They’re here to get their books signed, yes, but they also want to meet the man himself. The fans in line are all holding their own copies - and a lot of them have two or three. The 60-year-old country star is seated at a table surrounded by posters promoting his 2019 memoir, Forever and Ever, Amen, which was also the name of one of his biggest hits. At least one couple flew in from overseas - because they didn’t want to miss the chance. Some of these people have come all the way from Tennessee. A line stretches across the store, twisting and turning around tables and bookshelves, slowly building over an hour or two. But that didn’t stop more than 200 people from fighting the rain and wind to get here. A ferocious thunderstorm has lashed the area all day, and through the bookstore windows, it still looks like the inside of a washing machine out there. It’s especially apparent during his live appearances, like a recent book signing at a Barnes & Noble in North Dallas, about an hour from where he lives. At concerts, he’d sometimes hum into the microphone, and his voice would send throngs of women - and plenty of men - into fits of ecstatic joy. During an era when Nashville’s brightest stars thrived making increasingly shallow, increasingly banal tripe, this lean, winsome young man from small-town North Carolina made music that sounded like it may have always existed somewhere in your mind, waiting to be recognized. He could take lyrics that might otherwise be corny or trite and make them poetry. ![]() With song after song, his gilded baritone rounded the sharp edges of life for millions of people - and ultimately changed the direction of an entire genre of music, producing a slew of platinum records and 16 No. For decades, the voice of Randy Travis was a smooth pour of warm syrup on a cold morning. "This should be a wake-up call to all parents, you might be at the PTA meetings, you might be at the school every day but you need to be at the school board meetings," she said.A stroke may have robbed him of his voice, but the legendary country singer still has something to say. How said this is more than just a small-town issue, though. "This is a very small town and you don't always have people in such a small town that know how to handle such a big thing, said How. Parents are online trying to raise money to help the schools, the laid-off teachers, and just figure out a way forward.Ī high-ranking source tells NBC 5 the state will be stepping in to help Tioga ISD manage their money, something parents say is overdue. ![]() "When your heart feels it, it's totally different, I had to go back and tell my kids and they were devastated, I had one that wouldn't let go of me all day," said Beth Gunning, a kindergarten teacher. The employees caught in the middle of this, likely will find work in neighboring districts, where teachers are in demand. Still, many are heartbroken. "It starts tonight, and if I get one message across it's that we're not putting a dollar figure on our employees," said Josh Ballinger, Interim Superintendent.Īrming Teachers Debated as Safety Measure Across Texas Schools The superintendent retired, they moved to a four-day schedule, and still, the only way they can pay the bills was to lay off about 20 employees and cut the salary of the acting superintendent who promised they'll do better. The school district received an F grade on their state report card for their ability to manage their finances. ![]() "It was building a high school, and building a big football program and thinking more housing that was coming in, and they would be able to raise the tax rate and those things not coming through," said How, who has attended board meetings closely since the financial problems came to light. "I had to come home get eye level with him and say hey buddy your teacher is not going to be coming back," said How, a parent of two elementary-aged students in the district.Īt a time when schools everywhere are desperately trying to find teachers any way they can, Tioga is sending some of their educators packing, because they simply don't have the money to pay them. Days before Christmas, Jessica How, and parents across the Tioga Independent School District had to deliver difficult news to their kids.
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