When Bryce Johnson became Idaho Falls police chief in 2017, he was taking control of a department that had just come out of a series of public confrontations.Â
Former Police Chief Mark McBride proved unpopular within the department after the officers held a vote of no confidence against him. Officers accused their boss of passing them over for promotions in violation of the department s policies and allegedly favoring McBride s preferred candidates.Â
Johnson is the department s third chief in a decade. Steve Roos was chief from 2007 to 2012 and was succeeded by McBride. More than three years after Johnson was hired, the department looks very different. Officer morale is up.Â
Van Wert City Schools Board accepts resignations, donations Wednesday, December 16, 2020 7:11 PM Trinda Keber, Van Wert Middle School art teacher, addresses the Van Wert City Board of Education during the Board s meeting Wednesday evening. (DHI Media/Sherry Missler)
BY SHERRY MISSLER
smissler@timesbulletin.com
VAN WERT Van Wert City Schools Board of Education dealt with a number of personnel issues
at its regular meeting Wednesday, Dec. 16. Six people tendered their
resignations due to retirement. These include Jamie Gibson, EMIS
coordinator, who has served 30 years with the district; Donna Clark,
elementary school literacy teacher/coach, after 25 years at Van Wert;
Tonia Dunifon, elementary school music teacher, who has served 34 years
SCOTT TRUXELL/
independent writer
Teachers and staff in the Van Wert City Schools are preparing to do a remote learning test run on Monday and Tuesday, December 21 and 22, and Superintendent Mark Bagley said it will allow the district to see how far it’s come since March, when e-learning was hastily assembled statewide due to COVID-19.
Van Wert Middle School art teacher Trinda Keber talks about the educational benefits of virtual reality during Wednesday’s meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education.
Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent
During Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting, Bagley added that the goal of in-person learning hasn’t changed at all.