Building Stronger Communities Together

Our teachers should be recognized more often for their hard work and commitment to making a difference in their students' lives. Highline invites you to nominate someone you feel deserves to be recognized as a Teacher of the Month. Winning teachers will receive a gift card.

For the month of May we are honoring Mrs. Debi Bendick Pre-K teacher at Forest Park Schools in Crystal Falls.

Debi has been teaching for the last 15 years with the past 5 as the lead teacher in the pre-K classroom. She transitioned from working at their family restaurant to helping at the school in the kitchen and playground aid before obtaining her bachelor’s degree to begin her teaching career. Debi has created a warm, welcoming classroom and it’s easy to see the kids absolutely love her as they kept coming over to ask her to identify the play bugs or playfully setting them on her shoulder or hand.

Debi started to think of a career in teaching when she saw a need to give pre-K students a positive experience with their first interaction in the school setting. She wants to inspire kids to want to learn, to love to go to school. She tries to make it fun and exciting for them because they have a long career in school.

She loves being with the kids and misses them when they are on break. Ms. Bendick loves doing experiments with the kids. They come up with some interesting questions, things that adults don’t think about. Quote from Debi, “I find joy in being kind and supporting others. I know that small gestures can make a big difference when someone may need them most.”

Outside of school you could find Debi spending time with her family camping, swimming, walking, or reading a good book. She lives in the Crystal Falls area with her husband Tim, son Timmy and their cat Keyz.

A few kind words from her nominator, “Debi is a Pre-K teacher at Forest Park. She delivers hugs and smiles to each of her students as well as getting them excited to start their education. She is a huge part of the sports boosters by helping with consessions throughout the school year. She also helps in the local community any way she can. At Forest Park, when any student needs something (regardless of age), they know they can go to Ms. Debi.”

Ms. Debi, THANK YOU for choosing a career in education to shape the future of the next generations. Please tell a teacher “Thank you” and please tell Ms. Debi THANK YOU, for her dedication to her students at Forest Park Schools.

To nominate a teacher for Teacher of the Month please go to:  https://highlinefast.com/teacher-month

We're excited to recognize Mrs. Charlee English as our December Teacher of the Month- also to celebrate her as our 1,500th customer in Upson County!

Charlee was nominated for her incredible dedication and hard work in her role every single day. We are honored to celebrate an educator who makes such a meaningful impact on our students and community. Congratulations, and thank you for all you do!

Get those nominations ready for 2026!

Our first responders should be recognized for their dedication and commitment to public safety in our communities. Highline invites you to nominate someone you feel deserves to be recognized as a First Responder of the Month. Winning nominees will receive a gift card.

Congratulations to Kaleb Powell, EUP’s First Responder of the Month!

Originally from Southwest Michigan, Officer Powell joined Manistique Public Safety as a sworn officer in August 2022. With a strong background in Fire and EMS since 2014, he’s passionate about serving the community. 
Before joining MPS, he worked with Columbus Fire in McMillan and served as a Cardiac Rehab Coordinator at Helen Newberry Joy Hospital, where he also completed his EMT certification. He has always enjoyed helping others.
Off duty, he’s all about family. He and his wife enjoy disc golfing, biking, and spending quality time with their two young children. 

We appreciate your commitment to ensuring the safety of our communities. Thank you, Officer Powell!