WHAS11 presented a 2025 ExCEL award to Chantelle Barbour of Jefferson County Public School's Okolona Elementary. Barbour has been teaching at Okolona for six years, two of them in kindergarten.

Furthermore, the National School District struck gold, literally, by securing the Green Ribbon Gold status award. Bella Mente, earning distinction as one of only five "Green Achievers" in the ...