School Budget Crisis

The Carter County School System is facing a major budget shortfall for the 2012-2013 school year of about two million dollars. This shortfall was caused mainly by a drop in student enrollment, many of those students switching to Elizabethton City Schools. This drop in the student body caused a drop in tax revenues that are spilt between county and city schools. It also caused state support to drop, which is based on enrollment counts. The school board has already reduced that shortfall through the postponement of the purchase of new school buses and text books. They have also not replaced about six retiring teachers. They have even laid off several teachers from the four county high schools including an English teacher and a Biology teacher at Happy Valley, which could possibly cause an end to advanced versions of Biology in order to provide the state required regular Biology class. After all the cuts, the shortfall stands at over $800,000. The school board has requested the Carter County Commission to fund the rest. The funding of the request would mean property taxes would rise to about 37 cents per hundred dollars. If the commission does not provide the money it could mean the end of elementary and middle school art and music programs. The school board invites parents to the upcoming commission meetings on the topic on the next two Tuesdays at 5:15pm at the Carter County courthouse.

Inmate Ministry Leads Some to Christ

A prison inmate in Pennsylvania began a program to help lead other inmates to Christ. Merle Weaver was on trial for buying a gun for someone who couldn't legally have one when his friend invited him and his wife to go on a marriage retreat. After going through the death of his father-in-law and now the trial, Weaver wasn't sure that this would much help, but while at the retreat he learned the Good News of Christ and decided to follow Him. Weaver ended up going to prison for two and a half years. Nearly six years later he decided to start a program to help inmates who may have gone through what he went through. The program called Celebrate Recovery now teaches the Bible in prisons in his area.

Gap Creek Road Project

A highway project to improve the very dangerous and curvy Gap Creek Road is now under way. The project involves the construction of a five lane highway. Crews have already cleared forest area and are working on drilling for blasting. The project completion date is set for late 2014.