“You have gone out of your way to make sure information was correct,” Superintendent Shannon Dillard-Miller said at last Thursday’s meeting of the Fannin County Board of Education.
Dillard-Miller was talking about Lauralee Callegari as she prepared to present her an owl, a special award given by the school system leadership that represents wisdom and knowledge.
Callegari is The News Observer’s new staff writer. Among her regular assignments have been stories on many various aspects of the school system, the most recent of which has been the plans for the new Health and Wellness Complex.
Dillard-Miller said, “You have been with us more than we have been with ourselves,” describing the time Callegari has devoted to pursing school system stories.
Dillard-Miller described Callegari as “honest” as she surprised her with the award that she described as, “A token of our appreciation for you being part of the Fannin County community...even though you’re not hired by us, you’re still part of the (school system) family.”
Glenn Harbison, publisher/editor of The News Observer, said, “I’m very proud of Lauralee and the impression she has made on Shannon and others in the school system family. Hearing of her honesty and diligence in making sure all the information she collects is correct is a reflection of her dedication as well as the newspaper’s goal for every story on every subject.
“Lauralee’s recognition is truly an honor for her and The News Observer,” Harbison said.