LAWRENCE CO. – In November 2023, college basketball coaching legend Bob Knight died at 83; North North North Lawrence High School will transition from a trimester to a semester schedule, new Bedford Police Department opens, and Miss Indiana turns 100.
College basketball coaching legend Bob Knight dead at 83
Bob Knight, the sixth-winningest coach in Division I men’s college basketball history whose Hall of Fame career was highlighted by three national titles at Indiana – one an undefeated season not since matched — and countless on-court outbursts, died Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
He was 83.
Knight – “The General” – became the youngest coach at a Division I school in 1965 when he broke in at Army at 24. But he made his mark in 29 years at Indiana, including winning a school record with 661 games and reaching the NCAA tournament 24 times in 29 seasons. Knight’s first NCAA title came in 1976 when Indiana went undefeated, a feat no team has accomplished since.
In 1984, he coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in Los Angeles, the last American amateur team to claim Olympic gold. Knight won 20 or more games in 29 seasons, compiling a career record of 902-371.
Knight was a three-time champion as the Hoosiers’ head coach, winning it all in 1976, 1981, and 1987. He also went to the Final Four five times in Bloomington.
This Feb. 23, 1985, file photo shows Indiana coach Bob Knight winding up and pitching a chair across the floor during Indiana’s 72-63 loss to Purdue in Bloomington, Ind. Knight and Ralph Sampson are among the eight members of the Class of 2011 of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. AP FILE
Knight was elected and inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. Previously, Knight had asked not to be renominated to the Hall of Fame, calling the voters’ rejection of him in 1987 a “slap in the face.”
Knight was eventually forced out at Indiana in 2000 for violating a “zero tolerance” behavior policy by grabbing the arm of a freshman student who he said greeted him by his last name. It was the final transgression on a long list, which included his most infamous incident – throwing a chair during a Purdue game and accusations of numerous physical confrontations.
Knight’s time in Bloomington ended in controversy after he was captured on video choking former player Neil Reed in 1997. The school implemented a zero-tolerance policy toward the coach … and he was fired after student Kent Harvey accused Bobby of grabbing him by the arm for referring to him as “Knight.”
Knight then left to become the basketball coach at Texas Tech in 2001, six months after being fired by Indiana for what school officials there called a “pattern of unacceptable behavior.
In Knight’s six full years at Tech, he led the Red Raiders to five 20-win seasons, a first at the school. Knight passed former North Carolina coach Dean Smith as the then-winningest Division I men’s coach on Jan. 1, 2007, getting career win No. 880. To celebrate the milestone, Knight chose the song “My Way” by Frank Sinatra, a mantra for navigating his personal and professional worlds.
He retired from Texas Tech in 2008 and his son, Pat, took the reins.
Knight coached several future NBA stars during his career including Isiah Thomas and Mike Woodson.
After retirement, Bobby worked for ESPN as an analyst until 2015.
What he did and how he did it made Knight legend. However, the influence and discipline he brought to coaching made him special. He never broke NCAA rules. He always had a high graduation rate and gave his salary back a few years after he arrived in Lubbock because he didn’t think he’d earned it.
Robert Montgomery Knight was born on Oct. 25, 1940, in Orrville, Ohio, and was a prep basketball, baseball, and football star at Orrville High School. While a player at Ohio State, his teams compiled an overall record of 78-6. The Buckeyes won the national title in 1960 (Knight was 0-for-1 with one personal foul in a 75-55 win over California in the title game and averaged 3.7 points as a sub that season), and captured Big Ten titles during all three of Knight’s seasons.
In 2019, Knight made a surprise appearance at an Indiana baseball game. In July, he bought a house 3 miles from the basketball arena.
In February 2020, he returned to Assembly Hall for an Indiana-Purdue game. He was met with roars of approval from the sold-out crowd, including dozens of former players.
Knight was hospitalized back in April with an “acute illness,” and the Indiana program asked his supporters to pray for him. No additional details were shared.
Bedford North Lawrence High will transition from trimesters to a semester schedule in 2024
North Lawrence Community Schools Board on November 2 voted to move Bedford North Lawrence High School from a trimester schedule back to a semester schedule. The decision was made after several meetings to gauge the effectiveness of semesters instead of trimesters and the extra workload transitioning for next year would add to staff.
Bedford High School Principal Matthew Canada recommended transitioning from a trimester to a semester schedule “To keep in mind our students and maximize their experiences.”
The BNL High School transition was approved for the years 2024-2025.
The North Lawrence Career Center brought forward initial concerns about the schedule changes. The Center was in favor of trimesters. “We don’t want it where students have to pick a track,” regarding different trades and skills. The representative wanted flexibility and open options for students.
Semesters, as opposed to trimesters, will change class offerings to alternating path options instead of being able to offer all of them each year.
Other concerns came from staff that would do much of the schedule alteration.
The transition would mean that:
- Miss out on student conferencing
- Reduce course drop/add times
One council member had concerns with timing and the potential mistakes that may occur with rushing. Waiting will allow counselors to talk to students, help them understand what new courses are, and give staff time to tear down and rebuild courses.
Implementing the semesters will have an initial tear-down and rebuild of 3-7 days, then cause a month delay that will carry throughout the rest of the school year.
The transition will also require a new course catalog for Bedford North Lawrence High School and NLCS.
However, BNL’s graduation rate has been falling off, prompting the urgency of the whole discussion.
Principal Matthew Canada explained that the transition in the coming year is attainable and best for the students despite the challenges. At-risk students would especially benefit from returning to semesters instead of staying with trimesters.
In conclusion, the consensus was that what was best for the students was most important.
The teachers and staff will have approximately nine months to adjust to the change and prepare for the semester transition.
New Bedford Police Department officially open, fallen officer honored
The Bedford Police Department is now officially open at 2308 West 16th Street.
On November 15th, Chief Terry Moore dedicated a memorial plaque on the flag pole honoring Bedford Watchman George Carney, who died in the line of duty in 1875.
On Tuesday, January 19, 1875, at 9:00 p.m., Deputy Marshal George Carney was shot and killed when he interrupted a burglary at the J.W. Mitchell & Co. drug store.
As he approached the rear alley, he was shot by one of the two males who were burglarizing the store. Deputy Marshal Carney was able to describe the suspects before he died the following day.
The 17- and 20-year-old males escaped but were captured two weeks later in Olney, Illinois, where one suspect exchanged shots with the city marshal during their arrest.
They were later convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison, and pardoned in 1888 and 1892, respectively.
Deputy Marshal Carney was survived by his brother, who served with the Louisville, Kentucky, Police Department, his sister, and his father.
100th-anniversary tribute paid to Miss Indiana
BEDFORD – The Lawrence County Commissioners and the Miss Indiana Centennial Committee on Monday, November 27, at 4:30 p.m. celebrated the 100th anniversary of the setting of the Miss Indiana statue atop the Lawrence County Soldiers, Sailors, and Pioneers Monument.
The celebration was held on the west side of the Lawrence County Courthouse, at the statue’s base.
The Presentation of Colors was executed by the American Legion Gillen Post 33. The Bedford Freemasons placed a wreath in honor of Lawrence County veterans and the pioneers who settled the county.
Lawrence County Commissioner Rodney Fish addressed the community, saying, “The purpose is to celebrate a part of our history and heritage by gathering here on the 100th anniversary of a grand old lady, Miss Indiana. She stands on these grounds as a bacon to honor the past, inspire the future, and give thanks for the blessings our community enjoyed today. She symbolizes the courage and fortitude of those who envisioned what Lawrence County could be even before it was fully formed. Those who labored to see her carved and placed here had a different perspective of what it meant to honor the settlers and builders of our community. Still, they showed their faithfulness that the future held hope by commissioning this remarkable effort.”
Lawrence County Circuit Court Judge Nathan Nikirk presented the history of Miss Indiana.
“100 years ago today, at around this same time in the afternoon, this beautiful statue was hosted atop the Lawrence County Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneer monument. The Miss Indiana Statue was a gift to Lawrence County by Moses Fell Dunn. Mr. Dunn died on October 21, 1015, and bequeathed $10,000 (the equivalent of $175,000 today) for the carving and placement of the Miss Indiana Statue. Famous local stone carver Harry Easton sculpted Miss Indiana’s face. Mr. Easton modeled her face after Mayme Hubbard Smith, a secretary at the Imperial Stone Company that employed Mr. Easton.
Miss Indiana is carved out of Indiana limestone quarried from Oolitic. She weighs twelve tons and stands 32 feet above the ground.
If you look at the statue’s base, you will notice four carved panels depicting the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and an Indiana pioneer scene. A secret time capsule was placed inside the monument’s base in a small lockbox on November 22, 1923. The time capsule contains articles from various newspapers, a copy of Moses Fell Dunn’s Last Will and Testament, a list of Lawrence County soldiers and sailors, and photos of the Monon train depot.
“If you look closely at the statue, you will notice that Miss Indiana wears a wreath crown of bay laurel leaves symbolizing victory, and she holds a palm leaf symbolizing peace. Miss Indiana also stands between a sheaf of wheat and an anvil. The wheat symbolizes prosperity, and the anvil symbolizes strength. I think the symbolic meaning of this statue perfectly captures the true nature of the citizens of Lawrence County now, just as it did 100 years ago.
I’m going to close with a quote from Judge Ira Batman. Judge Batman was a Lawrence County native and a personal friend of Mr. Dunn. Judge Batman spoke and closed his speech at the original dedication ceremony 100 years ago with the following words.
‘May this statue stand during the coming years as a reminder of the patient service and heroic sacrifice for those in whose honor it was erected and keep green the memory of the illustrious donor – Moses Fell Dunn.'”
The Bedford North Lawrence High School and Mitchell Community School High School choirs performed “How Firm a Foundation” and “America,” the same song when Miss Indiana was first placed at the courthouse.
Immediately following the outdoor ceremony, the public was invited to attend an art show with light refreshments in the Courthouse rotunda.
Artwork by students from all Lawrence County Schools featuring the Miss Indiana Statue was on display.
The celebration program is below:
Presentation of Colors & Pledge of Allegiance – American Legion Gillen Post 33
Wreath Laying – Bedford Freemasons
Welcome & Invocation – Lawrence County Commissioner Rodney Fish and Rev. Tim Thompson
Presentation of Distinguished Guests – Lawrence County Councilwoman Janie Craig Chenault and Mayor Sam Craig, City of Bedford, spoke of the accomplishments of distinguished guests T/Sgt. James Lee Hutchinson, Clydene Guthrie Flinn, and Larry Flinn.
Ceremonial Address – Judge Nathan G. Nikirk Lawrence Circuit Court
Choral Performance – “How Firm a Foundation” and “America” Presented by: Mitchell High School Choir and Bedford North Lawrence High School Choir under the direction of Mrs. Amanda Whitmer, Mitchell Choir Director & Mr. Luke Hayden, Bedford North Lawrence Choir Director
Closing Remarks – Mrs. Susan Gales, President, Bedford Revitalization, Inc.
