By Jessica Moore

Staff Writer

JECDB members learned about educational opportunities in the county at their full board meeting, held Tuesday at Columbia State Community College's Lewisburg site.

The meeting began with a report by Joint Economic and Community Development Board Executive Director Mike Wiles. He stared with the good news that Marshall County has three schools recognized by the state as Reward Schools: Forrest High School, Lewisburg Middle School, and Cornersville Elementary School. That is one school in each community and a great achievement.

"November was the seventh month in a row that Marshall County has had over $500,000 in sales tax revenue which is a really good sign that things are picking up," said Wiles, giving more good news.

On the bad-news side, Wiles told members that Lewisburg is in danger of losing one of its oldest churches, located at the corner of Water Street and 3rd Avenue. The church was built in 1910, and is believed to belong to a couple who live in Nashville. The board welcomes suggestions or comments on ways to preserve the building.

The Vision Plan for Lewisburg will go before the City Council for approval in January. Depending on the results of that meeting, the public may be able to finally hear what is in store for Lewisburg in the upcoming years, Wiles noted, adding that free wireless Internet is coming to the square very soon. All proposals from potential providers are due today, Dec. 13.

JECDB board members then heard a special presentation about educational opportunities in Marshall County, with speakers introduced by Elizabeth McDow, director of the CSCC Lewisburg site.

There are many education opportunities now available locally that were not offered before, as well as other opportunities which have been available for some time, but have not been widely known.

For example, beginning in fall 2014, it will be possible to earn a bachelor's degree at the CSCC Lewisburg campus. The degree would be awarded through Middle Tennessee State University, but taught in Lewisburg. There are several flexible and hybrid online degree programs through MTSU for adult learners. Columbia State has many different associate degrees that can be earned locally as well, including programs with a "flip classroom" setup where students spend more time doing hands-on learning at their own pace.

For those just looking to complete their high school requirements, the Project Learn program, housed in the CSCC Lewisburg building, provides all the necessary training and tools for those who wish to receive their GED. The Career Center at the same location provides many opportunities for those seeking employment including training options and Career Readiness Certification. These certificates allow employers to best utilize each employee's unique skills.

In addition to these programs available in Lewisburg, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology has a campus in Lewisburg offering various technical programs. Ultimately Tuesday's JECDB meeting brought to light that furthering education is not as difficult in this rural community as one might think.