Sports Editor

The Pike County Board of Education voted on and approved numerous personnel changes during its monthly meeting on Monday.

The board approved the hiring of nine teachers/counselors for the upcoming school year, set to begin on Aug. 5.

Among the hires were: Ree Nunley as language arts teacher for grades six-eight at Banks School, Latanya Crook as a biology teacher and Barbara Whatley as a chemistry/physics teacher at Pike County High School, Anita Grant as a guidance counselor at Goshen Elementary, and Mickey Jacobs as a science teacher at Goshen High School.

The board also approved the hiring of Dietrick Lewis as band director of Goshen, while Charles Coon was hired in a similar position at Pike County.

Goshen social studies teacher, Chad Dube, who also coaches baseball and football, was granted a leave of absence for the 2002-03 school year with Fredrick Lowery employed by the board to take over Dube’s vacated spot at Goshen.

The board also renewed its participation in the Alabama Association of School Boards’ Prime and Alabama Administrative Outreach programs.

"This program provides education for our school boards as far as knowing what state law is concerning schools," said board chairman Herbert Reynolds.

The board also met for more than an hour in executive session, but Reynolds would not provide details of that session. Last week, district maintenance supervisor Timothy Dwayne Spivey was arrested on charges of theft. Police say Spivey is believed to have ordered air-conditioning units through the Pike County Board of Education then sold the units through his own business, City Electric Co. Spivey, his brother and maintenance employee Johndi Spivey have been placed on administrative leave by the board.

School system officials are scheduled to meet with police investigators and representatives of the District Attorney’s Office today, according to information released by Troy Police Chief Anthony Everage.

Sgt. Benny Scarbrough, public information officer for the department, said investigators were continuing to cross-reference school system orders against units sold and installed through City Electric Co. He said the department had identified additional units suspected of being stolen, but officers would not be ready to release specific figures until today. The original theft warrant cited 10 stolen units, but officials have said they believe the number could grow.

Several resignations were accepted on Monday as well. Among the resignations were: Pamela Williams; a part-time psychometrist through East Central Mental Health, Clint Foster and Walter Childs, from their positions at Pike County, Foster as a science teacher and Childs as the school’s JROTC instructor, and Terry Spader who resigned as the Goshen High School band director.

Also, Katherine Thomas announced her retirement as a lunchroom worker at Goshen Elementary School.

Stacy Graning contributed to this report.