As the community comes back to life with the spring, there have been many achievements by groups and organizations we would like to offer a commendation to.

• To principal Angie Lafon, assistant principal Monica Mahlmeister and the faculty and students of Dawson-Bryant Elementary. The school was named a High Progress School of Honor at the Ohio School Boards Association’s Southeast Region Virtual Spring Conference.

This distinction is given for schools for sustaining high achievement while serving economically-disadvantaged areas. The staff has risen to the challenge and the children met the goals.

• To Amanda Cleary and Abby Kuehne from Third and Center, whose group raised $5,800 for installing new swing sets on the Ironton riverfront.
The effort was spurred with an initial donation from Jim Miller, who put forward the idea for the project, which is the latest by the organization toward improving the city.

• To Burlington Elementary School teachers Courtney Tibbetts and Ashlee McCartney, who recently organized the fifth annual living wax museum at the school.

The event, which is popular with the students helps to build a love of history among students and allows them to portray historical figures who inspire them. In addition to the portrayal, students research the figures.

Tibbetts has been one of the organizers of the event since its inception.

• To Lawrence County Commission President DeAnna Holliday, who was appointed to Gov. Mike DeWine’s Council on Juvenile Justice for what will be a two-year term.

Her position will ensure that southern Ohio is represented in the council, which awards funding from the federal Office of Justice and Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention to assist the state in preventing and reducing delinquency as well as address juvenile crime.

• To Maria Whaley, of Ashland Regional Dance Theater and the president of Dance Masters of the Bluegrass, who recently hosted the competition at the Paramount Arts Center. Dancers from across Kentucky came to take part in the event, which allowed many of them to perform on a stage for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to live events.

The socially-distanced event allowed them to showcase their talents in a safe manner.

• To staff of the Ironton Health Department, who continue working hard to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents of the area.

This last week saw the county move back to Level Two on the state’s alert map, showing that conditions surrounding the pandemic have improved in Lawrence County and that an end of the state of emergency is potentially in sight.

We thank all of these people for all that they have done and heir continued efforts will go a long way toward making Lawrence County and the surrounding area better.

 

 

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