Latest news with #WestElementarySchool
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Posey County's first inclusive playground opens in Mt. Vernon
Mt. Vernon, Ind. (WEHT) — Posey County is now to its first inclusive playground for the young and the young at heart to play barrier free. It's called Avery's Place, and it sits right next door to West Elementary School in Mt. Vernon. After years of planning, in fact going all the way back to 2017, Avery's Place is now open for children, families and individuals of all abilities to have fun and make memories at the playground. Those I spoke to say they will certainly be back this spring and summer. Smiles and the trill of fun and games are at every corner at Avery's Place on Sunday. There's slides, merry-go-rounds and swings, but there's also soft surfacing — instead of mulch — and ramps and wheelchair-accessible entrances. 'It's the best playground I've ever been to,' one patron says. 'It had a lot of swings.' 'We're playing on the playground and having fun and playing with our friends,' Theo Rynkiewich says. It's done in memory of Avery Beste, a Tri-State girl with disabilities who passed in 2008 at 18. Though she could not walk or talk, she had an infectious energy which leaves an impression to this day and for years to come with this community resource. 'Avery was always happy, always smiling, loved to be around people,' Avery's sister, Layna Dickey, says. 'Just loved to be part of anything that I was doing — just wanted to participate and be there.' 'When Avery was little, I would take them to the playground, she just had to sit and watch,' Avery's mother, Maureen Beste, says. 'There was nowhere she was able to play on anything.' But no longer will families have to 'sit and watch,' including the Rynkiewich family of Evansville. Frank Rynkiewich has been battling ALS since 2021 and requires a wheelchair. While it may just appear as a playground to some, Avery's Place is and will continue to be what the family describes as a 'huge gift.' 'Being a family who's been impacted by disability, this is really important for us to be able to spend time together, making memories as a family without any barriers or obstacles,' says Maddie Rynkiewich. We can thank Mt. Vernon native — Sydney Deno — for placing the seed which blossomed into the grand opening on Sunday. Her mother — Rachel — had been close with Avery and the Beste family, and she and Sydney read about the organization Unlimited Play which builds inclusion-fostering playgrounds. 'Walk in this morning and seeing it empty, I just could not wait to see it filled with kids, and it's been even beyond my wildest dreams,' Sydney Deno says. Let's ask some of them what they think, including the Rynkiewiches and Avery's nieces who recognize Avery's Place as meaningful. The Bestes say Avery would have loved it. 'Thank you for making this playground, so we can play on it and spend time with our family,' Henry Rynkiewich says. 'I loved it, especially the spinny spider thing because my friend — we would go every two seconds,' says one of Avery's nieces, Aven Dickey. Posey County's first inclusive playground opens in Mt. Vernon Union County residents 'still processing' Friday tornado Evansville business owners work to build a partnership with city officials EWSU pauses Riverside Drive sinkhole until river levels go down UE IN-MaC Design and Innovation Training Studio ready to begin STEM programs Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Assault victims address former teacher in Slayton courtroom
May 6—SLAYTON — Raw emotion along with many shed tears were displayed Monday afternoon in the Murray County Courthouse in Slayton. Six juvenile victims and their family members read victim impact statements before Judge Michelle Dietrich and defendant Nathan Wieneke, a former Murray County Central math teacher in Slayton, during the hearing. The statements were read as part of an agreement suspending prosecution of Wieneke's case. In September 2023, Weineke was charged with six felonies involving criminal sexual misconduct with six students who were, at the time, attending West Elementary School in Slayton. According to the police report, the students stated Wieneke touched them inappropriately and under clothing when they would go up to his desk for help. He reportedly also made comments that made the students feel "weird." One of the students disclosed that Wieneke told them, "You are a beautiful blonde." A few witnesses, including other students in the class, corroborated the victims' stories, according to the law enforcement report. They said they saw Wieneke touch various victims and also heard about it from other classmates. A jury trial was previously set to take place in November 2024, but was ultimately rescheduled to March. In between that period of time, Murray County Attorney Travis Smith filed an Agreement to Suspend Prosecution document, halting the trial. Why Smith chose this route, instead of prosecuting Wieneke for the crimes, is unknown. On Feb. 19, Smith filed the Continuance for Dismissal, allowing for Wieneke's charges to be dismissed after a certain period of time has passed and if Wieneke meets all the stipulations listed within the document. Among the stipulations was Wieneke's attendance at Monday's hearing and listening to the victim impact statements. Other stipulations in place for the next five years, from May 2025 to May 2030, include Wieneke having his state teaching license revoked, revoking a request for a hearing in front of the MCC Board of Education about his employment, having no contact with any of the victims, not going within 100 yards of wherever each of the six victims reside and not being employed or volunteer for any position that involves contact with minors under the age of 18. Wieneke is also excluded from various educational/extracurricular activities and community events where any of the victims could be. According to the document, if any of the victims are seen by Wieneke in the future, he must depart the premises immediately. He must also continue therapy for the next five years and not petition to have the current charges expunged from his record. If at any point in the next five years Wieneke is proven to have violated any one of the stipulations, prosecution of his case would resume, the document states. Judge Dietrich accepted the order on March 11. "The court finds there is a substantial likelihood of conviction and that the benefits of rehabilitation outweigh the harm to society from suspending the prosecution," reads the document. Dietrich also cited in the document concerns about the young victims testifying in front of a jury and the potential impact that could be made from such action. The document was signed by all parties including Smith, Wieneke and his defense attorney, Stephen Foertsch. Allan Bakke, regional navigator with the Southwest Crisis Center in Worthington, has worked alongside the victims and their families for the past two years. He said in an email that the journey of all involved has been "long and traumatic" and that's why, as they got their day in court, emotions ran high. "Their healing will be something that continues on," said Bakke. Each of the victims, accompanied by their parents or family members, sat across from Wieneke in the courtroom Monday, each attempting to read aloud their statements. Out of the six, only two were able to get through their statement fully without breaking down. The other four victim impact statements were read by a respective parent. "Being a victim has made me doubt if I should trust anyone... I'm fearful of seeing him in public. He touched me and made me feel scared and it changed me as a person," shared one of the victims in their statement. "The trauma and pain will hurt me forever. I just want my life back and (to) enjoy being a kid. I won't be quiet anymore." Another victim read their statement out loud, speaking directly to Wieneke by saying, "We did nothing to deserve this. You thought you were being sneaky and told us not to tell. You're a horrible person and always will be." Before the hearing was over, a few parents of the victims also read statements of their own, sharing how Wieneke's actions changed their family dynamic, altered the personality of the victims and left a lasting impact, whether it was known or not. "He failed the moral code of teachers. You've caused so much damage and hurt to all of us. The truth of this case matters and these girls matter," said one parent with voice trembling. A few parents described the physical and emotional changes they saw in the victims following the incidents, including intense anxiety, sleepless nights and constant nightmares. "This whole ordeal has consumed our lives. You've scarred her life, her carefree childhood has been overtaken by fear and anxiety," shared another parent. Dressed in a blue polo shirt, Wieneke looked stone faced at each of the victims and their families as they addressed him one-by-one, the only physical sign of discomfort being a slouched posture. "We were just kids and still are. You've taken so much from my life and taken a part of my childhood," read another victim statement. One victim was able to verbally detail their experience as they addressed Wieneke, saying, "I always thought you were the best teacher but I (also) remember you putting your arm around our backs and touching our breasts ... I am no longer a victim but a survivor."
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Here's the latest on Lebanon Road, Central Pike, I-40 widening projects in Wilson County
A portion of Lebanon Road in front of West Elementary School in Wilson County appears to be close to a starting a widening project to address significant traffic problems, especially around school times. However, other Wilson projects, which include a large portion of Interstate 40, a new Central Pike interchange, widening an existing stretch of Central Pike and widening South Mt. Juliet Road have uncertain timelines that may be further affected by Hurricane Helene's impact in East Tennessee. The work on Lebanon Road is from Terrace Hill to Adeles Garden roads, with a center turn lane to the west of the school and upgraded retro-reflective signage, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The construction bid process is scheduled to begin in May. Construction is expected to take at least a year and officials hope to complete the project by August 2026, 'pending any unforeseen issues, especially with complex water and sewer relocations in this area,' TDOT spokesperson Erin Zeigler said. Traffic congestion on Lebanon Road during school arrival and dismissal times at West Elementary often results in drivers creating makeshift lanes using bike paths and unmarked shoulders. Drivers heading east turn left from a makeshift lane on the far right to get their children to class. Mt. Juliet High School on Golden Bear Gateway, which connects to Lebanon Road just west of West Elementary, also generates traffic around school start and dismissal times later in the day. Construction bids were originally scheduled to start in the spring of 2024 but were pushed back to 2025 because of delays in ordering poles for electrical lines, Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto said. Wilson County had four projects listed as part of TDOT's longer term 10-year road project plan released in 2023. The are: Interstate 40 widening from I-840 to U.S. 70, about 4.7 miles, from four lanes to six. The initial estimate to start construction is 2028. A new Central Pike interchange on I-40, with a construction-start estimate of 2030. Widening Central Pike (State Route 265) from the proposed interchange to South Mt. Juliet Road. TDOT's construction started estimated for 2030. Widening South Mt. Juliet Road from near Central Pike to near Providence Way, with a construction start estimated for 2032. Lebanon Road from Park Glen Drive to Curd Road in Mt. Juliet is not on TDOT's 10-year plan, but the city has moved forward with design. Mt. Juliet has created a fund dedicated to the widening of Lebanon Road that Commissioner Art Giles stated at a commission meeting has $3 million, in hopes TDOT would expedite the project. Commissioners also approved a controversial phase that will add just over 90 homes in the Silver Springs neighborhood off Benders Ferry Road that includes a developer contribution of $7,500 per lot toward the Lebanon Road building fund. An updated 10-year road project plan to be presented to the General Assembly in the spring will consider growth and change in Tennessee and could include timing, TDOT officials said. One impact could be Hurricane Helene's more than $500 million in damage to the state's transportation system in Upper East Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson Greg Summers said. Congress has appropriated a $478 million reimbursement request needed for urgent repairs after the hurricane. However, federal disaster funding is a reimbursement process that requires the state to front cash and seek federal reimbursement that could affect timing, Summers said. Mt. Juliet has been in conversations to 'stay on target' as much as possible on the Central Pike interchange and widening project and South Mt. Juliet Road, Mayor James Maness said. The city is in the process of approving a $25 million allocation to TDOT with timeline stipulations toward the Central Pike interchange in hopes to expedite the project. That has passed a first reading vote. 'TDOT is committed to working with Tennessee's local jurisdictions, municipalities, and counties to identify priorities and accelerate projects with enough identified local funding and support,' Zeigler said. Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@ and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Wilson County road projects: Lebanon Road, I-40, Central Pike
