Top 5 Stories: New 'SMOB' Elected, Edgewater Elementary Evacuated

Lots of headlines flooded the front page of Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch this week. Here are the top five stories of the week, ranging from student elections to a body found behind the American Legion Post in Edgewater.

No. 1–

The Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils general assembly as the next student member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education (SMOB).

It took two votes to determine a winner after the first ballots' results were too close between Lefavor and 's Jake Ritterpusch. In the second vote, Lefavor earned the necessary "50 percent plus one" and .

With the win, Lefavor will fill the only student board member position in the country with "full voting rights," ranging from personnel issues to budgets and more, according to Anne Arundel County Public Schools spokesman Bob Mosier. 

No. 2–

After being , the county's police chief that were subject to the grand jury investigation into County Executive John R. Leopold.

Anne Arundel County Police Chief James Teare Sr. was sworn under oath on Monday, but said he that would put him in violation of secrecy laws protecting grand jury investigations.

No. 3–

A dead body was found Tuesday afternoon behind the  in Edgewater, but police said there are no signs of foul play.

“Officers arrived and located an adult male, by fire personnel,” Anne Arundel County police spokesman Justin Mulcahy said.

Mulcahy said he couldn't go into the specifics of the incident, but reinforced that preliminary investigations show that .

No. 4– 

The coach of ’ (SRYA) cheer squad expected her team to wow the crowd at the Grand National Championship in Virginia Beach. What she didn’t expect was to come home with a Coach of the Year award from the event's sponsors, Cheer and Dance Extreme (CDE).

On Sunday, for her coaching of the 8U and 14U SRYA cheer squads. Goldbeck, also the SRYA cheer commissioner, was preparing her 14U team for their final performance at nationals when she heard the news.

“When I first found out I was awarded, I was in complete shock. I was unable to comprehend what just happened,” Goldbeck said. “My 14U team was up next to compete.”

No. 5–

 was evacuated Friday morning as the day was getting started when a “burning odor” was detected in the cafeteria, Anne Arundel County fire spokesman Chief Michael Cox said.

Around 8:15 a.m. Friday, Cox said all the school’s children, faculty and staff remained outside the building while firefighters investigated the cause of the smell.

“During the course of [firefighter] investigations, they believe it was a malfunctioning HVAC unit,” Cox said.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools spokesman Bob Mosier said the incident Friday morning had nothing to do with previous concerns about the school.