McDuffie Minute: Recent Episodes
McDuffie County
It's never too early to begin preparations for back-to-school time. In the season two finale, McDuffie County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mychele Rhodes explains everything parents and students need to know for the start of an epic 2024-2025 year.
Several members of the Thomson High School Class of 2024 reflect on their time as Bulldogs and let us in on the details of their next adventure.
Get the lowdown on what brings visitors to our area and everything in the works to boost interest from Tourism Director Elizabeth Vance.
The Boys and Girls Club of Thomson is celebrating 25 years of positive impact on our community. So long-time First Daughter of Dearing, Abby Kelley, visits the podcast to discuss the organization's efforts across the CSRA and how you can get involved in supporting them.
The director and cast members of the Thomson High School spring musical join us to discuss their show, Violet. They share how exposure to drama in elementary school got them hooked, and how the audience helps validate the enormous effort that goes into such productions.
On January 4, our community lost one of its most influential leaders, Robert E. Knox, Jr. Not only was he a longtime mayor of Thomson, later its municipal judge, and an attorney for several local government entities, but he was our county's biggest cheerleader across the state. In this episode we talk to a few of his friends and co-workers (Epp Wilson, Sean Kelley, Alton Belton, and Mychele Rhodes) as a tribute to the man who spent his life working to improve McDuffie County.
We discuss the city, county, and school system's biggest projects and events from the past year and how those are setting the entire community up for a bright future.
The Town of Dearing may be small, but in many things it is mighty. Both the town council and activities committee members have been hard at work planning events, programs, and projects aimed at bringing the entire community together. Mayor Sean Kelley talks about those efforts and what's on the horizon for the town on the south end of McDuffie County.
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.
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Office in McDuffie County can do so much more than just identify plants. We talked to County Extension Coordinator Allison Eaddy and County Extension Agent Sarah Cranston about the many programs available that can be tailored to needs of the community. Whether its dementia education, family and consumer sciences, counting pollinators, 4-H club in the classroom, egg inspection, or how not to commit crape murder, these folks are here to help.
Everybody's still talking about the Thomson Bulldogs' state football championship. So we brought Coach Michael Youngblood on the show to discuss the epic journey it took to bring home the school's sixth title and first in 20 years.
Organizers of local holiday happenings join us to discuss specifics about those events: From tree lightings in Thomson and Dearing, to the annual Christmas parade, and snow flurries expected around the county. Find out ways you can get in the spirit, right here in McDuffie County.
The McDuffie County School District named Thomson Elementary 3rd Grade Teacher Kimberly Hunter as its 2024 Teacher of the Year during an October 20 ceremony. We talk to Mrs. Hunter about her reaction to the honor, the importance of involving parents in the teaching process, why she got into education in the first place, and how the Lincoln County native balances being a Red Devil and a Bulldog.
Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce Director Debbie Jones and Board Chair David Russell join us to talk about activities surrounding the Oct. 22 Camellia City Festival, as well as the myriad offerings the chamber has aimed at growing businesses in our community.
We talk to Thomson Police Chief Courtney Gale and McDuffie County Schools Auxiliary Services Director Dr. Cecil Strong about how local law enforcement is working together to keep our community safe.
McDuffie County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mychele Rhodes stops by to educate parents, students, and community members about the start of the 2022-2023 school year, the state of the district, and plans for Friday nights in the Brickyard.
Find out the basics of our podcast that covers the governments of McDuffie County, Thomson, Dearing, and the McDuffie County School System.