Drug testing recommended for NR athletes

New Richmond Exempted Village School District Supt. Adam Bird has asked the Board of Education to consider implementing random drug testing for New Richmond High School athletics and extracurricular participants.

“It will give our students an additional reason to say no to peer pressure regarding drugs and alcohol,” Bird told the Board at its April meeting.

Random drug testing has been discussed by Bird and School Board Policy Committee members Kim Hayden and Kristin Bennett and is on the agenda for the next committee meeting.

“I’ve spoken to Mr. Bailey (NRHS principal Mark Bailey) and Mr. Foote (NRHS athletic director Doug Foote) and several coaches at the high school and all have spoken positively about it,” said Bird.

Bird, at the request of Mrs. Hayden and Mrs. Bennett, surveyed area schools for their drug testing policies and found that only Milford currently has random drug testing among area school districts.

Milford started its program in 2006 and pulls about five students a week from a randomly selected list of students participating in athletics and extracurricular activities such as drama club, jazz band, National Honor Society.

A national survey by National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20104025/ ) found that 22 percent of high school students surveyed admitted to experimenting with alcohol or drugs. That percentage dropped to 16 at schools with random drug testing.

“I bring this to you, not just on a whim, not just to throw it out there, but this is something that I am very serious about,” Bird said at the Board’s April meeting. “I think this is very important for our schools and our community which continues to experience heroin deaths and continues to experience drug use and drug problems.”

Board member and former school board president Kevin Walriven agreed.

“You have to start somewhere,” said Walriven.” We know there is a community drug problem and you can’t sit back and do nothing.”

Under current New Richmond Exempted Village School District Policy, participation in interscholastic athletics and extracurricular activities is a privilege, not a right. A student athlete who has violated the New Richmond Exempted Village School District Policy regarding drugs, alcohol, controlled substances and tobacco will be subject to the following penalties: denied game participation for 20% of scheduled regular season games/contests for first offense; 50% of their sport season for a second offense if they agree to education/intervention and treatment at the student’s expense; and denied participating in athletics for the rest of his/her New Richmond High School career for a third offense pending a hearing of the Superintendent and/or designee.

The full New Richmond High School athletic handbook is available at http://www.nrschools.org/Downloads/AthleticHandbook_2014-152.pdf.

Nick Wilson 5K Run/Walk is July 11

The Nicholas Wilson Athletic Scholarship 5K Run/Walk will take place on July 11, 2015.

The Nicholas Wilson Athletic Scholarship was created to honor the life of Nicholas Wilson by assisting in furthering the education of a New Richmond High School graduating senior.

Nicholas (Nick) graduated from New Richmond High School in 2009. He was an exceptional athlete, participating in football, basketball, baseball, and track.  He was also a member of the Troubadours. After high school, Nick continued his education and graduated with honors from Nashville Auto Diesel College as a mechanic with an emphasis in heavy equipment.

Nick passed away suddenly on December 24, 2013 in a car accident.

Our mission is to develop and maintain a scholarship fund that continues to assist New Richmond High School students just like Nick for years to come. With the Nicholas Wilson Athletic Scholarship, our goal is to award one scholarship each year to a high school senior who meets the scholarship criteria. As the scholarship grows with the help of fundraisers and donations, our plan is to increase the number of annual scholarships.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor/donor or have any additional questions, please contact us at the contact information below. 

Patsy Wilson                                                   
513-535-3105                                                 
patricia.wilson@cchmc.org

Or Carrie Hughes
513-515-4351
carrie.hughes@cchmc.org

Nicholas Wilson Athletic Scholarship 5K Run / Walk

Saturday July 11, 2015 8:30 am 212 Market Street, New Richmond, OH

*** ELECTRONIC TIMING PROVIDED BY GHG TIMING LLC ***

REGISTER ONLINE AT www.RegistrationSpot.com  *** OR *** Print and complete the entry form below.

Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________

City, State,Zip:__________________________________________________________________

Phone:__________________ E-mail:____________________ Age on Race Day:________

ENTRY FEE (check one)

___$30 Pre-Registration includes T-shirt ___$35 Race Day Registration, purchase T-shirt separately if available

*** AGES 11 AND UNDER *** REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED *** WILL NOT RECEIVE BIB NUMBER ***

Race Division (circle one) 5K Run 5K Walk

Sex (circle one) Male Female

Shirt Size (circle one) S M L XL XXL

Make checks payable to: NREVSD (New Richmond Exempted Village School District)

Mail checks to: Liz Misheff, 1064 US 52 New Richmond, OH 45157

*** Pre-registration entry forms must be postmarked by Wednesday July 1, 2015 ***

WAIVER: In consideration of the acceptance of my entry, I hereby waive, discharge and release on behalf of myself, my heirs, executors and assigns, all claims of any nature, including but not limited to damages, demands, actions, whatsoever in any manner, arising from my participation in the Nicholas Wilson Athletic Scholarship 5K, and do hereby release the Village of New Richmond, GHG Timing LLC, the race director, coordinators, all sponsors, workers, officials and volunteers from any claim whatsoever arising from my participation in this event. I agree to abide by all rules for participation and acknowledge that the Race Committee may refuse or return my entry at its discretion. I attest and verify that I understand the risks involved in such a run/walk, and that I am physically fit and have trained adequately in preparation and I agree to pay for my own medical expenses in the case of an accident or illness regardless of whether I have authorized such expenses. I HAVE NOTED ANY MEDICAL CONDITION on this form below. I permit the use of my name and picture participating in this event for publicity.

Relevant Medical

Conditions:________________________________________________________________

ENTRANT SIGNATURE:__________________________________ Date: _____________

Parent or Legal Guardian signature

for participants under age 18 ________________________________Date: ____________

Emergency

Contact__________________________________________Phone___________________

*** ALL REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ENTERED IN DOOR PRIZE DRAWINGS !! ***

www.RegistrationSpot.com

Big savings expected in insurance costs

The New Richmond Exempted Village School District is expecting big savings in its health and dental insurance costs after pulling out of the Clermont County Insurance Consortium and joining the larger Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council. 

New Richmond spends approximately $3 million a year for employee health and dental insurance and was facing an increase of 8 percent effective July 1 had it remained in the Clermont County Insurance Consortium which now includes all Clermont County school districts with the exception of West Clermont, Milford and now New Richmond.

Interim New Richmond Exempted Village School District treasurer Mike Mowery expects the district will save over $1 million in health insurance costs over the next few years after shifting consortiums.

“Health and dental insurances represent the second largest expenditure for the district,” said interim NREVSD treasurer Mike Mowery. “Our Board of Education and administration decided to have an independent insurance agent assess our situation.” 

Mowery and NREVSD Supt. Adam Bird selected Horan Associates  to first review New Richmond’s data and subsequently to seek bids from additional carriers and consortiums for New Richmond’s business. 

“We had one bid come in from another insurance consortium, the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council, that provided for a seven percent decrease in premiums,” said Mowery.

So instead of an increase of $240,000 in insurance costs the district will realize a savings of around $200,000 in the coming year. New Richmond had been part of the Clermont County consortium for more than 25 years. 

“Within the next several years we expect the savings from this change to amount to over $1 million from lower premium prices,” said Mowery. 

The decision to move forward was made at a special school board meeting April 13 with the change in coordination with certified and classified employee bargaining units.

               

NRHS students perform with Philharmonic

Three New Richmond High School students were among 23 select students from 13 area schools who performed with the Clermont Philharmonic Orchestra during its spring concert at the Glen-Este High School Performing Arts Center on April 18.

Performing with the Clermont Philharmonic during its ‘Collaborative Celebration of Spring’ concert were New Richmond seniors Taryn Rupp on trombone, Max Tumbleson on bassoon, and Alex Grooms on trumpet.

New Richmond High School seniors Max Tumbleson, Taryn Rupp and Alex Grooms performed
with the Clermont Philharmonic Orchestra.

“New Richmond was ably represented by these three very talented seniors who augmented the Clermont Philharmonic Orchestra in performing difficult works including Wagner's Die Meistersinger, Berlioz' Hungarian March, Bizet's Carmen Suite, and movie themes by John Williams,” said New Richmond Exempted Village School District music teacher Jeff Folkens, who also performed with the orchestra along with his wife, Becky.

Officer Kidder praised by school officials

New Richmond police officer Jesse Kidder, who has been praised nationally for his restraint in not shooting a homicide suspect, was praised by New Richmond Exempted Village School District Supt. Adam Bird at this week’s school board meeting. Officer Kidder works as a part-time school resource officer at New Richmond’s main campus.

“I would like to recognize Officer Kidder, who has been the focus of some national attention for the way he handled a very serious situation,” Supt. Bird told school board members. “It makes me feel good that we have an officer as fore thinking and as cautious as Officer Kidder is under such a stressful in our schools.”

Officer Kidder was on duty in New Richmond on April 16 when he spotted a car driven by Michael Wilcox, a double-homicide suspect in the killing of his girlfriend Courtney Fowler, 25, in Brown County and his best friend, Zach Gilkison, 27, in Elsmere, Ky.

The New Richmond officer, who had been informed by dispatchers that Wilcox could be armed and may want to ‘commit suicide by cop,’ pursued Wilcox for 11 minutes in a high speed chase that ended on Eight Mile Road in Hamilton County when Wilcox stopped and charged at the Kidder, holding one hand in the pocket of his hoodie shirt and claiming he had a gun and asking to be shot by the officer.

Kidder, who recognized that the pocket of Wilcox’s shirt wasn’t sagging as it would had he had a gun, refused to shoot and tried to tried to open a dialog with the suspect until backup arrived and Wilcox surrendered. Kidder, a former Marine and Purple Heart recipient from duty in Iraq, captured the event on his body camera that was a gift from his family. Law enforcement officials say Officer Kidder would have been more than justified to shoot the charging suspect.

"Officer Kidder's life was placed in immediate danger and I am proud to say he used great restraint at the risk of his own safety," New Richmond police chief Randy Harvey said in a statement on the department's Facebook page.

“It makes you feel confident in Officer Kidder’s ability to handle any stressful situation he may face in our schools,” said Supt. Bird.

Wilcox confessed to Brown County officials, saying he was high on "everything" and that his music told him to kill.

Click on the link below for one of the national reports on Officer Kidder.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/19/us/ohio-new-richmond-officer-does-not-shoot-suspect/