To help celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the most beloved characters from a childhood series, The Western Mountain Reading Council, Read2Me and the Macon County Public Library are teaming up to throw Waldo a birthday party.

On Saturday, Nov. 3, from 1 until 2:30 p.m. parents and children, birth to five years old are invited to the Macon County Public Library to celebrate Waldo's 25th birthday. Children will be invited to participate in the Where's Waldo hunt through the library; story time with Read2Me’s Ralph the Therapy Reading Dog; and other great Waldothemed arts and crafts.

While children are involved in all the free activities planned, parents will be invited to participate in parent training sessions lead by the Western Mountain Reading Council to learn easy, effective reading activities to use at home.

Prior to the monthly meeting of the Macon County Board of Education on Monday night, the school board recognized district staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve the children of Macon County.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Duncan and Board Chair Tommy Cabe presented Rita Esterwood, an Allied Health Science Teacher at Franklin High School with the District Teacher of the Year award. According to Dr. Duncan, Esterwood received the award for her work not only as a teacher at Franklin High, but also for her work coaching the high school's cross country team.

All divisions of Southwestern Community College’s Health Sciences participated in a disaster drill involving a shooter on campus scenario, which involved the rescue of wounded students and apprehending the shooter on the Jackson Campus, Friday, Oct. 5.

The Disaster Drill is an annual event organized to give Health Sciences students first-hand experience in a mass casualty incident. Health Sciences students work alongside their peers, instructors and local medical professionals to operate a simulated hospital,

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Retired educator Gary M. Shields has been reappointed to the Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees by the Macon County Commissioners and the Jackson County Commissioners. Shields has served on the SCC Board of Trustees since August 2011.

A native of Macon County, Shields served two tours of duty in Vietnam serving with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

Shields earned his Bachelor’s degree from Gardner- Webb College and a Masters in School Administration from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He also has a Masters in Guidance Counseling from Western Carolina University.