By DON PITTMAN First published in the March 19 edition.

The big news out of the monthly Dade County School Board meeting was the hiring of two new coaches for Dade County High School.

Bradley Warren, who is from Dade County and most recently coached at Gilmer County, was named the new football coach for Dade.

Most of the people present at the meeting were there to hear news of the recent coaching hires, and most seemed happy about Warren being named coach.

The same sentiment was not expressed about the boards’ choice for the new softball coach. Brian Henton of Boaz, Ala., was named the coach for the Lady Wolverines, and that didn’t sit well with some of the people at the meeting, who were hoping that David Swader, a local man, was chosen.

Eric Tinker, who was part of a committee set up to interview and help select the softball coach headed up the discussion on the new hire.

“I feel like it was a waste of my time serving on that committee,” Tinker said.

Apparently, the committee recommended Swader for the position, but the School Board selected Henton.

Board member Gary Massengale said that both men were viable candidates, but the board selected Henton because of his resume.

Board Chairman Nathan Wooten pointed out Swader had worked for the school system once before as a teacher, and left the position two weeks before school started in 2007.

“We hired him once before, and he left,” Wooten said.

The school board also discussed negotiations with the Davis Community concerning property they own on Sand Mountain. They approved the sale of 7.4 acres of property next to Davis School to the Saddle Club, and another one-acre tract nearby to Dade County for a planned Davis Community Center. Assistant Superintendent Frank Stevens informed the board that he would have further talks with Sand Mountain District Commissioner Scottie Pittman to work out the deal with the county.

The School Board also processed a number of retirements and hired a few teachers and administrators, as well. Principal Billy Millican had his contract extended at Dade High School, Deanne Kopanke-Wallin was hired to teach English at the High School, and Janie House and Kellie Wolfe were hired at Dade Middle. Other Notes From the Meeting:

• The School Board donated one old bus to Dade County 911, and sold two others and a trailer at auction.

• Cody Henderson was honored for a strong showing at Math Counts, and Ansley Chilton was honored for being selected to compete in the Optimist International Speech Competition.

• Eighth-graders Ethan Martin and Mark Stephens were honored for receiving a perfect score on the state writing assessment.