<<opening for eyewitness news at six>>
"Are we prepared to dream together? Are we truly and honestly andserious when we say we really want change? Do we really mean it."
BIBB COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND PRESENTED WHAT HE CALLS THE MACON MIRACLE TO THE PUBLIC TODAY.
HELLO EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR JOINING US.... I'M LEAH JOHNSON..
AND I'M FRANK MALLOY.
THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX.
.. WE'LL HAVE SPECIAL COVERAGE ON TODAY'S PRESENTATION IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.. BUT FIRST..
MACON POLICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAY THEY'VE DROPPED RAPE CHARGES AGAINST SEVEN NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
IN A NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY... D-A GREG WINTERS SAID THE ALLEGED VICTIM ADMITTED TO LYING TO POLICE.
BRITTINY BARBER EXPLAINS.
<<
A TEENAGE GIRL REPORTED THAT SHE WAS RAPED HERE AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL...ON JANUARY 19TH.
SEVEN TEENAGE BOYS WERE ARRESTED ... THREE MINORS...THREE 17-YEAR OLDS AND AN 18 YEAR OLD..
NOW... THEY'RE ALL CLEARED .. AND ARE OUT OF JAIL...
Winters: "today the young lady admitted to Macon police department detectives that she falsely accused seven of her classmates at northeast.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS...AND MACON POLICE EXPLAINED.. WHY ....
Stone: "Druing the process there was what we think a key piece of evidence brought to our attention and that stepped up the time table that we brought the alleged victim in for an interview."
THE16-YEAR OLD GIRL... HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH FALSELY REPORTING A CRIME AND ... GIVING FALSE STATEMENTS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT...
ACCORDING TO POLICE... THE GIRL DID HAVE A SEXUAL ENCOUNTER IN A BATHROOM AT NORTHEAST .. BUT THEY SAY IT DID NOT WARRANT CRIMINAL CHARGES....
THEY WOULD ALSO NOT SAY HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE INVOLVED....
Winters: "Although it was unfortunate that they were arrested. that it came to the point that they were arrested. Law enforcement in this case I think did a good job the allegations were made there was probable cause intitally to support that allegation...
MACON POLICE SAY THEY CONTINUED TO REVIEW ALL THE EVIDENCE ... AFTER BIBB COUNTY CAMPUS POLICE TURNED THE CASE OVER TO THEM ON JANUARY 31ST..
THAT INCLUDED SURVELLIANCE VIDEO... FROM INSIDE THE SCHOOL...
IN MACON BRITTINY BARBER 13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS
>>
THE FOUR CHARGED AS ADULTS HAVE BEEN IN JAIL FOR OVER TWO AND A HALF WEEKS...
SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE NEARLY FILLED THE MACON COLISEUM TODAY FOR THE MACON MIRACLE KICK OFF.
BIBB SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND PRESENTED HIS STRATEGIC PLAN TO SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC... AMID PERFORMANCES AND DISPLAYS OF CHINESE CULTURE.
CANDACE ADORKA WAS THERE... CANDACE... WHAT WAS THE MOOD?
THE MACON MIRACLE KICK OFF WAS A CELEBRATION OF A YEAR LONG PROCESS... BUT IT WAS ALSO A SALES TOOL... TELLING PEOPLE WHY THEY SHOULD BUY INTO THE PLAN.
SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND MADE HIS SALES PITCH WITH A SPEECH THAT ASKED PEOPLE TO DREAM BIG... FOR A BETTER SCHOOL SYSTEM.
"There's absolutely no danger in dreaming. The danger lies in remaining complacent in the dream and failing to engage in actions that will make the dream a reality."
DALLEMAND INVOKED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE... THE AMERICAN DREAM... AND MARTIN LUTHER KING... ALL TO SUPPORT HIS POINT THAT MAKING BIBB COUNTY THE NUMBER ONE DISTRICT IN THE STATE IS AMBITIOUS... BUT DOABLE.
HE ALSO ADDRESSED CONCERNS RAISED BY THE COMMUNITY HAS RAISED OVER THE PAST WEEK... STARTING WITH SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AND SAFETY.
Creating prevention teams at each site and identifying infractions that will result in direct referral to juvenile court and ensuring that once students have served the time sentenced through the courts that they are transitioned back to our school to an alternative learning center
HE SAID CLASS SIZES WOULDN'T INCREASE UNDER THE PLAN... AND CLOSING SCHOOLS ONLY MEANS A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF SPACE.
HE SAID THE PLAN DOES NOT INCLUDE LAYOFFS... AND TEN EXTRA HOURS A WEEK WILL BENEFIT STUDENTS... BUT TEACHERS WON'T BE OBLIGATED TO INCREASE THEIR WORK LOAD.
DALLEMAND GOT THE THE CROWD RILED UP WHEN HE CAPPED HIS SPEECH WITH HIS OWN STORY OF TRIUMPH.
What I am saying to you today is that if at 15 years old I had to learn English for the first time in my life, and three years later I was at Brooklyn College asa pre-med major, there is absolutely no reason on the planet why our students right here in Bibb County cannot receive a solid education to prepare them for the 21st century. Absolutely no reason. And we are going to make it happen. We are going to make the Macon Miracle a reality in Macon. We are going to make the Macon Miracle a reality for our students. Thank you and I look forward to your feedback.
AFTER THE SPEECHES... A GROUP OF CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TOOK THE STAGE TO ENTERTAIN THE CROWD WITH SINGING... DANCING... MARTIAL ARTS... AND ACROBATIC FEATS.
DALLEMAND SAYD THE PERFORMANCES WERE FREE....PROVIDED BY THE CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE AT KENESAW STATE UNIVERSITY.
THOUSANDS FILLED THE COLISEUM... AND MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY CAME OUT TO GET MORE DETAILS ON THE PLAN.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH SEVERAL COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PARENTS... TO HEAR WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE MACON MIRACLE.
TJ Brown, Parent: Before I came I was a bit resistant to the plan because there was a lot of changes. However after coming and hearing I am a little more optimistic now. Still wanted more details. "
Greg Winters: "I want there to be an environment that my children, and my daughter at this time, is excited to go to school, that she is challenged when she gets to school, it's a continual learning day for her each and every day. "
Eric Manson, Macon: "Obviously it was a little more detaield I think he cleared up some of the misconceptions that was out there in terms of what the plan is not, if you will. I think, in my opinion, whenever you're looking to do something that is progressive, that is proactive, and that is positive, you're going to always have people for various reasons who are in opposition to it."
Marsha Wilkes, Substitute Teacher: "We need to come together as a community, and help him with this plan, because we need to try to combat juvenile delequency, crime."
BOARD MEMBERS COULD NOT COMMENT ON WHEN THE PLAN WOULD BE VOTED ON.
DALLEMAND'S SPEECH RECEIVED A WARM RECEPTION TODAY... DESPITE CONTROVERSY OVER SOME KEY POINTS THIS WEEK.
MACON MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT AND BIBB COUNTY COMMISSIONER SAM HART WILL TELL US WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN... WHEN EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX CONTINUES..
WELCOME BACK... BIBB COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND PRESENTED HIS MACON MIRACLE PLAN IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT THE MACON COLISEUM TODAY.
MACON MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT AND BIBB COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN SAM HART ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR REACTION TO THE PLAN.
1. DO YOU SUPPORT DALLEMAND'S PLAN?
2. DO YOU AGREE WITH EVERYTHING IN THE PLAN.
3. HAVE EITHER OF YOU MET WITH DALLEMAND ABOUT HIS VISION FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT?
4. TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF BIBB SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW.
UP NEXT... BEN WILL HAVE A CHECK ON YOUR WEATHER... AND LATER IN THE SHOW WE'LL TALK WITH A PANEL OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT DALLEMAND'S PLAN.
WE'RE CONTINUING OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MACON MIRACLE STRATEGIC PLAN PROPOSED BY BIBB COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND.
JOINING ME ARE...
Pastor D.W. Bryant
Michael McKeever (former Bibb county student)
Janice Slavin (Parent)
RECAPPING TONIGHTS TWO TOP STORIES... MACON POLICE DROPPED CHARGES AGAINST ALL SEVEN MALE STUDENTS ACCUSED OF RAPE AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL.
POLICE SAID AN INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE FEMALE STUDENT WHO REPORTED THE RAPE.. LIED ABOUT IT.
SHE IS NOW CHARGED WITH FALSE REPORT OF A CRIME AND FALSE STATEMENT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND BIBB COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND PRESENTED HIS 170 POINT STRATEGIC PLAN TO THE PUBLIC THIS AFTERNOON.
DALLEMAND WRAPPED UP HIS PRESENTATION AT THE MACON COLISIEUM WITH A FIERY SPEECH SAYING HIS MACON MIRACLE DREAM WILL BECOME A REALITY FOR BIBB COUNTY SCHOOLS..
FOR MORE ON BOTH OF THESE STORIES GO TO OUR HOMPAGE AT 13 WMAZ DOT COM.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.... WE'LL BE BACK TONIGHT AT 11.
BUT REMEMBER...THE NEWS IS ALWAYS ON AT 13WMAZ.COM !
THE EVENING NEWS IS UP NEXT.
HAVE A SAFE NIGHT EVERYONE.