ANOTHER CHANCE AT RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND. COMING UP, NEW TONIGHT A CHILD WAS HIT BY A CAR TODAY IN WINSTON-SALEM SHORTLY AFTER GETTING OFF THE SCHOOL BUS. THIS HAPPENED AROUND 415 ON COAL ROAD NEAR EAST BRAGG STREET, ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, THE CHILD GOT OFF THE BUS AND CROSSED THE ROAD BEHIND THE SCHOOL BUS BEFORE THEY WERE HIT BY SOMEONE GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. POLICE SAY THE BUS HAD ALREADY RETRACTED THE STOP ARM AND PULLED OFF WHEN THE CHILD WAS HIT. THEY SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES IN STATE OF ADDICTION TONIGHT, UNC GREENSBORO NOW HAS A NEW SAFE SPACE FOR STUDENTS RECOVERING FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES. WXII 12 KELLI KENDALL STOPPED BY UNCG TODAY. AND KELLI, WHERE IS THIS NEW SPACE AND HOW IS IT HELPING STUDENTS? CHRISTINE, DEVONTE, STUDENTS RECOVERING FROM ALCOHOL AND DRUG ISSUES CAN GET HELP FOR FREE THROUGH THE SPARTAN RECOVERY PROGRAM. NOW, THAT’S BEEN THE CASE FOR ABOUT A DECADE. BUT TODAY THE PROGRAM OPENED ITS NEW LOCATION IN SPARTAN VILLAGE, WHICH WILL ALLOW IT TO OFFER EXPANDED SERVICES FOR STUDENTS IN NEED. TUCKED IN WITH THE RESIDENCE HALLS OF SPARTAN VILLAGE IS A SMALL PROGRAM MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE. I THINK THIS SPACE HERE WILL IMPROVE PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH. THE SPARTAN RECOVERY PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION TO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. THE PROGRAM HAS ABOUT 90 STUDENTS IN IT, BUT PROGRAM COORDINATORS SAY THIS NEW SPACE IN SPARTAN VILLAGE PUTS A SAFE SPACE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF STUDENT DORMS. ONE ALUMNUS OF THE PROGRAM TOLD US. STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM CONNECTING WITH ONE ANOTHER. THEY’RE ABLE TO SUPPORT YOU BECAUSE THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES OR ARE GOING THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES. IT’S LIKE A BIG FAMILY. LEE FOR JUNIOR TRINITY MESTICO SPARTAN RECOVERY IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL, SHE SAYS SHE STRUGGLED WITH A DRINKING PROBLEM FOR YEARS, AND THE PROGRAM GAVE HER THE TOOLS SHE NEEDED TO OVERCOME ADDICTION, IMPROVE HER GRADES, AND BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. FOR ME, IT’S BEEN A CALMING AND GROUNDING ATMOSPHERE AWAY FROM DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND OTHER BEHAVIORS THAT ARE JUST NOT WORKING FOR ME ANYMORE. MESTICO AND THE PROGRAM’S COORDINATORS HOPE THIS NEW SPACE WILL HELP EVEN MORE STUDENTS ON THEIR JOURNEYS TO RECOVERY. WE WANT TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE COME, AND WE WANT AS MANY PEOPLE TO BENEFIT FROM RECOVERY LEE AS POSSIBLE. PEOPLE ARE IN HERE LAUGHING, HAVING A GOOD TIME. IT JUST IT’S INVITING. IT MAKES YOU WANT TO COME IN SPARTAN RECOVERY IS ALSO EXPANDING ITS HOURS IN THE NEW SPACE. IT’S OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 9 A.M. TO 10 P.M. AND SATURDAYS FROM 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ON OUR WEBSITE WXII 12.COM REPORTING LIVE IN STUDIO I’M KELLI KENDALL, WXII 12 NEWS. KELLI THANK YOU. TOMORROW MORNING, THE WINSTON-SALEM POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL TAKE TIME TO REMEMBER ONE OF THEIR VERY OWN. 17 YEARS AFTER HIS KILLING. A WREATH LAYING CEREMONY IN HONOR OF SERGEANT HOWARD PLOUFFE WILL BE HELD AT THE MEMORIAL OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT’S PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER IN DOWNTOWN. THE HONOR GUARD WILL STAND WATCH AT THE SITE FROM 7 A.M. UP UNTIL 7 P.M. SARGE. PLOUFFE WAS FATALLY SHOT ON FEBRUARY 23RD, 2007, WHILE RESPONDING TO A FIGHT AT A NIGHTCLUB. WE LEARNED YESTERDAY THAT KEITH CARTER, WHO YOU SEE HERE, THE MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING HIM, WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON LAST WEEKEND. HIS RELEASE WAS MANDATORY DUE TO SENTENCING GUIDELINES. AT THE TIME. CARTER IS NOW ON POST RELEASE SUPERVISION. GREENE TARBORO CITY ATTORNEY CHUCK WATTS SAYS THAT REDACTED BODY CAM VIDEO FROM THE NIGHT OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO THE HOME OF CITY MANAGER TAIWO JAIYEOBA LAST DECEMBER, IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED MARCH 4TH. WE’RE TOLD THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE WILL APPEAL THAT DECISION. RIGHT NOW, IT’S STILL UNCLEAR HOW MUCH OF THE NINE HOURS OF FOOTAGE WILL BE RELEASED, BUT WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT AT THE HOME, GREENSBORO POLICE SAID. THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS TWO DAUGHTERS SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES IN THE INCIDENT, BUT NO CHARGES WERE FILED. A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN ALAMANCE COUNTY, WHERE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY SOON FIND ITSELF, WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BACK IN ITS POCKET, BUT IT COULD COME AT A COST FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. WXII 12 JOSHUA DAVIS WENT TO BURLINGTON TODAY AND BREAKS DOWN THE SUPERINTENDE ANT’S PROPOSAL. DOCTOR DANE BUTLER’S PROPOSAL IS THE USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS STEMMING FROM THE PANDEMIC TO FILL IN THE GAPS FOR THEIR LOCAL BUDGET. SOME OF THOSE FUNDS WERE BEING USED FOR THE DISTRICT’S VIRTUAL SCHOOL. IN TOTAL, THE PROPOSAL MEANS THE DISTRICT WOULD GET BACK ROUGHLY $4.6 MILLION, SUSTAINING THEM THROUGH JUNE 30TH. THE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS THE RECOMMENDATION WILL ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO REMAIN IN THEIR CURRENT POSITIONS, PREVENTING A PLAN THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTED SALARIES, EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS AND VARIOUS NON-CLASSROOM POSITIONS. IT ALSO SAVES DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS, BUT THIS ALL MEANS THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE THE DISTRICT’S VIRTUAL SCHOOL AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL SERVES MORE THAN 200 KIDS AND EMPLOYS AROUND 30 PEOPLE. ONE PARENT SAYS HER SON HAS BEEN LEARNING VIRTUALLY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. IT WAS A DECISION MADE BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ALAMANCE BURLINGTON SCHOOLS WAS HAVING WITH THE MOLD ISSUE, AND SO NOT FEELING CONFIDENT IN THE SCHOOLS BEING FULLY PREPARED. SEWARD IN THAT TIME, SHE SAYS HE’S THRIVED AND SHE’S WORRIED ABSCESS ISN’T LIVING UP TO ITS PRINCIPALS. IF THAT HAPPENS, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME VIRTUAL STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE LEFT BEHIND AND THAT CONTRADICTS THE MESSAGE, UM, OF JUST, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SLOGAN, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST AND BEING FUTURE FOCUSED. AND DOCTOR BUTLER WILL RECOMMEND THIS PLAN TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AT A SPECIAL MEETING ON FRIDAY AT 1 P.M. IN BURLINGTON. I’M JOSHUA DAVIS FOR WXII 12 NEWS. OTHER FINANCIAL MATTERS ARE EXPECTED. TO BE DISCUSSED DURING TOMORROW’S BOARD MEETING, AND THAT INCLUDES WHO IS NOW AT THE HELM FOLLOWING THE FIRING OF CFO KIM MCVAY AND THE SUSPENSION OF DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT LOWELL ROGERS. GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS IN THE MEANTIME, HELD A TOPPING OUT CEREMONY TODAY AT WHAT WILL SOON BECOME THE NEW KAISER MIDDLE SCHOOL IN GREENSBORO. DISTRICT LEADERS, ALONGSIDE STUDENTS AND OFFICIALS FROM BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, GOT TO WRITE THEIR NAMES ON THE LAST STEEL BEAM BEFORE IT WAS LIFTED AND PUT INTO PLACE. KAISER MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS ONE OF SIX SCHOOLS THAT WAS REBUILT FROM THE GROUND UP, PAID FOR WITH BOND MONEY. VOTERS APPROVED BACK IN 2022 TO START WITH, DESIGN WORK, TO HAVE JUST IDEAS ON PAPER AND THEN TODAY TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE FINAL STEEL BEAM UP ON THE SUPERSTRUCTURE. IT’S REALLY STARTING TO COME TO LIFE. UM, IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. SO I’M EXCITED ABOUT TODAY. WORK ON THAT NEW CAMPUS SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY THE FALL. TONIGHT, AT&T SERVICE IS BACK TO NORMAL AFTER THOUSANDS REPORTED CELL SERVICE OUTAGES TODAY. MORE THAN 64,000 CUSTOMERS REPORTED ISSUES WITH CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES AND INTERNET SERVICES. SOME VERIZON AND T-MOBILE CUSTOMERS ALSO REPORTED PROBLEMS, BUT BOTH COMPANIES SAY THEIR NETWORKS DIDN’T EXPERIENCE ANY DIRECT OUTAGES. IT’S LIKELY THEIR CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD ISSUES TRYING TO CONNECT WITH THOSE ON THE AT&T NETWORK, AN INDUSTRY SOURCE SAYS. THERE IS NO INDICATION THE OUTAGE WAS CAUSED BY A