School board gives parents the choice to opt out.

Macon County schools recently revised the Board Policy to give parents the option to opt out of allowing their child to be subjected to corporal punishment.

The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse and neglect at a minimum as “any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents as imminent risk of serious harm.” More specifically, physical abuse is generally defined as “any non-accidental physical injury to the child” which can include striking, kicking, burning, or biting the child or any other action that results in a physical impairment of the child.

With Macon County students starting classes Thursday, volunteers in the school system are gearing up to make sure students have all the supplies they need to kick-off the school year.

Macon County’s 9th annual “Fill the Bus” school supply drive will be held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Franklin Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Big Lots locations.

The event runs during tax-free weekend in order to fully take advantage of the statewide event. Each year, in accordance with state statute, the first weekend in August is designated to give shoppers a break on their purchases. State sales tax will not apply to clothing, footwear, schools supplies, sports equipment and even computers purchased during this time.

Jackson County Clerk of Court Ann Melton, left, swore in new Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees member Dewayne Elders, right, along with re-appointed members, from left, Jerry Sutton, Terry Bell and Libby Knight during the board’s July 26 meeting.

Elders, son of Jackson County Commissioner Charles Elders, fills the seat of former commissioner William Shelton. Elders, who received his degree in business, is a graduate of Southwestern.

Sutton, reappointed by Gov. Bev Perdue, has served on SCC’s board for 28 years, including seven terms as chairman.

James Zhang will be serving as interim dean of Western Carolina University’s Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, effective Monday, Aug. 1.

Currently associate dean of the Kimmel School, Zhang will fill a vacancy created by the upcoming departure of the current dean, Robert McMahan, who recently was named the new president of Kettering University in Flint, Mich.

Kettering University, formerly General Motors University, is known for its topranked undergraduate programs in engineering, mathematics, science and business, Beth Tyson Lofquist, WCU interim provost, said in announcing the Kimmel School leadership changes.