McDuffie Minute

The McDuffie County School District named Thomson High math teacher Dottie Thomas as its 2025 Teacher of the Year during an October 26 ceremony. Mrs. Thomas, a 2004 graduate of THS, discusses her reaction to the honor, how the school system sparked her interest in teaching, and how she always knew she wanted to serve others in her hometown.

Coach John Barnett visits the podcast to discuss his two McDuffie County-themed books: Ghosts of the Brickyard—a history of Thomson High School Football, and Salute to the Fallen—a tribute to county residents who lost their lives in military service since World War I. He talks about how both passion projects got started, what went into researching and writing them, and how you can get your copy of each.

The UGA Archway Partnership has impacted many aspects of McDuffie County over the past few years. We recently welcomed Sarah Adams, the new professional handling local partnership operations, to our county. That makes it a good time to explore what Archway is, what it has accomplished, areas currently on its radar, and how citizens can and should get involved in the process.

Learn everything parents and students need to know for the start of the 2023-2024 school year as we talk to Superintendent Dr. Mychele Rhodes and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Lynn Cato.

Libraries are so much more than just books. So joining us on the season finale is Jill Brooks, branch manager of the Thomson-McDuffie County Library, to talk about the many programs, opportunities, and money-saving perks available at our local library. Find out how you can benefit, and how to lend a hand to this amazing resource.

Students can lose weeks of academic progress while idle over the summer. Educators call this "The Summer Slide." Luckily, the McDuffie County School System's Family Engagement Liaison Anita Cummings has plenty of fun advice to help parents overcome that and keep their kids ready for the start of school in August.

The Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce has a new executive director and board chair. In this episode, we talk to Carrington Beggs and Charlie Bowles about how they got involved with the chamber, as well as their plans to promote and grow the business community here at home.

The McDuffie County Animal Shelter has been closed since the summer of 2022 when allegations of various improprieties at the facility arose. Since then, the county has been working to build a better Animal Services Department. In this episode, we talk to new department director Wendy Ivey, a 17-year animal services veteran from Statesboro, GA. She shares her plans for updating the shelter, hiring new employees, garnering community involvement, and modernizing the department’s operations.

The Thomson High School Bulldog Players are reaching new heights with their run of three shows this year. Theater and Chorus Teacher Wesley Walker joins us to talk about the growth of the drama program, the upcoming production of Into the Woods, and how community members can use their talents to benefit future shows.