Marion County Loses Longtime Leader

The people of Marion County are mourning the loss of a longtime leader after the death of Ann Watson, who passed away on April 1.
Her most well-known contribution to the community is helping lead the Marion County School System. She served on the Board of Education for three decades and was chair for 20-plus years.
There were many changes and improvements during her tenure, including closing the middle school to form a consolidated middle/high school, the end of the Tri-County High era, and the building of the current middle/high school.
While the new Marion County Middle-High School proved to be very popular after it opened, the move was far from a "slam dunk" with the public. When residents voted on the school, the initial vote tally resulted in a tie. It...