The Monroe News
Becoming the Fire Chief
When Manuel was a young man serving in the military, he assumed he eventually was going to pursue a job at the Ford plant in Monroe just like his father did. He never considered being a fireman because, frankly, he didn’t think it was possible for an African American man to pursue such a career. But at the urging of his friend, Bev Heck, he applied and eventually became a firefighter.
Twenty-two years later, he was promoted to chief, the first-ever African American to be a department head for the City of Monroe.
It is customary for a Central African tribe to greet its neighbors in an unusual way.
Instead of asking a more Western greeting like, What s up? or How s it going? the Masa people of Cameroon and Chad ask, How are the children? Even if they don t have children, this is their greeting, explained Monroe County Community College President Kojo Quartey who was born in Ghana. If the children are not doing well, you probably aren t doing that well either.
During a time when the U.S. news cycle is inundated with images of civil unrest related to racial tensions and a global health pandemic, perhaps Americans should begin asking: How are our children?
Monroe County school announcements for Feb. 16
As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday
The following school announcements for Tuesday Feb. 16 are because of a Winter Storm Warning that is in effect for Monroe County. Many of them called off Monday evening.
Remote learning
Dundee Community Schools has declared an inclement day for Feb. 16. All face-to-face learning will be shifted to remote learning. All athletic activities and practices also are canceled for Tuesday.
Ida Public Schools Buildings will follow remote learning plan on Feb. 16. The buildings will be closed, and no buses will run. Students are asked to check in with their teachers. There will be no food pick up on Tuesday. Food pick up will resume when school buildings are open.
Oaks of Righteousness to open Village Market next month
For the first time in a long time, the City of Monroe s Orchard East neighborhood will have its own grocery store.
The Oaks of Righteousness recently purchased, and is currently in the process of transforming, the defunct Pop Stop Party Store at 1104 E. Fourth Street into the Village Market, which will be a grocery store that also offers educational services designed to encourage healthy dietary habits. The store is expected to open March 1.
The market project is the brainchild of Oaks Pastor Heather Boone, who told the Monroe News in November that she hoped to open both an ice cream parlor and grocery store on the east side of Monroe within the next couple of years.