County commissioners will learn Tuesday just how much Trump security costs have impacted next year’s budget.

Higher costs incurred by Palm Beach County to provide security for President Donald Trump have created unprecedented challenges for officials to craft a state-mandated balanced budget.

If you ever want to get under a journalist’s thin skin, throw out the old jab, “You only wrote that to sell newspapers!” Or, in the modern age, “to get clicks.”

Well, of course we did. Getting people to pay to read what we write is our business. Nobody accuses McDonald’s of cooking food “just to sell burgers,” do they?

At the same time, in 27 years in this industry I don’t think I’ve ever written a story with that goal in mind. We go where the news takes us. Sometimes it’s boring and routine, sometimes it’s fun or salacious, but hopefully it’s always interesting enough to get you to plunk down $1.50 for a print copy of the paper or pay for an online subscription.

Actually, there is one exception to that.

A couple of years ago another media outlet was running an athlete of the week contest. The daughter of my wife’s friend was a nominee, and Shannon was enlisted as part of an online army to spam the vote.

Shannon spent the better part of a weekend clicking, refreshing, then clicking again while trying to push our candidate over the top. She was amazed watching the vote totals pile up into the thousands, and suggested that we should do something like this at The Vicksburg Post.

After some talks with the Powers That Be about how to make it work, The Vicksburg Post’s Athlete of the Week contest was born. It was partially a way to drive reader engagement — a fancy way of saying we were doing it to get clicks and sell papers — and it worked.

In the three years we’ve had the contest, more than 226,000 votes have been logged. Thanks to our readers, the contest has grown each year and is one of our most popular online features every week at vicksburgpost.com.

Like all of our other stories, however, it’s not just about getting clicks and selling papers. Another reason to start our Athlete of the Week contest was to recognize our local athletes for their successes in a new and fun way. It’s worked in that regard, too.

Our long-running “Who’s Hot” feature is great to spotlight a player of the day, and Athlete of the Week allows us to build on that. We’ve done our best to include nominees from every sport, boys and girls, schools in Warren County and the surrounding area, and a good mix of recurring stars and others who put it together for a couple of games.

During the 2024-25 high school sports year we had 100 athletes nominated across 11 different sports from seven schools and one youth sports organization. A total of 31 athletes took the weekly honor, with Vicksburg High football player DeCorey Knight Jr. and St. Aloysius basketball player Carson Gleese each winning twice.

The contest comes to a natural conclusion in early May, when the spring high school sports season peters out. But rest assured we will bring it back with a vengeance in late August once everything gets fired up again.

So as I always do in the weekly write-up announcing the winner, I’d like to say congratulations to this year’s nominees and winners and thank you to our readers for voting. Without all of you participating, Athlete of the Week obviously would not be as popular as it has become.

Let’s do it again next year and keep this train rolling.

•

Ernest Bowker is the sports editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com

2024-25 ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
SEPTEMBER
• Sept. 1 – Melissa Herrle, Warren Central volleyball
• Sept. 8 – DeCorey Knight Jr., Vicksburg High football
• Sept. 15 – Lauren Flowers, St. Aloysius volleyball
• Sept. 22 – Pierson Smith, St. Aloysius football
• Sept. 29 – Raphael Neal, Port Gibson football

OCTOBER
• Oct. 6 – Makynzie Dunmore, Vicksburg High volleyball
• Oct. 13 – Auston Moore, Porter’s Chapel football
• Oct. 20 – Ronnie Blossom, Warren Central football
• Oct. 27 – Jonah Artman, Warren Central football

NOVEMBER
• Nov. 3 – DeCorey Knight Jr., Vicksburg High football
• Nov. 10 – Jamarian Shelly, Warren Central soccer
• Nov. 17 – Jack Dickerson, St. Aloysius soccer
• Nov. 24 – Ryder Jones, Briarfield Academy football

DECEMBER
• Dec. 1 – Carson Gleese, St. Aloysius basketball
• Dec. 8 – Jadarius Henderson, Vicksburg basketball
• Dec. 15 – Anthony McCloud, St. Aloysius basketball

JANUARY
• Jan. 12 – Jacob Porter, Warren Central soccer
• Jan. 19 – James McKenna, Warren Central bowling
• Jan. 26 – Carson Gleese, St. Aloysius basketball

FEBRUARY
• Feb. 2 – Sydney Sullivan, Warren Central tennis
• Feb. 9 – Jordan Polk, Warren Central soccer
• Feb. 16 – Michael Evans, Port Gibson baseball
• Feb. 23 – Ellie Tennison, Warren Central tennis

MARCH
• March 2 – Clark Hobson, St. Aloysius baseball
• March 9 – Julia Moberley, St. Aloysius track
• March 16 – KeKe McKay, Warren Central softball
• March 23 – Tripp Gayle, Tallulah Academy baseball
• March 30 – Walt Andrews, St. Aloysius baseball

APRIL
• April 6 – Zion Knox, Vicksburg track and field
• April 13 – Harmony Harris, Vicksburg softball
• April 20 – Tyler Hatler, Porter’s Chapel track
• April 27 – Maddox Lynch, Warren Central baseball

MAY
• May 4 – J.T. McDaniel, Tallulah Academy baseball

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post’s sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post’s sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper’s 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

More by Ernest

An upcoming event in New Kensington aims to showcase the positive in the city through basketball and provide a boost to city organizations.

On June 1, the newly-founded Linda Louise Foundation and Kings & Queens of the Court will host the “Battle on Barnes,” a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and event at JFK Park’s Barnes Street courts in downtown New Kensington.

The event will also feature youth activities, food vendors and a court dedication to local basketball legends Tom Pipkins and B.B. Flenory, according to Joe Hargraves, founder and president of the Linda Louise Foundation.

“It’s a big celebration to kick off the summer of basketball,” he said.

Hargraves, son of the late Linda Louise Hargraves, started the foundation in her honor about eight weeks ago. Linda Hargraves was a former pastor of First Baptist Church in Avonmore and one of the co-founders of Rivers of Life Outreach Ministries in New Kensington. She died of breast cancer in 2007.

“She was a mother of the community,” Hargraves said.

Hargraves said the organization’s goal is to give back to the community through different outlets, be it through academics, athletics or the community. That’s why it is partnering with Kings and Queens for the Battle on Barnes and a youth summer basketball league.

“We want to support and be a benefit to those organizations, and be an add to those organizations to help do what they do better,” Hargraves said.

The foundation is a federally registered nonprofit and people can donate online at its website, lindalouise.org.

Hargraves was born and raised in New Kensington and graduated from Valley High School in 1993. He currently lives in Westchester County, New York with his family but plans to retire in New Kensington.

Ultimately, the big goal of the Linda Louise Foundation is to create a community center, Hargraves said.

“The goal is to provide as much support to the community as possible,” he said.

New Kensington Councilman Dante Cicconi said the city had planned to dedicate the courts to Pipkins and Flenory for a while, and that the June 1 event is the perfect time to do so.

Cicconi envisions retiring more numbers of New Kensington basketball legends at the courts.

“I grew up playing basketball in this town,” Cicconi said. “My love of this community started on the basketball court.”

Cicconi said he most looks forward to a large turnout at the tournament.

“The people are why I love this community,” he said. “I had the best experience growing up on the court, and that’s why I want to help champion them.”

Hargraves hopes the event and the Linda Louise Foundation are able to advance positive and engaging experiences for New Kensington children.

“We’re looking to help guide them to reach their fullest potential on and off the court,” he said.

In addition to chapter events taking place across the country, First Tee alumni will celebrate First Tee Week with a meetup at the PGA TOUR’s Charles Schwab Challenge.

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida  – The inaugural First Tee Week begins next week, uniting chapters, communities and corporate partners nationwide in a powerful celebration of the coaches who are shaping the next generation, both on and off the golf course.

Running May 19-25, the national campaign, themed “Dear Coach,” highlights the unsung heroes of youth development. By combining golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee coaches empower kids and teens to build confidence, resilience and inner strength that lasts a lifetime.

To help quantify the impact of youth sports coaches, First Tee released new research in partnership with Harris Poll this month. Parents say coaches can impact their child’s ability to work well with others (89%), respect others (89%) and remain resilient in the face of challenges (88%).

Headlining First Tee Week will be “The Coach Effect,” an alumni panel at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, featuring Cam Jordan of the New Orleans Saints and former LPGA TOUR players Tiffany Joh (now a USGA developmental coach) and Cheyenne Woods. The discussion will be moderated by Golf Digest editorial director Max Adler, with panelists sharing personal stories about the mentors who helped shape them.

First Tee Week chapter highlights include:

• First Tee – San Francisco is inviting parents to participate in classes so they can meet their kids’ coaches and learn more about First Tee’s key commitments.
• First Tee – Metropolitan New York will honor coaches during its fundraising event at Winged Foot Golf Club, emceed by Golf Channel’s Damon Hack.
• First Tee – Eastern Michigan is collaborating with a popular local coffee chain to offer a special First Tee Week boba tea and host “Thank you, Coach,” events at its various locations.
• First Tee – Delaware is hosting a coach and volunteer appreciation golf outing at Patriot’s Glen National Golf Club in memory of longtime coach, board member and friend, Karen Hart.

“For nearly 30 years, First Tee has been strengthening communities through our programs and the incredibly committed adults who come together in support of the next generation,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “First Tee Week is an opportunity to shine the light on our coaches who are the heartbeat of what we do. They help kids navigate life with confidence and character and First Tee would not have the impact it does without their involvement.”

First Tee Week is supported by corporate partners including Accenture, Bridgestone Golf, CapTech, Forbes, Golf Channel, Golf Digest, Harris Poll, Morgan Stanley, the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Superstore, PXG, Supreme Golf, Topgolf and the USGA.

With 150 chapters, more than 5,000 trained coaches and 3.1 million youth served annually, First Tee continues to be a leader in positive youth development through sports. First Tee Week is the first-ever national network-wide campaign for the organization.

There’s still time to get involved in First Tee Week. Find an event near you or share your “Dear Coach” story at FirstTee.org/DearCoach.

About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”)  

The mission of First Tee is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. First Tee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR and many other organizations, foundations, companies and individuals. Over more than 27 years, First Tee has reached millions of young people through its network of 150 Chapters, 12,000 schools and 2,000 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Hart, First Tee
meganhart@firsttee.org
(904) 940-4348

Scrawled on a piece of lined paper is a date, April 27, 2023, and the time, 8:50 to 9:51.

“One hour and one minute,” it says. “Too damn long.”

Over the next five pages, the girl describes witnessing a friend being beaten by guards at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, one of San Diego’s two juvenile lockups.

“(She is) screaming that they are hurting her. (She is) screaming for help for 5 minutes. 8 officers on (her), holding her down. (She is) not struggling, just laying still and telling them they are hurting her.”

“(She) is cuffed the whole time, not resisting,” her friend wrote.

The teen gave the written account to Elizabeth Uremovic, a substitute teacher at the facility who had encouraged her students to speak up if they believed their rights were violated.

Over the next year, Uremovic — affectionately known by her students as “white grandma” — collected more such written complaints.

One youth described blacking out after being “punched and kneed in the head” by probation officers. Another described being kicked, punched and slammed to the ground.

“I still have PTSD from this moment,” she wrote. “I really thought I was going to die.”

Several described being denied phone calls home as punishment.

“I get lonely because I’ve been down for so long and away from my family,” one boy wrote. “Me not calling home every day like I always do worries my people because they don’t know if I’m doing good or dead.”

Last week Uremovic learned that California Attorney General Rob Bonta had opened an investigation into San Diego juvenile detention facilities. She was sure it was because of the complaint she’d sent to Bonta’s office. Last September, she’d received a letter saying her complaint had been forwarded to the Bureau of Children’s Justice.

“BCJ uses complaints like yours to develop information about patterns or practices that might indicate the need for formal investigation or law enforcement action by our office, including in the juvenile justice area,” the letter read.

Bonta’s office declined to say what prompted the investigation, saying only that it aims to determine whether any “unlawful activity or practices” occurred in the facilities and to identify potential reforms.

Probation Department spokesperson Chuck Westerheide told The San Diego Union-Tribune that all allegations of misconduct are taken seriously and probation officials were aware of Uremovic’s complaints.

“The department thoroughly investigated allegations made by Ms. Uremovic and none were substantiated,” Westerheide said via email.

In an interview, Uremovic described three instances when she saw students with visible injuries to their faces that they told her were from altercations with guards. She said she was fired in May 2024, more than a year and a half into her role teaching at East Mesa, after telling her boss she had filed complaints with multiple state agencies.

Her allegations echo those made in complaints submitted to local oversight agencies and findings from a civilian panel’s inspections.

A 2023 report by the Juvenile Justice Commission, a court-appointed citizens’ panel that conducts annual inspections of San Diego County’s two juvenile detention facilities, said parents had reached out to commissioners to complain about “abuse by the guards” at East Mesa.

“Recently a number of families have said there have been incidents where correctional staff are beating up detainees,” commissioners wrote.

The families didn’t complain to the Probation Department because they feared their children would face retaliation, the report said.

Commissioners said parents told them that probation officers had used restraints on their children and that their kids had faced unexplained cuts to visiting hours and had lost weight because they weren’t getting enough food.

“One parent’s youth experienced excessive force when put in his cell, was physically abused by officers and told he should go to county (jail) and learn some manners,” commissioners reported.

In a response dated June 5, 2024 — more than a year after commissioners’ April 27, 2023, inspection, and one day before their scheduled 2024 inspection — the probation department said it had met with parents over these concerns.

“The Probation Department appreciates the JJC bringing these grievances and complaints to our attention,” the letter says. “We will investigate to the extent we have enough information and will address these issues as may be warranted.”

The county’s Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board, or CLERB, has also fielded complaints from parents alleging misconduct San Diego County juvenile facilities.

CLERB findings from June 2023 show that a woman identified as “Veronica B” submitted a complaint on behalf of her son, alleging that while he was detained at East Mesa, a probation officer used profanity against him, dared the boy to hit him and placed his knee on the boy’s neck.

The board voted to sustain the profanity finding but determined there was not enough evidence to prove or disprove the other allegations.

Last May, the board found that two probation officers used excessive force against a developmentally disabled boy housed at the Youth Transition Campus in Kearny Mesa.

One officer grabbed the boy’s head and “smashed it down on the concrete floor,” said CLERB’s summary of the case.

Sharon Kalish, the boy’s mother who filed the complaint, testified that her son’s disability had made it difficult for him to process what he was being told by officers.

And in October, the board dismissed a case involving an incident at East Mesa partly because probation officials declined to turn over records.

A summary of the complaint alleged that a probation officer repeatedly used the N-word and showed explicit films to boys. It said another officer had considered documenting the violations but didn’t out of fear of retaliation.

The Union-Tribune also recently reviewed three videos, apparently from 2022, that depict what appears to be excessive force used by probation officers to break up fights at East Mesa.

The Juvenile Justice Commission has repeatedly flagged the use of pepper spray to break up fights at East Mesa.

“The number of violent incidents involving (pepper spray) are still concerning to the Juvenile Justice Commission, especially when recognizing the staff Mandt training and lack of programming for youth,” the 2023 report said. “The Mandt system helps develop a culture that provides for emotional, physiological, and physical safety for everyone involved. The number of (pepper spray) incidents should be decreasing, not remaining steady.”

California is an outlier in allowing the use of pepper spray in juvenile detention facilities at all. According to a survey by the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrations, by March of this year two-thirds of states had banned it.

Commissioners who inspected East Mesa last year again flagged the use of pepper spray. They noted that it was used primarily to stop fights, but also that the reports probation officers must submit after using it didn’t say whether any effort were made to prevent the fights in the first place.

“The fights seemed to stem from ongoing issues between youth, but few reports mentioned any steps taken by staff to intervene or mediate before a fight broke out,” commissioners found.

There’s evidence that conditions at East Mesa are improving.

Westerheide, the Probation Department spokesperson, sent the Union-Tribune a graph that appears to show that after steadily rising for years, earlier this year incidents involving use of force and pepper spray at East Mesa have begun to decline.

“One way we have reduced use of (pepper) spray and/or force is to train staff on de-escalation techniques,” he said. “Probation facilities have also increased the number of Senior and Supervising Probation Officers in each unit to provide on the job training, guidance, and mentorship to new staff.”

Data provided by the Probation Department show 54 uses of pepper spray from January through April, compared to 167 uses over the same period last year.

The Juvenile Justice Commission’s 2024 report commended the Probation Department for its changes to how use-of-force incidents are reviewed and for establishing a youth advisory council that allows one youth per pod — the facility is split up into multiple such living areas — to meet with the facility supervisor to discuss complaints and make suggestions for improvement.

“The youth feel heard as some things suggested by youth are incorporated,” the report says. “Youth did however express a need for respect from probation staff.”

Uremovic doesn’t recall seeing many positive interactions between youth and staff during her time at East Mesa, something she said is desperately needed. Many of her students were in foster care — some cycling in and out of juvenile detention — or had parents who’d been incarcerated.

“So your whole life is just, there’s no structure, there’s no family,” she said. “A little bit of attention, kindness, to those kids — it just completely changes them.”

Originally Published: May 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT