Stockton students are making an impact in their community by participating in a police program that gives them opportunities to do community outreach and learn the ins and outs of what it takes to work in law enforcement.
From getting an athletic scholarship to joining the military to becoming police officers, the Stockton Unified School District Police Explorers’ mentors are helping students accomplish their dreams.
“It’s definitely an outlet,” Officer Anthony Tacardon said. “Coming up, growing up in Stockton, there’s not much to do. I mean, you can go around and hang around at the mall, but for how long does that get boring and a safe place…yeah, this place (Explorers) you just come in, you enjoy yourself, you learn, you not only build connections with people that you meet here, you build connections outside of it with the community engagement. And that’s one of the best things. You get to speak with people in your community besides being at home, stuck, locked up in your room.”
That’s where the Stockton Unified School District Police Explorers come in. CBS Sacramento was given access to a day-in-the-life of what a Stockton Police Explorer goes through and how they help in the community.
“Some kids have sports, some kids have clubs, but we have this,” explorer and sophomore Kylah Cadman said.
Since its inception in 2013-14, Captain Roberto Marquez said it’s the largest Explorer program in San Joaquin County. The program and its mentors are making an impact with students, like Officer Anthony Tacardon, who is an explorer alumnus.
“When I graduated, that was the best feeling,” Officer Tacardon said. “All the hard work I had put in, in the Explorer program that ultimately helped me better prepare for the Academy, graduating and getting to see my mentor.”
Officer Tacardon’s mentor through the academy and the program was Captain Marquez.
“I didn’t have anyone to teach me this stuff as I was growing up in south Stockton, and I know there are some other kids here that don’t have that type of upbringing, but having this program here, it allows us to be our role models for our youth,” Captain Marquez said.
That includes the 24 explorer cadets who are in the program now, who learn life skills, are given real-world police training, are able to learn from sworn officers and non-sworn staff, and volunteer at community events.
Heriberto Garcia graduated from high school and is an Explorer. Ever since he was a kid, he’s dreamed of becoming a police officer. He said before this program, he was shy, and now, he was leading his comrades in the roll call excellently and his peers wouldn’t even know he used to be shy.
“Some students, they be like, ‘Oh, there’s nothing to do in high school or like there’s nothing to do in Stockton, right?'” Garcia said. “But, when you engage to a program like this, most likely weekend, we’ll have a community service that we have to go and we will attend because we like what we do in this program. So, it’s nothing that they force us to do but it’s something that we like to do.”
Cadman said this program has helped her grow as a person and she enjoys being able to help people to better their community.
“I like the social aspect of our program, in that we get to help the community, we get to help fellow students and it’s just really nice to get to know people and to help out however we can,” Cadman said.
Freshman Madalyn Westervelt was inspired by her big brother, who was also a part of the program.
“It really helped me with my confidence, public speaking, my socializing skills…,” Westervelt said. “That was a really big part of me, going to the high school that I was going to and it just helped me succeed a lot with making friends and being able to introducing myself without being like stuttering or being uncomfortable around other people. It’s just a very big focus for me, like it helped a lot.”
Even for students who aren’t necessarily interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement, this program also gives students the opportunity to learn crucial life skills that are crucial and transferable to any career they dream of pursuing.
“The discipline that we learn from them, the leadership skills, the responsibility, it’s all taught all of us to become greater in our own personas,” Maritza Matias-Pablo, a junior and explorer, said.
Captain Marquez is proud of these explorers, including knowing how the community gets to see the positive work they do.
“I think a program like this makes them realize that it’s a person that makes themselves and it’s not where they came or where they grew up or people around them,” Captain Marquez said. “It’s the actual person and what’s inside of you. If you want to be positive, if you want to be a good leader, a good role model for other students, you can do that.”
The camaraderie, communication, and connection to mentors, peers after school, and throughout the community have led these explorers to some healthy competition, winning multiple awards conducting mock real-life scenarios. They have around 30 trophies they’ve won at competitions against other explorer teams throughout California, where police officers give out the scores.
They’re looking to add more trophies, along with more explorers. If you or your kids are interested, you can stop by their police station at 640 N San Joaquin St. in Stockton on Thursdays from 6-8 pm, where you can shadow what their classes are like and learn more.
Don Charles “Charlie” Lechliter was an electrician by trade, but was best remembered for his involvement in the Arctic League and West Elmira youth sports.
Mr. Lechliter, who passed away Dec. 31, was remembered as a devoted family man with a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of area children.
Several years ago, the Town of Elmira honored Mr. Lechliter’s contributions by naming one of the ballfields at Pirozzolo Park in his honor.
Don Charles Lechliter was an electrician by trade, and built a successful Elmira business, but that’s not how most people saw him.
Mr. Lechliter was also a devoted family man, and that attribute extended beyond his immediate family to youth in general, according to his wife Lisa.
He was active in coaching youth sports in West Elmira for many years and was also a longtime volunteer and board member of the Arctic League.
Anyone who met Mr. Lechliter couldn’t help but like him, Lisa Lechliter said.
“He was a very charismatic guy, very easy to like,” she said. “He always left a lasting impression on people. He would do anything for anybody to help them out. Most people looked at him as a friend, not an electrician.”
Mr. Lechliter, who everyone knew as Charlie, died Dec. 31. He was 74.
A passion for sports, and youth
While Lechliter Electric was his business, Mr. Lechliter was probably busier in his personal life.
He loved sports, especially baseball, and was a diehard New York Mets fan, Lisa Lechliter said.
So it was natural that someone who loved sports and cared about kids would find a way to combine them.
“He started coaching Little League in his early 20s. He started out coaching his nephews and has been with the program ever since,” Lisa Lechliter said. “He also coached girls Cinderella Softball. That’s how I met him. It wasn’t all about winning. He just loved to spend time with those kids.”
Mr. Lechliter made an enormous contribution to recreational programming in the Town of Elmira for decades, said Town Supervisor Ann Gerould.
From the start, he brought a strong work ethic and a knack for efficiency and organization to his volunteer efforts, Gerould said.
“Charlie was part of the baseball/softball league’s board at that time as well. Charlie served as the treasurer of the board and dealt with ordering all the equipment, uniforms and field supplies,” she said. “He always did this with cost control in mind and continued to do so up until this year. I know that he had planned to continue in the upcoming season.
“During the early years, I am told there were about 500 kids involved every season, so his job was very time-consuming,” Gerould added.
Mr. Lechliter also later served as treasurer of the West Elmira Recreation Board, where he handled coordination and execution of events such as the baseball/softball league seasons, Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween events and Music in the Park throughout the summer.
He also lent his professional expertise to assist with electrical work needed for scoreboards and throughout Pirozzolo Park, Gerould said.
“We are virtually lost at the moment without him but are dedicated to continuing the programs where he committed countless hours, to continue for years to come,” she said. “Some years ago, Charlie’s efforts were honored by the dedication of Field No. 5 with his name. This was a source of great pride for him, and it was well deserved.”
Helping children as Arctic League’s ‘go-to guy’
Mr. Lechliter joined the Arctic League board of directors in 1993, and at the time of his death was the second-longest currently serving board member, according to league Treasurer and former board president Michael Wayne.
He was the consummate “behind the scenes” guy and had great insight on how to efficiently run the Arctic League’s warehouse operation, Wayne said.
More importantly, Mr. Lechliter made sure the board remained focused on the agency’s mission — that no child in Chemung County would go without presents on Christmas Day.
“During my year as President (2021) he was my ‘go-to guy,'” Wayne said.
“We were only one year out of the COVID pandemic, and Charlie was ever creative in making suggestions on how we could tweak our long-serving process to assure safety for all our volunteers,” he said. “While always avoiding the limelight, he was every Arctic League presidents’ biggest cheerleader and spent hours helping maintain our building and its mechanicals.”
Mr. Lechliter also championed a new way volunteers could help the Arctic League, and the “make a hat” campaign started, Wayne said.
He helped recruit knitters and crocheters to make hats for league recipients, which helped the organization save money — which could be funneled into other gifts — while creating a new opportunity for volunteers to support the Arctic League mission.
“Charlie was full of energy. He had endless ideas and a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of children in our area,” Wayne said. “His hearty laugh will forever echo through our building, and his passion to help others will survive in perpetuity at the Arctic League.”
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Andrea Odom doesn’t hesitate when asked what sparked the idea she now hopes becomes a movement.
The moment arrived just before the 2023 Major League Baseball draft, as agents began recruiting her son, Dylan Campbell of the University of Texas, and it came with a hard lesson her family didn’t expect to learn.
“We had to fire an agent who didn’t deliver on what he promised,” said Odom, a mother of three, who manages public relations for The Odom Consulting Group in Houston. “But the beautiful part is that my son grew on a business level. He learned how to hold people accountable.”
That moment reshaped how Odom viewed the role of parents in sports, particularly Black mothers, who often find themselves navigating high-stakes decisions without access to the same information, networks, or protection afforded to others.
“And that’s what we want for Black Sports Moms,” Odom said. “Empowering ourselves and our children.”
Founded in March 2025, Black Sports Moms was created to equip Black mothers with the knowledge, resources, and confidence to navigate an often opaque and unforgiving sports industry on behalf of their children.
From youth sports to the professional level, the organization addresses issues ranging from Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and contract negotiations to mental health, branding, and long-term financial planning — areas where families are increasingly expected to be savvy but are rarely taught how.
Odom sat with the idea until a phone conversation changed everything.
Unbeknown to her, attorney Lachauna Edwards was doing parallel work in Atlanta, educating “momagers” (mothers who serve as the business managers for their children). Edwards had spent years advising families in NIL, contracts, and athlete branding, and during Black History Month, she launched a Momager Series on Instagram, spotlighting Black mothers managing their children’s athletic careers behind the scenes.
“Andrea’s name was brought up as someone to feature,” said Edwards, 40, also a mother of three. “We talked about her background, and she saw what I was doing. She reached out again about doing an event, and she came up with the name Black Sports Moms.”
From left to right: Black Sports Moms members Tammie Parker, Andrea Odom and Kim Stroud (mother of Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud) join CJ Stroud and Houston City Controller Chris Hollins at a volunteer event.
Andrea Odom
What started as a conversation quickly became a partnership. Edwards and Odom formed an LLC in March 2025 and moved fast, organizing their first conference in Houston in July 2025. They expected a local crowd. Instead, the event sold out with 175 attendees, many of whom traveled from across the country.
“In such a short amount of time, we were blown away by the response,” Odom said. “That’s when we realized this was bigger than we thought.”
The momentum continued in November 2025 with another sold-out conference in Atlanta, drawing 170 attendees. Mothers traveled from Florida, Texas, Georgia, and beyond — including a group of University of Florida Gator moms — underscoring a hunger for education and community that Edwards says has long gone unmet.
“Black women birth the greatest athletes in the world,” Edwards said. “For a long time, different entities in sports have been able to profit off our children’s talent while families are left trying to figure out how to support their kids and make informed decisions.”
Edwards, who has a civil rights background, sees Black Sports Moms as both education and protection. In many households, she notes, mothers are already doing the work by researching agents, negotiating schedules, managing finances, and supporting their children emotionally.
“That’s why athletes say, ‘My mom is the real MVP,’ ” Edwards said. “We nurture everything off the field and off the court. It made sense to empower the women who are already doing the work.”
The organization’s flagship offering, The Playbook, is a one-day educational summit designed specifically for mothers managing their child’s athletic journey. The conferences feature expert-led panels and interactive workshops covering NIL, contracts, branding, mental health, and financial literacy. Each attendee leaves with a personalized strategic plan and access to ongoing coaching and consultation.
“We’re intentional about making sure our moms are not only prepared, but confident enough to walk into any room on behalf of their child,” Edwards said.
That confidence will be on display again this month, when Black Sports Moms hosts a smaller, advanced “Mini Camp” in New Orleans. Limited to 50 attendees, the event is designed to go deeper, with mothers encouraged to bring real contracts they are negotiating.
“We’re breaking everything down clause by clause,” Edwards said. “Brand partnerships, tax strategies, investing, forming LLCs and nonprofits — this is advanced, hands-on work.”
The New Orleans gathering marks the next step in a rapidly expanding national footprint. In addition to regional panels tied to major sporting events, including Super Bowl week, the CIAA tournament, and the McDonald’s All-America Games, the organization plans its largest signature conference yet in Houston in July.
Despite its rapid growth, Edwards and Odom say the most powerful outcome hasn’t been business — it’s been community.
“Moms are forming group chats, supporting each other, showing up to games, baby showers,” Edwards said. “One mom helped another mom’s child land a marketing opportunity. That’s real.”
Odom agrees.
“We created this for empowerment and education, but the sisterhood has been the biggest surprise,” she said. “These women are forming lifelong bonds.”
Dylan Campbell’s MLB draft experience reshaped how his mother Andrea Odom viewed the role of parents in sports.
Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire
The stakes, they say, are real. Odom points to moments when parents are intentionally sidelined during recruiting and negotiations — and how education changes those dynamics.
“One mom told us her son had 32 football offers,” Odom said. “After attending our conference, an assistant coach tried to separate her from her son and made a disrespectful comment. The family declined the offer and told the head coach exactly why.”
Another mother, whose son is preparing for the 2026 NBA draft, was told by an agency that starting a nonprofit was “too expensive.” At the upcoming conference, Black Sports Moms will walk families through how to set one up themselves — a process that costs less than $150.
“We’re teaching families who need to be in their ecosystem and how to protect their kids,” Odom said.
For Edwards, the urgency is only increasing as athletes are getting paid younger and younger, often before families are prepared for the attention and financial complexity that comes with it.
“If Black mothers don’t step into these roles,” Edwards said, “everybody else is making money off the success of these athletes. Universities, agencies, financial advisors. We want families to have a unified front so they aren’t taken advantage of.”
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White said his mother, Bonita, played a central role in guiding him through the recruiting process before he chose to attend North Carolina. He added that navigating today’s NIL landscape without that same level of parental support, and education, would be almost unthinkable.
“What they’re doing is needed,” White told Andscape about the co-founders of Black Sports Moms. “It can help a lot of families and a lot of mothers guide their kids through this, especially with the amount of money and attention involved now. It sounds like a dope organization.”
Odom said success will be measured not just by conferences, but by long-term impact – from chapters in cities across the country to a voice in conversations around NIL legislation and athlete rights.
“This is called Black Sports Moms,” she said. “But it’s a movement that’s touching families and communities.”
Branson Wright is a filmmaker and freelance multimedia sports reporter.
Bettors in North Carolina wagered more than $7 billion through legal online sportsbooks in 2025, the first complete calendar year since sports betting launched in the state.
In December, the state had more than $651 million in paid wagers, the fourth consecutive month that wagering activity in the state exceeded $650 million, according to information released by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.
The state collected more than $14.6 million in taxes from the licensed operators, who pay an 18% tax on their gross wagering revenue as calculated by the commission. In 2025, North Carolina collected more than $132 million in taxes from the operators.
Some of the tax revenue goes to the state health department for gambling addiction education and treatment programs, two statewide youth sports organizations which distribute grants, a major events funds and the athletics departments at UNC System schools, though not NC State or UNC-Chapel Hill. The rest goes to the state’s general fund.
Paid wagers in December were up more than 6% over December 2024, continuing a trend. The commission doesn’t release more detailed data on betting, such as which sport attracts the most wagers or which operator has the most customers or bets each month.
Lawmakers approved legal sports betting in North Carolina in 2023 and it went live in mid-March 2024. The state now has seven legal operators.
Representative Tim Briggs has scheduled a voting meeting for January 27, 2026, at 10:00 am to review amendments to HB 2042, known as the Safety in Youth Sports Act, which established standards for managing concussions and traumatic brain injuries of students participating in athletic activities.
Representative Briggs introduced HB 2042 in 2011. This meeting will include discussion about proposed amendments to the original bill which will expand the scope of this Act to further provide for the proper management of brain injuries. The amendments include non-scholastic league and recreational sports and also provide information on Return to Learn. Representative Briggs will also be incorporating this bill into the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes so that it is no longer a freestanding act.
The meeting will be held in Room 205 in the Ryan Office Building and will be livestreamed from the House Committee website.
Young Tar Heel fans are invited to join the North Carolina women’s sports teams for 2026 UNC National Girls & Women in Sports Day, an annual event to highlight women’s athletics at Carolina, brought to you by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Carolina Athletics. The NGWSD celebration is set for Jan. 25 from 12-1:30 p.m. at the Bill Koman Practice Complex on the UNC campus.
The day’s event is intended for girls and boys pre-K through eighth grade. There is no charge to participate, and everyone (including parents/guardians) who registers in advance will receive a complimentary ticket to the UNC women’s basketball game against Syracuse that day at 2 p.m. at nearby Carmichael Arena.
https://goheels.com/form/90
Building on its commitment to support youth mental health, connectivity and resiliency, Blue Cross NC encourages participation in sports and an active lifestyle that supports physical and mental well-being. By partnering with youth, parents and community leaders like Carolina Athletics, Blue Cross NC believes there is opportunity to help reduce stigmas associated with mental health for young people in sports.
The NGWSD event includes mini-clinics with each sport, giving kids the opportunity to try out a variety of skills in a fun environment that’s appropriate for youths of all ages. The majority of the 15 UNC women’s varsity teams – cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, track & field and volleyball – will be represented at the event.
For more information, you can email uncngwsd@gmail.com or visit www.goheels.com
Information about check-in and parking will be emailed to registrants in advance of the event.
contributed photo
Kevin Goodman was an elected member of the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.
Kevin Goodman, a first-term Marshall County Supervisor, Haverhill area farmer, Marshalltown High School (MHS) alum and baseball enthusiast who played for the now-defunct Iowa State University (ISU) squad in the 1980s, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 63.
The news was confirmed in an email sent from fellow Supervisors Jarret Heil and Carol Hibbs to county employees, and a cause of death has not been publicly shared.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Marshall County Supervisor Kevin Goodman. Kevin lived a remarkable life filled with family, adventure, and service to his community. We will remember his passion for serving his community. Everyone at Marshall County shares our deepest condolences to Dana and the entire Goodman family,” they wrote.
Heil, the current board chairman, also shared reflections on working with Goodman, who narrowly won the 2024 Republican primary over Bill Schendel before coasting to victory in the general election that November.
“Kevin really enjoyed serving the people of Marshall County. He loved learning all aspects of county government. Today is a very sad day. I’m really going to miss Kevin as he was a great friend to me and to many. God bless him and his family,” he said.
In his own statement, Marshall County Attorney Jordan Gaffney expressed a similar sentiment.
“Kevin had a heart for helping others, and his time as a Supervisor reflects that he was committed to doing so. I’m thankful for Kevin’s service to our community, to have had the opportunity to get to know him, and to have talked baseball with him,” Gaffney said. “Kevin’s passing is a major loss for our community, and my heart hurts for his family and loved ones, for whom this loss is experienced most. Kevin is missed. And his family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers.”
Marshall County Auditor/Recorder Nan Benson recalled Goodman’s warm nature and eagerness to learn as a relative newcomer to the job.
“As County Supervisor, Kevin was known for his passion for learning and his willingness to take on his new roles and responsibilities to better serve residents. Kevin’s work reflected a genuine desire to make a positive difference, and his contributions will have a lasting impact on Marshall County. Kevin will be remembered for his dedication, integrity, and for me his smile and cheerful ‘hello’ as he came into our meetings,” she said. “I still have the photo of Kevin, (Sheriff) Joel Phillips, and myself when we were sworn into office on Dec. 20, 2024, by Judge Jennifer Miller. He was a great co-worker, eager to learn, and he served his community with dedication, humility, and a deep commitment to public service.”
Despite his passions for agriculture, history and baseball, Goodman’s greatest joy came from raising his three children alongside his wife Dana, his oldest son Christian said.
“He loved people. He loved his family. He’s got a very strong group of buddies, and they stay in contact every year. He’s always been the connector in getting the guys together,” Dana said. “He loved teaching young kids baseball and softball. He always said he thought maybe he should’ve been a history teacher. He loved history, and he never met a stranger he didn’t know. He’s a good guy. He trusted people, loved farming (and was) very passionate about feeding cattle.”
Christian, a Class of 2010 MHS graduate, added that his father took pride in doing things “the right way,” was always working to improve and was never afraid to think outside the box.
“Whether it was feeding cattle or baseball, he was a very analytical and creative individual. I just know (that) there was just no quit in the guy. It didn’t matter what the situation was. He wasn’t gonna back down from it,” he said. “We had people come and work for us (on the farm), and they’ve all reached out and said how much they enjoyed working with him because he treated everybody like they were his family. And he was a really genuine person. I’ve been told that by a lot of people that there was just something about him that made you feel comfortable, and I know a lot of people have told me in the last few days that they would lean on him for support at times — stuff I didn’t even know about. He was never afraid to stop and help somebody in need.”
Even recently, Christian said, Kevin had assisted a woman with a flat tire just down the road, called deputies to ensure that she was safe and offered to pay for a new one before McAtee Tire owner Tom Wahl stepped up to donate it himself.
“That was not uncommon for him to do those kinds of things. From the time we were little, he coached our sports teams, and in talking to my teammates from those youth league sports, that was a time in their life that they remember because he made it memorable because of how he taught baseball and the things that he told them and the values that he (instilled),” Christian said. “It wasn’t just about winning, obviously. He taught a lot of life lessons to young kids, and I know that he helped out a lot of kids that didn’t have the funds to play in those kinds of leagues. And he made sure they had a fair opportunity. It’s just the kind of guy he was, and he really loved to see people succeed and get better. And he didn’t care who you were or what you were doing.”
In addition to youth coaching, he coached softball at MHS and served as an umpire. Christian felt that his father approached the county supervisor role with a similar vigor and cared deeply about doing a good job.
“He always gives it everything he’s got. He’s always trying to be better, and that was just who he was. Of course, he brought whatever he could to try to do the best job that he could, and watching everything else go on and the other stressors in his life, he gave it everything he had to perform in that role,” he said. “He lived life to the fullest, and I don’t think he ever cheated himself. He got the full life experience… I was really looking forward to watching him continue to sit in that county supervisor’s position, and looking back on it, I wish that he could have gotten into that kind of a position sooner because he’s a servant to the people.”
Goodman, a Republican, had recently started his second year in the role — attending the regular meeting on Dec. 31 and the organizational meeting on Jan. 2 — and was slated to serve a four-year term through the end of 2028. According to Benson, a vacancy will be declared at the regular Jan. 14 meeting, and within 40 days, the county’s appointment committee will work to choose a new supervisor who would then likely run to serve out the remainder of Goodman’s term in the November election.
