It has been a long and interesting semester for Marengo County institutions.

Marengo Academy saw turnover at the top when longtime headmaster John Holley stepped down earlier in the spring. Two weeks later, athletic director and head football coach Jesse Little followed,

John Essex High’s semester saw a bomb threat that was followed weeks later by a plane crash on school grounds.

Now, Demopolis High School’s year ends with the news that Dr. Isaac Espy is leaving his post in favor of a similar position in Tuscaloosa.

What is important to remember amid all the turmoil is the positives that accompany each occurrence.

The change at the top at MA was difficult for Academy students, but the student body showed its resiliency and learned valuable life lessons along the way as it wrapped up its semester.

The incident outside John Essex brought out the best in a group of young people who learned more about their own mettle than they ever could have in academic or athletic venues.

Now, Demopolis City Schools will turn its attention to finding an individual to improve upon the outstanding work Espy did during his four years of service with Demopolis High School.