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Pictured from left to right: Ken Zeff, Atlanta Public Schools, District 3; Samuel Greene, President, Midtown Neighbors’ Association; Alex Wan, Atlanta City Council, District 6; Rob Brawner, Executive Director, Atlanta Beltline Partnership; Mayor Andre Dickens, City of Atlanta; Clyde Higgs, President and CEO, Atlanta Beltline, Inc.; Commissioner Justin Cutler, Atlanta Parks & Recreation; Doug Widener, President & CEO, Piedmont Park Conservancy; Commissioner Solomon Caviness, Atlanta Department of Transportation

On Tuesday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. President & CEO Clyde Higgs and other community leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Northeast Trail – Segment 1, including the improvements of the highly-anticipated 10th & Monroe intersection project. This 0.9 mile-segment of the mainline Beltline loop begins at the intersection of 10th Street and Monroe Drive and extends along Piedmont Park to Westminster Drive.

“The Beltline has become one of the most influential transportation projects in the nation,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “This is more than just a trail project – it is embodying the collective vision of bringing the city together to reconnect our communities. And we’re doing just that. The Northeast Trail is one of the most anticipated segments of the entire project, giving residents greater access to the legendary Piedmont Park, crucial transportation improvements and enhanced safety measures at 10th and Monroe.”

This portion of the Beltline links to the existing Eastside Trail and Northeast Trail – Segment 2, which opened in November 2023. It connects the neighborhoods of Midtown, Virginia Highland, and Morningside, providing Atlantans with an equitable, sustainable transportation alternative. Piedmont Park’s Carriage Trail, which connects Westminster Drive to Evelyn Street and the Westminster Trail Bridge are included in this segment.

 “The completion of Northeast Trail – Segment 1 marks a significant milestone not only for the Beltline but for the entire City of Atlanta as we finish the 22-mile loop,” said Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. “This project provides Atlantans with a safe, accessible, and equitable way to navigate the city, linking neighborhoods and offering expanded access to Atlanta’s ‘emerald necklace’, connecting residents to beloved spaces like Piedmont Park.  

Also, included in the Northeast Trail – Segment 1, Atlanta Beltline is the 10th and Monroe intersection, which was completed in partnership with the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Department of Transportation. As a critical improvement of the segment, the intersection is among the busiest along the Beltline, serving as a connection point between the Eastside Trail, Piedmont Park, and the Northeast Trail.

Scheduled for completion on November 17, the redesigned intersection at one of Northeast Atlanta’s busiest crossings introduces significant improvements to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety and accessibility. This redesign provides Atlanta Public School students and trail users with a safer route through a heavily trafficked area, ensuring a secure and accessible path across busy roadways.

“These upgrades support the City’s Commitment to Vision Zero – our focused and dedicated effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all Atlanta streets by 2040,” said ATLDOT Commissioner Solomon Caviness.  “Making sure Atlanta students and families can safely walk and bike to neighborhood schools also supports ATLDOT’s Safe Routes to School initiative. We hope these efforts honor the memory of Grady High School student Alexia Hyneman and all students attending Atlanta schools.”

 Key improvements include:

• New 10th Street Bike Lane: Providing direct access to the Atlanta Beltline, enhancing connectivity and safety for trail users.

• Raised Pedestrian Crossing: Improving safety for trail users and pedestrians. 

• Improved Pedestrian Crossings and Signals: At key intersections to ensure safer travel for all users of the trail.

• New Vehicular Traffic Signals: Installed at Kanuga St. NE and Monroe Dr. NE will manage traffic flow better and improve safety.

As of date, the Beltline has 11.3 miles of the 22-mile Beltline mainline loop delivered with 10.3 miles of connector trails that tie directly into current and future segments of the trail. With more construction projects underway since its founding in 2005, 85% of the mainline trail is now complete or under construction.

The majority of funding for the Beltline comes from public sources, specifically through the Beltline Tax Allocation District, supported by Atlanta Public Schools (APS), Fulton County, and the City of Atlanta, and Beltline Special Service District investors. Lead philanthropic support to complete the full Beltline trail corridor comes from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Inc. and The James M. Cox Foundation.

Other collaborators critical to these trail efforts include Atlanta Regional Commission, City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Atlanta Department of Transportation, City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Power, MARTA, Invest Atlanta, Piedmont Park Conservancy, Trees Atlanta., U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Reeves + Young, and Heath & Lineback Engineers Inc 

 The trail is currently open with minor limitations due to the final installation work underway on railings and handrails. Landscaping will be underway in the winter months ahead, along with the completion of other minor projects.  

After a year-long closing due to new road alignment, Woodstock’s historic train depot will re-open with an exciting new restaurant, announced Cheri Morris of Morris & Fellows, master developer of Woodstock Downtown and Woodstock City Center. Fire & Stone Italian Pizza, a family-owned restaurant serving authentic pizza and Italian dishes, will begin serving customers in late spring/early summer 2025. According to Morris, the eatery is exactly the type of family-friendly casual dining concept desired for the iconic Woodstock landmark, located at 251 East Main St.

“The historic Woodstock Train Depot has been a local landmark for over a century, and the building’s transition from a working depot to a popular dining location symbolized Woodstock’s rebirth from a sleepy railroad town to a vital, energized small city,” said Morris. “Thanks to the city’s visionary leadership and thoughtful planning, today’s residents and visitors come to Woodstock for boutique shopping, dining, employment and a variety of housing options. A key goal of the city’s master plan was to retain Woodstock’s charm as it transformed. During this process, the historic train depot was carefully preserved, and it has become the fulcrum point between the extraordinarily successful Woodstock Downtown revitalization and the new Woodstock City Center project now underway. This one-of-a-kind historic property deserves a restaurant that can use its energy and I believe we have found that with Fire & Stone Italian Pizza,” she said.

Fire & Stone Italian Pizza has been serving customers for over three decades, offering fresh Italian fare created from cherished family recipes. The new location will feature a show kitchen and imported Italian pizza ovens in the dining area so patrons can watch the pizzas as they are hand-crafted and baked to order. Diners will enjoy both indoor and outdoor seating on a new deck overlooking Depot Square – a new park in front of the train depot, and can top off a meal with fresh gelato served through the window of the Depot’s adjacent caboose.

“Both Woodstock Downtown and Woodstock City Center represent a generational opportunity to add retail, office, hotel, and critically-important parking and infrastructure to one of the most popular downtown destinations in Georgia,” said Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell. “The addition of Fire & Stone Italian Pizza in the historic Train Depot is a perfect fit for our city’s continued redevelopment.”

State Senate Democrats Friday elected Sen. Harold Jones of Augusta to serve as Senate minority leader.

Meeting in Savannah, the Senate Democratic Caucus chose Jones, who has been serving as minority whip, to succeed retiring Minority Leader Gloria Butler. Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain, will take over as minority whip.

Senate Democrats reelected the rest of their leadership team. Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, will return as caucus chair, with Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta, as vice chair.

Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, will serve as vice chair of finance, and Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, will continue as caucus secretary.

This week’s elections didn’t change the makeup of the Senate. The upper legislative chamber again will consist of 33 Republicans and 23 Democrats.

Capitol Beat is a nonprofit news service operated by the Georgia Press Educational Foundation that provides coverage of state government to newspapers throughout Georgia. For more information visit capitol-beat.org.

Recently,  the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (based in Sandy Springs) presented a check of $2.5 million to Emory University to showcase the total amount of grants that Rally has given to Emory University for research over the years, with the most recent grant of $350,000 in 2024. Rally Kid Cooper from Brookhaven was in attendance. An 8th grader, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma (spread to his bones) in June and has been undergoing treatment since. 

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research has awarded a $350,000 grant to Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, marking the largest single-year donation Rally has made to Emory’s pediatric cancer research program. The check presentation ceremony, held on Wednesday, October 30, celebrated the ongoing partnership between Rally Foundation and Winship, both dedicated to improving treatments and outcomes for children fighting cancer.

Since its founding in 2005, Rally Foundation has provided over $35 million in research grants to fuel childhood cancer studies worldwide, with more than $2 million supporting Emory and Winship researchers since 2006. This year’s $350,000 donation will fund five projects led by Winship investigators, aiming to advance scientific discovery and bring new hope to pediatric cancer patients and their families.

“Supporting Emory’s talented researchers aligns perfectly with Rally’s mission to fund innovative research and develop better treatments with fewer side effects,” said Dean Crowe, Rally Foundation Founder and CEO. “Through collaborations like this, we’re making significant strides toward more effective therapies and, ultimately, cures for childhood cancer.”

The Rally Foundation has also played a role in securing $223 million in federal funding through the Department of Defense’s CDMRP program. Recently, Winship researcher Hunter Jonus, MD, received support through this program to advance her work on pediatric cancer therapies.

The ceremony included remarks from Rally Foundation Board Chair Michael Gossling, Winship’s Dr. Kelly Goldsmith, co-leader of the Discovery & Developmental Therapeutics Program, and Rally CEO Dean Crowe. Rally Foundation’s peer-reviewed funding process is guided by a diverse medical advisory board, which includes Winship researchers and Emory faculty members Katharine Brock, MD; Natia Esiashvili, MD; Kelly Goldsmith, MD; Andrew Hong, MD; Jonathan Kaufman, MD; Renee Read, PhD; Jenny Shim, MD; Dan Wechsler, MD; and Jason Yustein, MD, PhD.

As one of Rally’s most well-supported institutions, Winship Cancer Institute remains a valued research partner in Rally Foundation’s mission. This latest donation underscores the importance of continued collaboration in advancing pediatric oncology science and accelerating the search for cures.

The Georgia gas price average decreased at the pumps compared to a week ago.  Georgians pay an average of $2.93 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline (subject to change overnight). Monday’s state average is 1 cent less than a week ago, 21 cents more than a month ago, and 6 cents more than this time last year. It costs drivers an average price of $43.95 to fill a 15-gallon tank of regular gasoline.

On Oct. 29, 2024, the Atlanta Business League hosted a timely panel discussion at The Gathering Spot, bringing together distinguished community and leaders, as well as technology experts, to discuss the transformative impact artificial intelligence (AI) is having on Georgia. Sponsored by Google, the event highlighted how businesses of all sizes can leverage AI to address various challenges, including pressing workforce shortages, contributing to a brighter future for the Peach State.

Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a global real estate developer, has signed a new lease at Science Square Labs in Atlanta, Georgia. The lease was signed with the Georgia State Properties Commission (SPC) which is the state’s real property portfolio manager and signs all leases on behalf of state agencies. SPC assigned the space to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA). The organization will occupy 11,129 square feet of pre-built lab/office space on the 11^th floor. The 13-story, 368,258-square-foot state-of-the-art lab building was delivered in April 2024.
 
“Having delivered 33,136 square feet of move-in-ready lab/office suites shortly after the building was completed was a major factor in helping us land GDA at Science Square Labs,” said Katherine Lynch, a Principal with TCC Atlanta. “This purpose-built project has the mission-critical infrastructure laboratory environments require, and we’re excited to bring quality lab space with modern office amenities to Atlanta.”
 
GDA is the voice of the state’s agriculture community. The department’s mission is to provide excellence in services and regulatory functions, to protect and promote agriculture and consumer interests, and to ensure an abundance of safe food and fiber for Georgia, America, and the world by using state-of-the-art technology and a professional workforce. GDA joins national life sciences incubator, Portal Innovations, at Science Square Labs, which leased 33,000 sq. ft. last summer.
 
Science Square Labs is the first speculative lab/office building developed in Atlanta. The building is part of Georgia Tech’s Science Square innovation district and is designed to meet the needs of established R&D companies as well as start-ups and growth-stage groups in the science, technology, and life sciences sectors. The GDA space includes two of six pre-built lab spaces on the 11th floor. Science Square Labs is also LEED and WELL Gold, featuring sustainable initiatives to include a 38,000-sq.-ft. solar array, capacity for 180 EV chargers, and a Konvekta high-performance energy recovery system, which reduces CO2 emissions and tenant energy costs.

Science Square is an 18-acre, multi-phase, mixed-use innovation district offering up to 1.3 million sq. ft. of future lab and office space. In addition to Science Square Labs, phase one of the development also include ground-floor retail and The Grace Residences, a 280-unit, 14-story multifamily high-rise that started welcoming its first residents in April. The community offers a curated collection of wellness-inspired amenities, including a bike room; a club room; an outdoor courtyard with fire pits, grilling areas, and a resort-style pool; a state-of-the-art fitness center; a package room; a co-working space; a pet spa; and a 14th floor indoor/outdoor sky lounge with views of Midtown and Downtown Atlanta.
 
CBRE’s Eric Ross, Jessica Doyle, and Graham Little represented the landlord in the lease negotiations, while Erik Weiss and Kari Downing with Savills represented the tenant.
 
For more information about leasing opportunities at Science Square Labs, please visit ScienceSquareLabs.com or connect with the CBRE team of Eric Ross, Jessica Doyle, and Graham Little. More information about current availabilities at The Grace can be found by visiting TheGraceResidences.com. Inquiries for the two available ground-floor retail spaces can be addressed to Amy Fingerhut at CBRE.

Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (LA ART), a proposed aerial gondola system from Union Station to Dodger Stadium, in collaboration with Wired Research, today announced the results of a recent survey conducted to discover how traffic impacts enjoyment and opinions of attending live events.

One of the most surprising results was despite high ticket prices for wildly popular events like the recent World Series games or the conclusion of the Taylor Swift Eras tour, many Americans (80 percent)* admit to sneaking out of events early to help alleviate anticipated stress and frustration of leaving the venue or parking lot, often missing their favorite artist’s encore song or that game-winning run. Of those who left early, one in three regretted it and felt like they missed out on the full event experience with nearly a quarter (22 percent) feeling like they didn’t get their money’s worth. Millions of Americans (74 percent) also expressed they would attend events more often if they knew a traffic nightmare wasn’t waiting for them before or after the experience.

“Based on our findings, and our own shared experiences, we know that traffic is one of the biggest frustrations people face when it comes to attending events,” said David Grannis, Executive Director of Zero Emissions Transit, the non-profit organization leading the effort to bring the gondola to Los Angeles.  “On top of these challenges, people also worry about what negative impact attending these events could have on our communities. This is one of the many reasons why we’re excited to bring a solution to life for those in Los Angeles with our proposed aerial gondola system.”

Additional findings revealed nearly all Americans (95 percent) have attended a live event at least once. The vast majority (83 percent) get there by driving and traffic is a common frustration—almost every attendee (95 percent) reported sitting in traffic on the way there and while waiting to pull into the venue’s parking lot. In fact, about three-quarters of eventgoers say that the frustrations of getting to the event itself takes away from the joy of the occasion.

While everyone may look forward to an exhilarating in-person musical performance or catching their favorite sports team play, nearly half (44 percent) are concerned about the impact on the environment attending can cause due to the number of cars on the road traveling to and from the venue itself.

The LA ART gondola project is a proposal to build an aerial gondola system connecting Los Angeles Union Station to Dodger Stadium, with a seven-minute ride that’s free to ticketholders, aiming to reduce emissions and take 3,000 cars off the road on Dodgers game days. The gondola system will provide an alternative mode of transportation in LA to avoid traffic that is better for the environment. The system is expected to begin construction in 2026 and will be completed ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. For more information, please visit laart.la.

*Online survey conducted by Wired Research to 1,012 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

The Military Flagship School Award recognizes schools that go above and beyond to provide a supportive environment for military students and families. These schools specifically reach out to military families and recognize and accommodate their unique needs. School representatives should complete the 2024-2025 Military Flagship School Award application before the January 15, 2025 deadline.

Last year, GaDOE selected 17 schools as 2023-2024 Military Flagship School Award winners.

“Ensuring children of military families receive support in Georgia’s public schools remains a top priority of my administration,” Superintendent Woods said. “I extend my sincerest congratulations to the 17 schools that received the Military Flagship School Award in 2023-2024. I look forward to shining a light on the 2024-2025 Military Flagship Schools for going above and beyond to serve and support military-connected students and their families.”

The Military Flagship School Award applications are open to all Georgia K-12 public schools, and a panel of judges with experience in the education of military-connected students evaluates them.

Schools are asked to provide specific examples of their outreach to military families, including:

Services and programs offered to support the needs of military students and their families.
Training provided to school personnel to help them understand and support the needs of military children.
Opportunities provided by the school to help military parents and their children connect with and feel supported by the surrounding community.
Efforts to help military parents and their children feel engaged and respected in their new school by creating opportunities for them to get involved.

Every selected school has a way to recognize and know if students are from Gold Star Families. They allow excused absences for a student during their parent’s overseas deployment departure or arrival day. In addition, they allow enrollment with military orders, shot ID, or shot records for 90 days until the family finds a home or lease and allow online or phone registration for incoming military members from overseas Department of Defense military bases. Every school recognized has a military buddy system linking incoming military students with other military students during their first weeks of school.

“I am honored to oversee the Military Flagship School Award program,” GaDOE Military Student and Family Specialist Rachale LaVoie said. “These schools understand the unique challenges of military life and seek to support students and families, continuing to make Georgia one of the most military-friendly states in the nation. As a military spouse, I know the importance of the work the 17 2023-2024 Military Flagship Schools do for military students and their families.”

The 2023-2024 Military Flagship Schools are:
Bonaire Primary School – Houston County School District
Grovetown High School – Columbia County School District
Joseph Martin Elementary School – Liberty County School System
Lake Joy Elementary School – Houston County School District
Lanier County Elementary School – Lanier County Schools
Lanier County High School – Lanier County Schools
Lewis Frasier Middle School – Liberty County School System
Liberty County High School – Liberty County School System
Liberty Elementary School – Liberty County School System
Long County Middle School – Long County School System
Mossy Creek Middle School – Houston County School District
Parkway Elementary School – Columbia County School District
Sallas Mahone Elementary School – Valdosta City Schools
Shaw High School – Muscogee County School District
St. Marys Elementary School – Camden County Schools
Taylors Creek Elementary School – Liberty County School System
Veterans High School – Houston County School District

Highlights from the 2023-2024 Military Flagship Schools

Bonaire Primary School – Houston County School District
Bonaire Primary School has an assigned Military and Family Life Counselor, a licensed mental health professional designated to provide solution-focused counseling support to military students and their families. The school also provides a Deployment Group program, in conjunction with Robins Air Force Base, which offers support for students with family members deployed. BPS also hosts the Anchored4Life program, a peer-led program that supports students in transition to make connections and have leadership and service opportunities. Additionally, the BPS school counselor intentionally links incoming military students with the Military Family Life Counselor and a student peer upon arrival. The school invites service members to walk with their students and be recognized by the entire student body during its Walk of Honor annual parade.

Grovetown High School – Columbia County School District
Grovetown High School partners with Fort Eisenhower to have a full-time Military and Family Life Counselor to support military-connected students specifically. The school has an annual student-planned and -led Veterans Day ceremony, during which students are encouraged to invite family members or friends who serve or have served in the United States military. The school also offers an Army JROTC program, which includes competitive Raider and Drill teams. Additionally, the organization hosts an annual Ice Breaker Meet and Greet, inviting veterans to engage with JROTC students.

Joseph Martin Elementary School – Liberty County School System
The Military Family Life Counselor at Joseph Martin Elementary School offers individual sessions and lunch groups for students with an active-duty parent. JMES student ambassadors receive training from the Fort Stewart School Liaison regarding best practices to assist newly enrolled military-connected students. JMES offers monthly lunch groups for students with a deployed parent, helping them connect. Each year, the school incorporates special days to honor active-duty families during Red Ribbon Week, including Camo Day to show kindness and appreciation to military families and Wear RED (Remember Everyone Deployed) Day.

Lake Joy Elementary School – Houston County School District
The Lake Joy Elementary School Military Kids Club offers students with military ties an opportunity to engage in various activities fostering camaraderie and mutual support. During Lunch Bunch, the school sets aside dedicated time for military students to connect, ensuring a welcoming environment during lunch hours. The LJES Military and Family Life Counselor ensures effective communication and assistance for military families, addressing their unique needs. The school’s Freedom Friday series includes tailored events and activities designed to honor and recognize the sacrifices of military service members. The school also hosts active-duty military personnel guest speakers who provide valuable insights and foster connections.

Lanier County Elementary School – Lanier County Schools
Lanier County Elementary School offers Military Child Education Coalition counseling services for military-connected students. LCES participates in Student 2 Student (S2S), a peer-to-peer student-led program that brings military and civilian students together to welcome new students. LCES helps military parents and their children feel engaged and respected by hosting opportunities to celebrate military families, including on Veterans Day and Purple Up Day. In addition, on Fridays, students are encouraged to wear red for (Remember Everyone Deployed).

Lanier County High School – Lanier County Schools
Lanier County High School offers military-connected students Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) counseling services. Additionally, the Student 2 Student (S2S) program provides students with various ways to integrate into the school and surrounding community’s culture. The LCHS athletics department hosts home games dedicated to the military, which all military personnel can attend at no charge. Before each game, a program, including a flag presentation, honors past and present service members. For Veterans Day, LCHS invited all military families affiliated with their students to attend a pep rally in which they were honored and presented with small tokens of appreciation.

Lewis Frasier Middle School – Liberty County School System
Lewis Frasier Middle School offers a student ambassador program, which helps ease the pressures of becoming part of a new school and community by pairing students with other military students currently enrolled or students taking the same or similar courses. Other engagement activities include having military personnel as guest speakers during honor roll celebrations and their active participation during literacy night, book fairs, and STEM nights. LFMS military students and their families are also honored and celebrated during the Month of the Military Child, each receiving certificates signed by the principal. The school facilitates service projects focusing on collecting items for care packages for deployed soldiers.

Liberty County High School – Liberty County School System
Liberty County High School established Operation Brothers’ Keeper, a voluntary support program to build connectedness between military and non-military-connected students. The program offers opportunities for peer involvement through student ambassadors and volunteers. Each year, the school participates in local Veterans Day celebrations, including the annual parade. LCHS staff, students, and parents also participate in the annual Military Ball at Fort Stewart. The school celebrates the Month of the Military Child by honoring veterans and currently enlisted service members by displaying their photos in the school hallways. LCHS also participates in a Christmas Cards for Heroes campaign annually between November and December.

Liberty Elementary School – Liberty County School System
Liberty Elementary School offers military students and their families access to a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC). At LES, families and military partners visit classrooms and read books to the students during Children’s Book Week. Additionally, LES military partners speak with the students about their jobs during Career Week. The school also has signs recognizing veterans, military spouses, and military children because each group provides a unique perspective on military life. The LES Cub Squad Mentoring Program links military students with staff members who are veterans, military spouses, or grew up as military-connected students. The program provides students with different staff members to speak with when experiencing something that only other military members understand.

Long County Middle School – Long County School System
Long County Middle School has a designated Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) on site. Each year, LCMS students write thank you notes, which they deliver to faculty and staff who are veterans. Posters of each veteran are featured in the common area for all students to see. LCMS celebrates the Month of the Military Child throughout April with announcements and awareness. LCMS offers a buddy system to assist new students with acclimating to the school, staff, and fellow students. A military student representative is partnered with new military students to give them a tour of the school and explain some of its clubs and sports activities. LCMS plans to expand the buddy system to a support group that meets once per month.

Mossy Creek Middle School – Houston County School District
Mossy Creek Middle School (MCMS) has a designated Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC), a licensed professional counselor assigned to the school to provide non-medical, solution-focused counseling to support military families and students. MCMS also supports military parents, guardians, and students by honoring and celebrating important military holidays and special dates such as Veterans Day and Month of the Military Child, including Purple Up Day. The Robins AFB School Liaison provides professional development to all teachers and staff to help them understand military children’s unique challenges. This training helps staff understand the hardships of moving repeatedly and having their military parent deploy for long periods.

Parkway Elementary School – Columbia County School District
Parkway Elementary School has an in-house Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) who provides non-medical counseling, consultation, and outreach services to support military students and families as they encounter the challenges associated with military life. School counselors also host a biweekly Newcomers Club meeting for military students new to the school. PES Month of the Military Child celebrations include Purple Up Day and a military-themed spirit week. Additionally, the school has a monthly wear RED to Remember Everyone Deployed day. The daily PES morning show features a military fact of the day and highlights selected military-connected students.

Sallas Mahone Elementary School – Valdosta City Schools
Sallas Mahone Elementary has a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) onsite, who offers support to both children and families for all their concerns related to parents or guardians deploying, reuniting, transitioning to and from different schools, connecting with new friends, feeling welcomed and accepted into a new school, and adjusting to life with a parent on a temporary duty station (TDY) or deployment. SMES has a Scott Craven Military Breakfast Club that meets with the school’s entire military population twice a month. Additionally, the school invites Moody Air Force Base service members to mentor students. In April, SMES collected donations for deployed airmen, and students used camouflage lettering to create a sign identifying military students, which hung in the school hallway.

Shaw High School – Muscogee County School District
Shaw High School offers a mentor program, Student 2 Student (S2S), through which a current student is assigned to be a new military student’s buddy. S2S students give tours to all new arrival students, help them find a lunch buddy, and check on them throughout their first few weeks at Shaw. New military students are encouraged to join the S2S and the Military Club. During Military Club meetings, S2S students share the clubs and sports they are involved in so new military students can find extracurricular activities to give them a sense of belonging at the school. SHS students help serve veterans during the Veterans Breakfast at the Mall each year. SHS students also attend an annual banquet at the Fort Moore Officers’ Club to recognize outstanding military students who received awards and scholarships.

St. Marys Elementary School – Camden County Schools
St. Marys Elementary has a designated Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) who visits classrooms, meets with military-connected students individually, and offers students Lunch Bunch days, providing casual opportunities for conversation during lunch. The MFLC works closely with the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base School Liaison Officer to stay up-to-date regarding base activities. SMES also has a Connections Club program that meets monthly to plan ways to reach out to new military students and support events honoring military personnel and their families. Two submarine crews have adopted the school through the Adopt-A-School program. Through this program, sailors visit the school and read to SMES students, help with special events, and assist in other ways as needed.

Taylors Creek Elementary School – Liberty County School System
Taylors Creek Elementary School offers unique programs for military students, including HERO Boys and SHERO Girls Mentoring programs, which active-duty, retired service members, and other veterans lead. TCES also has an Ambassador program, in which military-connected students hold several positions. The Ambassador program allows students to have ownership in the school and provides them an opportunity to meet and support new incoming military students as well. The school has a dedicated Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) who supports military students and their families.

Veterans High School – Houston County School District
Veterans High School worked closely with the Robins Air Force Base School Liaison to select a Military and Family Life Counselor who strongly desires to serve high school students. The MFLC provides regular updates and presentations to staff on topics such as understanding unique military life challenges, transitions, deployments, military culture, bas events, and resources. The Warhawk Welcome Team, comprised of trained ambassadors, welcomes and provides tours for new military students. The school hosts a Military Family Engagement Night annually to honor military students and families for their continued sacrifice and resilience. VHS class officers facilitated a snack, food, and letter-writing drive supporting the 21st Century Partnership for deployed service members and their families at Robins AFB. The student body wrote over 1,500 letters of encouragement and gratitude and donated over 300 snack food items for care packages.

Six Flags has no plans to close any of its parks, despite rumors this week that it would be considering its options.

In an email Friday, Six Flags Corporate Director of Communications Gary Rhodes confirmed, “We have no plans to close parks.”

Read More at WTVM.