At a Cherokee County school board meeting, parents called for action after board member Robert Rechsteiner was accused of making derogatory comments towards a transgender wrestler at an event in California. Rechsteiner has not responded to media inquiries or made any public statements about the allegations. Parents called for Rechsteiner to be punished or admonished, for all board members to receive training on LGBTQ plus and gender inclusion, and for a hearing to determine whether Rechsteiner violated the school board's code of ethics. The school board has not yet commented on the allegations or the calls for action.
Two suspects have been arrested by Cherokee County authorities after a 17-pound seizure of fentanyl-laced meth was found at a house near Holly Springs. The seizure is said to have an estimated street value of over $750,000. James Aldred and Lynnette De Becker were arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including trafficking and manufacturing both methamphetamine and fentanyl, and the sale of Schedule 1 Narcotic. The investigation into the drug trafficking organization responsible for meth distribution and sales in Cherokee County is ongoing.
Cherokee High School in Cherokee County will have a new principal starting this fall. The current principal, Rodney Larrotta, has been promoted to executive director of administrative leadership for elementary schools. The new principal, Andy Hall, is currently serving as the principal of the ACTIVE Academies Campus. Hall has previously served as an assistant principal at River Ridge with a focus on curriculum and has been a teacher and coach in Cherokee and Woodstock High School. Larrotta has previously been principal at Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy and worked as a teacher and coach at Woodstock High School.
Six Cherokee County School District students were awarded in the 2023 Atlanta American Institute of Architects High School Design Competition. Etowah High School students, Megan Reed and Mikayla Parks, placed second in the advanced level contest. Sequoyah High School students, Olivia Power, Wyatt Rock, Rylee Trusner, and David Paliotta, won first, second, third place, and honorable mention respectively in the food kiosk design challenge. All six students are involved in the Career Pathway for Architectural Drafting and Design at their high schools. Their wins set a new school and district record for recognition.
Woodstock's baseball team began their playoff campaign with a resounding victory over South Paulding, winning both games at home. In Game 1, the Wolverines scored seven runs in the first inning and continued to pile on runs, winning 15-3 in five innings. In Game 2, the Spartans held Woodstock to a 4-1 lead until Mylon Uribe's bases-clearing double gave the Wolverines a comfortable lead. Coogan Bombard pitched the first four innings and Kevin Maurer pitched the final two, allowing only one run between them. Woodstock advances to the second round of the playoffs and will host the winner of Apalachee and Pope.
Canton officials and staff held an open house to present a potential site plan for a new park in the south area of the city. Proposed amenities in the plan include a playground, dog parks, food truck area, a band stand, and a ropes course, among others. Citizens were invited to give feedback on the plan, with the kid's play area, dog parks, and tree ropes course receiving the most support. Some residents expressed concerns about traffic and property values. TSW, the designer for the project, will incorporate community feedback before presenting a proposed concept to the city council in the future.
Etowah's baseball team dominated Newnan on their home field, winning both games and advancing to the second round of the Class AAAAAA state playoffs. The Eagles scored double-digit runs in both games, while limiting the Cougars to just four runs across both games. The Eagles' Game 2 win marked head coach Robinson's 300th win since taking over 16 seasons ago. The team will now face North Forsyth in the next round, having won six of their last seven games. Robinson said, "This is the time to be playing your best baseball," and is pleased to have "a couple of tough wins on the road."
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