"I don't see the questions and comments as being negative..."
SUPERINTENDENT ROMAN DALLEMAND...ADDRESSING PUBLIC COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO HIS MACON MIRACLE STRATEGIC PLAN.
DALLEMAND SAYS CRITICS THROUGH FACEBOOK, ONLINE PETITIONS AND PROTESTS ARE ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE A MAJOR TRANSITION IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US.
I'M LEAH JOHNSON..
AND I'M FRANK MALLOY..
OUR TOP STORY-- 13-W-M-A-Z'S CANDACE ADORKA SPENT PART OF THE AFTERNOON WITH SUPERINTENDENT DALLEMAND... TALKING ABOUT THE MACON MIRACLE PLAN.
SEVERAL ACTION STEPS IN THE PLAN AIM TO ADDRESS DISPARITIES AMONG GROUPS OF STUDENTS IN THE SYSTEM.
FOR INSTANCE... ONE GOAL WOULD PROVIDE GIFTED INSTRUCTION, ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES, AND HONORS CLASSES FOR ALL STUDENTS.
ANOTHER WOULD... QUOTE... CREATE A CULTURE OF EQUITY THAT ADDRESSES SYSTEMATIC RACISM THROUGH THE USE OF WHAT'S CALLED COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS PROTOCOL
TOMORROW ON EYEWITNESS NEWS MORNING... WE WILL HAVE MORE OF WHAT DALLEMAND SAID ABOUT SAFETY AND DISCIPLINE PROVISIONS IN THE PLAN.
BUT TONIGHT YOU CAN FIND MORE FROM THE INTERVIEW ON OUR HOMEPAGE 13 WMAZ DOT COM.
LEAH?
IF YOU'RE A BIBB COUNTY PARENT, YOU RECEIVED ONE OF THESE.
THIS IS A LETTER THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SENT HOME, SO PARENTS CAN COMMENT ON THE MACON MIRACLE PLAN.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A PARENT THOUGH.
YOU ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ONLINE.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO LOOK FOR THIS STORY ON OUR HOMEPAGE, 13-W-M-A-Z-DOT-COM, AND WE'LL LINK YOU TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ONLINE FORM.
TAKE WEB IN PLASMA
BUT THERE'S ONE CATCH...THE ONLINE FORM REQUIRES YOU TO FILL IN A FOCUS AREA... A GOAL NUMBER.... A STRATEGY NUMBER...AND AN ACTION STEP NUMBER....BEFORE YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS.
ALL THOSE NUMBERS CORRESPOND TO THE ONES LAID OUT IN DALLEMAND'S ACTION PLAN.
NOW A LINK TO THE PLAN CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE TOO.
SO FOR EXAMPLE.... IF YOU WANTED TO COMMENT ON WHETHER BIBB COUNTY SHOULD GO TO A YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR.
YOU'D NEED TO CLICK ON THIS MENU TO SELECT *FOCUS ON STRUCTURE OF SCHOOLS.*
THEN GOAL NUMBER ONE....
AND STRATEGY NUMBER ONE....
AND FINALLY....ACTION STEP THREE.
THEN YOU CAN TYPE IN YOUR ANSWER...TO TELL SCHOOL OFFICIALS WHAT YOU THINK.
LEAH TURNS TO CAMERA
YOU'RE NOT LIMITED TO ONE COMMENT. YOU'RE ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO TALK BACK ON FIVE OF DALLEMAND'S ACTION STEPS.
THERE ARE 170 IN ALL.
FRANK?
THANKS, LEAH. AGAIN, LINKS TO THE COMMENT FORM AND TO THE MACON MIRACLE PLAN ITSELF CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT 13-W-M-A-Z-DOT-COM.
IN OTHER NEWS, MACON POLICE CHIEF MIKE BURNS SAID IT'S A SAD DAY FOR THE FORCE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THREE MACON POLICE OFFICERS ARE ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR JOBS. .
A NEWS RELEASE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS ONE IS ACCUSED OF KEEPING A 40-INCH FLAT SCREEN T-V THAT WAS ACCIDENTALLY DELIVERED TO HIS HOUSE.
AND ANOTHER OF HAVING SEX WITH A SUSPECT.
THAT SAME RELEASE SAYS OFFICERS ANTHONY CASON AND FREDDY FOUNTAIN WERE SERVED WITH FIVE-DAY NOTICES OF TERMINATION TODAY.
BOTH MEN ADMITTED TO THE CHARGES AGAINST THEM.
POLICE SAY CASON IS CHARGED WITH THEFT BY TAKING.... FOR KEEPING THE T-V.
FOUNTAIN IS CHARGED WITH VIOLATING HIS OATH OF OFFICE... AND SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A PERSON IN CUSTODY.
THE NEWS RELEASE SAYS FOUNTAIN ARRESTED THE WOMAN FOR SHOPLIFTING...BUT DID NOT CHARGE HER AFTER SHE OFFERED TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM.
THE THIRD OFFICER SERVED WITH A TERMINATION NOTICE WAS WILLIAM STEWART.
THE RELEASE SAID HE WAS PUNISHED STRICTLY FOR POLICY VIOLATIONS IN THE INVESTIGATION INTO FOUNTAIN'S CASE.
NO CHARGES ARE EXPECTED AGAINST STEWART.
EDUCATOR AND PASTOR KEN DELOACH PLANS TO RUN FOR GEORGIA'S SECOND DISTRICT SEAT THIS YEAR.
EDUCATOR AND PASTOR KEN DELOACH PLANS TO RUN FOR GEORGIA'S SECOND DISTRICT SEAT THIS YEAR.
TWO YEARS AGO.. DELOACH.. A REPUBLICAN.. RAN FOR THE 8TH DISTRICT SEAT.. LOSING IN THE G-O-P PRIMARY TO U-S REPRESENTATIVE AUSTIN SCOTT.
ON HIS WEBSITE.. DELOACH SAYS THE PEOPLE OF THE SECOND DISTRICT HAVE LOST THEIR VOICE IN THE U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES..
DELOACH PLANS TO ANNOUNCE HIS CANDIDACY MONDAY.
HE'S THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AT CENTRAL FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN ACADEMY IN SOUTH BIBB COUNTY..
TWO OTHER REPUBLICANS HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR CANDIDACIES FOR THE POSITION.. RICK ALLEN AND JOHN HOUSE.. BOTH OF COLUMBUS.
SECOND DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN SANFORD BISHOP.. A DEMOCRAT.. IS EXPECTED TO SEEK RE-ELECTION.
A 19 YEAR OLD GIRL MADE A VISIT TODAY... TO A MAN SHE SAYS... SAVED HER LIFE THIRTEEN YEARS AGO.
MACON BIBB FIREFIGHTER LIEUTENANT DAVID BLOODWORTH IS RECOVERING AT COLISEUM MEDICAL CENTER AFTER A HEART ATTACK SATURDAY.
HE TOLD KATELYN HECK WHY THEIR REUNION... TAUGHT HIM AN IMPORTANT LESSON.
IT'S A STORY THAT COMES STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART.
<<
(NATS: how are you?... i'm doin much better now)
IT WAS A REUNION LIEUTENANT DAVID BLOODWORTH SAYS... HE WILL NEVER FORGET.
(SOT: its amazing that she came here to see me when Im going through what Im going through.)
13 YEARS AGO.... BLOODWORTH WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK... WHEN HE SAW A CAR STRIKE KIERRA BIVINS.
BLOODWORTH SAYS HE JUMPED OUT OF HIS CAR AND STARTED C-P-R UNTIL AN AMBULANCE ARRIVED.
(NATS: do you remember david riding to the hospital with you? 'i wasnt gonna let you go.")
BIVINS INJURED HER SPINAL CORD IN THE ACCIDENT... BUT HER FAMILY SAYS... THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE IF BLOODWORTH DIDNT STEP IN TO HELP.
(NATS: the lord brought you and i together for a reason)
ITS BEEN ALMOST A DECADE SINCE BIVINS SAW BLOODWORTH.
(SOT: she used to live near the station and when i would drive by i would honk the horn so she knew i was still here.)
BUT WHEN HER FAMILY HEARD BLOODWORTH WAS IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER A HEART ATTACK... THEY DECIDED TO PAY HIM A VISIT.
THEY CAUGHT UP ON EACH OTHERS LIVES....
(NATS: so what are you going to do when you graduate? 'im going to college')
AND EXCHANGED WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
(NATS: im so proud of you for never giving up.)
BLOODWORTH SAYS THEIR REUNION TAUGHT HIM THE IMPORTANCE OF NEVER GIVING UP.
(SOT: I see her and she was in a much worse situation than I was in and she can pull through it. Shes giving me courage right now to know I can pull through whatever I gotta go through.)
HE SAYS BIVINS VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL... IS A TIME HE WILL REMEMBER... FOREVER.
KATELYN HECK
13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS
BLOODWORTH SAYS HE WANTS TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH BIVINS AND HER FAMILY.
BIVINS SAYS SHE PLANS TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT HER LIFE... WITH SEVERAL CHAPTERS DEDICATED TO BLOODWORTH.
IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN TO REVEAL OUR FACEBOOK FAN OF THE DAY.
JAMEL SMITH... YOU'LL NEED TO EMAIL FAN OF THE DAY AT 13WMAZ DOT COM TO CLAIM YOUR COFFEE MUG.
NOW GETTING INTO THE RUNNING FOR FAN OF THE DAY IS AN EASY THREE-STEP PROCESS.
ONE... VISIT FACEBOOK DOT COM SLASH 13WMAZ.
TWO... BECOME A FAN... AND THREE... GET IN ON THE CONVERSATIONS.
WE PICK OUR FAN OF THE DAY RANDOMLY.
IT'S NOT EVERYDAY AN AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR AND BIG SCREEN ACTOR ROLLS INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA.
BUT NEXT MONTH, CLINT EASTWOOD IS COMING TO MACON TO FILM PART OF A BASEBALL-THEMED MOVIE AT LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD.
AND THE PRODUCERS ARE HOLDING TRYOUTS THIS SATURDAY FOR BALLPLAYERS.
AUSTIN LEWIS HAS MORE ON WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO KNOCK YOUR AUDITION OUT OF THE PARK.
AUSTIN ON CAM
THE MOVIE IS CALLED "TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE."
TAKE FULL PAGE
THE FILM'S SPORT COORDINATOR AIMEE MCDANIEL SAYS THEY PLAN TO FILM HERE ON MARCH 8.
AND CLINT EASTWOOD WILL BE HERE FOR THE FILMING.
TAKE FULL PAGE
MC DANIEL SAYS THEY ARE LOOKING FOR 20 MALE BASEBALL PLAYERS BETWEEN 18 AND 30 YEARS OLD.
AUSTIN ON CAM
YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL EXPERIENCE.
YOU CAN REGISTER ONLINE ON THE MIDDLE GEORGIA BASEBALL WEBSITE FOR TRYOUTS ---AND SOMEONE FROM HER COMPANY....THE SPORTS STUDIO... COULD CONTACT YOU.
MCDANIEL...HAS WORKED WITH EASTWOOD ON THE FILM INVICTUS...SAYS WORKING ON FILMS LIKE THIS ONE IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE...BECAUSE YOU GET TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST FOREVER.
TAKE SOT
Aimee McDaniel, Sports Coordinator: The guys get to take their DVD home and show Grandma and show somebody, like oh my god that's me, it may only be for a half a second but it's kind of a cool experience.
AUSTIN ON CAM
IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO REGISTER---MC DANIEL SAYS YOU CAN STILL COME BY LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD ON SATURDAY IF YOU HAVE BASEBALL EXPERIENCE.
SHE SAYS THEY WILL BE DOING BASEBALL DRILLS TO HELP CHOOSE THE PLAYERS.
THE MOVIE ALSO STARS JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, AMY ADAMS AND JOHN GOODMAN. .. BUT MCDANIEL SAYS EASTWOOD IS THE ONLY HEADLINER EXPECTED IN TOWN THAT DAY
EDUCATOR AND PASTOR KEN DELOACH PLANS TO RUN FOR GEORGIA'S SECOND DISTRICT SEAT THIS YEAR.