FROM STAFF REPORTS

State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, presented $9,000 in state education grants July 21 to Thompson High School Principal Daniel Steele at the school.

The grants were requested in early 2011 by faculty and staff members from Thompson High.

The grants will be used to fund two programs at the school. The first award was for $6,000 that will be used to purchase new equipment for the school journalism department. The department oversees the publication of the school newspaper as well as courses in broadcast journalism. Faculty members Beth House and Brooke Dennis said the funds will help upgrade the facilities used by the students who study in these areas as well as establish an online publishing system for the school newspaper.

“Thompson High School is one of the fastest growing schools in the county and I believe these students deserve the best possible facilities to continue their education. With journalism evolving from a paper format into a largely online-based profession, these equipment upgrades are crucial,” Ward said.

Ward also presented a $3,000 grant to THS girls’ athletics. Faculty member Cara Crosslin made the request for the grant to improve exercise equipment to potentially reduce future injuries to female athletes.

These funds were awarded from the State Community Grant Commission established in the Education Trust Fund Budget.