County school boards have voted to oppose legislation that could lead to retention votes on appointed superintendents and directors, while the Sullivan County Commission has voted to support that legislation. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: BOE honors bus driver, special ed assistant for helping child found on street
Back in February on a cold morning, the two Kingsport City Schools employees picked up a 4 boy who was wearing only underwear and walking along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive — approaching the intersection with South Wilcox Drive. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Visitor management system in place at all 22 Sullivan County schools
The Raptor system uses identification cards, most commonly driver’s licenses, to screen those entering school to check for things such as sex offender status and custody order. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Last call: Castle community rebuild volunteers needed Saturday, Sunday
KINGSPORT — Whether the community rebuild of The Castle Playground at Johnson Elementary School is finished as planned Sunday afternoon for an informal 5 p.m. public showing → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Sullivan BOE OKs West Ridge change orders
BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County’s school board has gone on record opposing legislation that would allow retention votes on board-appointed superintendents and directors of → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Castle Playground rebuild under way
KINGSPORT — Day one of the six-day community rebuild of The Castle Playground at Johnson Elementary School went well under blue skies, school and community volunteers said, despite temperatures that topped out in the mid-30s. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Dobyns-Bennett Cyber Tribe finishes first in regional robotics competition
Dobyns-Bennett High School’s robotics team, Cyber Tribe 4020, won first place in a regional competition in South Carolina and thus a slot in a national competition in Texas come April. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Cat in the Hat, Seuss in the library?
All present students at the 280-student Roosevelt Elementary School Friday went into the library to hear Superintendent Jeff Moorhouse read from age-appropriate selections in groups of grades 4-5, pre-K-1 and 2-3, as chosen by teachers, and to hear Emily Merritt of United We Read emphasize the importance of reading 20 minutes a day. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Step right up: Volunteers still sought for Castle Playground
KINGSPORT — Volunteers for the community rebuild of The Castle Playground are still needed, with preliminary work on the site already underway but the main working coming next week. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Money-saving mulch approved, stricter tobacco policy pondered
Kingsport school board member have opted for the less-expensive combination “poured-surface” and wood mulch for the new Kennedy Elementary School community playground instead of an all poured-surface option costing about $80,0000 more. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Robinson robotics team may be headed to international competition in California
KINGSPORT — Ever wonder how astronauts could deal with the loneliness and isolation of space? A group of Kingsport students did and made an award-winning research project out of it. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Education commissioner visits Kingsport for student roundtable
“I hear the same things said differently and framed differently” across the state, Schwinn said of students wanting to be happy, healthy and safe. The 20 D-B students at the Thursday roundtable specifically suggested better transitions from middle to high school and high school to careers. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Kingsport schools to be closed Monday and Tuesday due to sickness
KINGSPORT — Kingsport City Schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday of next week because of illnesses including the flu, Assistant Superintendent Andy True said Friday evening. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Kingsport school officials monitoring North mold situation
Kingsport City Schools officials are watching the “black mold” developments at Sullivan North/Middle School closely, with an eye toward the day when the city system is to take over the building for which it already has paid $20 million. → Read More
Kingsport Times-News: Sullivan officials not commenting on North mold lawsuit
Sullivan County officials have released more details of follow-up mold tests at Sullivan North/Middle School, but are not commenting on a $21 million lawsuit filed by a former teacher over alleged “black mold” that sickened him. → Read More