Greene County Democrat

Month: September 2017

  • Newswire: Disability advocates forcibly removed from Senate protest

    Republican leaders pull Graham-Cassidy bill before vote
    By: Katie Reilly, Time Magazine

    Stephanie Woodward and protestor being removed from Capitol Hill protest

    At press time, the Democrat learned that Republican leaders pulled the Graham-Cassidy proposal before a vote in the U. S. Senate, after five Republican Senators indicated that they would vote against the bill, which seeks to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with block-granting reduced Medicaid funds to the states. This is the legislation that disability activists were protesting.

    Stephanie Woodward, a disability advocate who was forcibly removed from the U.S. Capitol while protesting the controversial Senate health care bill on Thursday, said it was worth it because “the lives of millions of people with disabilities are on the line.”
    “I genuinely believe that thousands, if not millions, more people in our nation now know about the crisis that people with disabilities are facing with these cuts,” said Woodward, director of advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, N.Y. “And if being arrested and carried out is what needed to happen in order to get people to pay attention to this issue and get angry about it and start calling their Senators, then it was completely worth it.”
    Woodward, who has spina bifida, got out of her wheelchair to participate in a “die-in” organized by the disability rights organization ADAPT outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. Protesters chanted against the bill’s significant proposed cuts to Medicaid — which could affect the community services available to people with disabilities.
    Woodward, who was arrested along with several dozen other protesters, said officers who broke up the demonstration initially put her back in her wheelchair, but they struggled to wheel her out and ultimately carried her out instead.

    “They at first were reluctant to touch me because they had seen I was wearing leg braces, so I think they thought I was extra fragile, so they waited to carry me out last from the office,” said Woodward, 29, who was charged with incommoding, or obstructing. “And I was not actively being aggressive or resisting, but I certainly wasn’t going to help them in the process. I acted more like a sandbag that just kind of flopped.”
    Dawn Russell, who was born with cerebral palsy, also participated in Thursday’s protest. She said one of the most concerning parts of the current health care debate is a lack of public understanding about how the proposed legislation could affect nearly every part of disabled people’s lives.
    “We have a perception of people with disabilities in this country, and we have a mindset that somehow our lives aren’t valued. And I can promise you, with the home and community-based services that I receive, I would dare put my life up against anybody without a disability,” said Russell, 51.
    “Without those services — without the home and community-based services — I am just what people think about me, as a person with a disability. But with these services, I live a life. I live independently, interdependently, in the community just like everybody else. These services allow me to do that.”
    She said had it not been for Medicaid, she would have entered a nursing home when her husband died in 2015. Instead, she receives daily attendant care in her home, helping her to get ready for work in the morning and go to bed at night.
    “We have the right to live,” Woodward said. “And by live, I don’t mean just breathe. I mean be a part of the American dream, be in the community, raise a family, go to work. These Medicaid cuts will force people into institutions who don’t need to be there.”

  • Roy Moore defeats Luther Strange in U. S. Senate Republican Primary Runoff; will face Doug Jones in Dec. 12 Special General Election

    jonesmoorejpg-6f37439bf8438552L to R: Doug Jones and Roy Moore

    1Election

    A chart showing voting by precinct in Greene County

    Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice, Roy Moore, defeated appointed U. S. Senator, Luther Strange, in yesterday’s Republican primary runoff election. Moore will face Doug Jones, the Democratic candidate, nominated in the August first primary, in a Special General Election on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, which is 76 days from today.
    Statewide unofficial returns show Moore with 247,553 (54%) and Strange with 203,435 (45%). In Greene County, Moore received 168 (57.3%) to 125 (42.7%) for Strange. . Statewide the turnout was 15%. This is part of a special election process to fill the U. S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he became U. S. Attorney General.

    Moore has twice been removed, by the State Ethics Commission, from his position as Alabama Chief Justice. The first time for moving a two ton monument to the Ten Commandments into the vestibule of the Supreme Court building. The second time was early in 2016, when he instructed Alabama Probate Judges not to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, in violation of a U. S. Supreme Court decision, which ruled such laws unconstitutional.
    President Trump endorsed Luther Strange in the race and tweeted support for him on multiple occasions. As polls showed Strange in danger of losing, Trump visited Alabama to campaign at a rally in Huntsville attended by more than 7,000 people. At that rally, Trump said that he may have been mistaken in endorsing Strange and would support and campaign for Roy Moore if he was successful in the runoff. National TV reported this morning that Trump had deleted his tweets for Strange.
    Roy Moore, propelled by evangelical voters, consolidated support from a number of anti-establishment forces, including the pro-Trump Great America Alliance and former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who spoke for Moore at a Monday rally in Fairhope, Alabama. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in a rally for Moore last week, said the judge was a better match for Trump’s “movement.” At the Fairhope rally, Moore reached in his pocket and pulled out a pistol saying, “ I fully support the Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution and I am not afraid to show it.”
    Democratic nominee Doug Jones issued a statement on Tuesday night saying: “Even though I was not on the ballot today, our campaign has been building momentum for weeks with hundreds of volunteers signing up to join our effort, Republicans reaching out to us throughout the state, and our campaign just finishing our strongest week of fundraising. We started our general election campaign more than a month ago and are seeing increased energy moving toward December 12.”
    Jones who served as U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, prosecuted and convicted two of the Klansmen that were involved in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing of four young girls in 1963. He has also represented progressive organizations and causes as a Birmingham attorney.
    Political observers in Alabama predict a close race between Doug Jones and Roy Moore. Jones has solid support from Black voters and will be campaigning for votes from whites, who may be embarrassed to have Roy Moore, with his ultra-right wing views, representing them in the U. S. Senate.
    Emerson College conducted a poll in mid-September 2017, suggesting that Roy Moore would win the runoff. In the same poll, Republican voters were asked their choice in a General Election against Doug Jones. The poll showed, regardless of who wins the divisive GOP nomination it appears Democrat Doug Jones will start in a competitive position for the General election as he trails Strange 40% to 43%, and Moore 40% to 44%, well within the polls 4.8% margin of error.
    The GOP primary may have left supporters of both candidates unwilling at this time to support their party rival. Of those voting for Moore in the primary, 25% said they would vote for Jones and 49% said they would vote for Strange in the General. Similarly, Strange supporters found 31% voting for Jones and 34% voting for Moore. The GOP will need to find a way to unite during the weeks until the General Election, or face the prospect of Jones pulling off an upset. If Jones were to win, Alabama could send their first Democrat to the U.S. Senate in over 20 years.
    The Alabama Secretary of State’s office advises that you can register to vote for the December 12 General Election starting today until November 27, fifteen days before the election. Absentee ballot applications will be available, 45 days before the election, which is October 28, a Saturday, or no later than Monday, October 30.

  • Newswire: Hundreds of NFL players protest Trump by kneeling and locking arms during National Anthem at football games

    By: CNN Sports
    NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals
     players kneeling

    Rather than taking a knee, most NFL players opted for a show of unity Sunday, locking arms ahead of their games amid criticism from President Trump who slammed players opting to protest during the national anthem.
    Still, plenty opted to kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with the Baltimore Ravens’ Terrell Suggs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Mike Evans among the stars following the lead of former pro quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who pioneered the anthem protests last year over what he was said was social and racial injustice.
    Kaepernick, who has sat and knelt during the anthem, has said he refused to honor a song or “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” He also referenced the shootings of black men by police as one of reasons for his stance. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” he told NFL Media. “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
    Ahead of a Sunday morning game in London and afternoon games, players from several teams, including the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins, took knees during the anthem. With the exception of one player, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t even take the field until the anthem was over. The Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans also chose not to take the field for the national anthem.
    In Sunday morning tweets, Trump renewed his criticism of the protests, slamming the league’s ratings and saying players should be fired or suspended for such protests. On Saturday, he called for NFL owners to fire any “son of a bitch” who “disrespects our flag.”
    “What you just saw was a variety of responses with the theme of unity,” an NFL front office source told CNN. “All across the league, owners, coaches and players came together to decide what was best for them.”
    The source added, “If Trump thought he could divide the NFL, he was wrong.”
    Following Sunday’s 1 p.m. kickoffs, Trump tweeted that he approved of players locking arms, saying it represented “great solidarity” for the country.

  • Newswire : NNPA, Pfizer release groundbreaking poll about sickle disease in the Black community

    By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor)

    nnpapfizerpoll_0133_fallen_web120
     NNPA President and CEO Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. (far left) and NNPA Chairman Dorothy Leavell (3rd from left) joined researchers from Howard University and Pfizer officials to release a new poll on sickle cell disease at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)
    A new poll about sickle cell disease (SCD), presented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Pfizer revealed that while the majority of respondents were familiar with the illness, less than 40 percent realized that it disproportionately affects people of African descent.
    The NNPA is a trade group that represents more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers operating in the United States. Earlier this year, Pfizer partnered with the NNPA to increase awareness about SCD in the Black community and to encourage greater participation in clinical trials for treatments involving the disease.
    The groundbreaking poll also helped to dispel one of the long-held myths about the negative perception of medical professionals in the Black community.
    The poll revealed that, despite long-standing historical perceptions of mistrust in medical professionals by the Black community, 91 percent of respondents indicated that they believe health care professionals are trustworthy.
    Seventy-nine percent of respondents had positive or neutral attitudes toward sickle cell disease (SCD) trials and a majority indicated a willingness to participate in future clinical trials for SCD, given appropriate knowledge and recommendations from health care professionals.
    “Our core belief is that every patient counts, especially when it comes to rare disease,” said Michael Goettler, the global president of Pfizer’s Rare Disease unit. “When you have a rare disease, often you feel lonely and your physician may not be able to help you.”
    Goettler noted that the poll results provide a basis for Pfizer to seek more detailed assistance for sufferers.
    Even though the greatest burden for SCD, the report said that there’s limited research regarding African-Americans’ knowledge and thoughts about clinical trials that study the health impacts of the illness, the report said.
    “These poll findings will give our readers an in-depth understanding of how sickle cell disease is perceived by African-Americans,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. “With this knowledge from the dedicated research team at Howard University, and through our collaboration with Pfizer, we can spur meaningful conversation and assess the best ways to improve disease education for those impacted in our communities.”
    Dorothy Leavell, the chairman of the NNPA, said that she’s pleased to be a part of a group delivering “good news,” as well as the research that Pfizer continues to embark upon, on behalf of SCD patients.
    SCD is a lifelong and debilitating disorder that affects red blood cells and it’s the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S. Most people who live with SCD are of African descent and the disease occurs in one out of 365 African-American births.
    The median age of death for sickle cell disease patients in America hovers in the mid-40s, said Dr. Kevin Williams, the chief medical officer for Pfizer’s Rare Disease unit. Williams also writes a regular column about SCD for NNPA, titled “Ask Dr. Kevin.”
    Williams said that the insight form the poll will not only help researchers determine how to further enhance disease education and awareness, but will also help Pfizer educate SCD patients and their families about the importance of clinical trials in bringing novel treatment options to market for those in need.
    The survey was conducted by researchers at Howard University, who made 31,934 telephone calls for the poll that was conducted between June 15 and July 15. A total of 741 individuals aged 20 to 70 living across the country, who identified as being of African-American ethnicity, responded to the survey.
    The majority of respondents (79 percent) said they understood the importance of disease education and expressed the need for additional current information, specifically regarding pain relief, clinical trials and progress toward better treatment or a cure.
    “It’s not surprising for us that a majority of our participants understood and were previously aware of sickle cell disease,” said Dr. Terri Adams, an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. “The overwhelming majority understood that it’s a disease, a blood disorder.”
    Adams continued: “There was a willingness to participate in [SCD] clinical trials, however, 82 percent had very or somewhat negative attitudes toward clinical trials in general, so there’s still a general mistrust in clinical trials.”
    Researchers and officials at Pfizer and the NNPA each said that they hope to continue to educate patients, family members and primary care doctors about SCD clinical trials.
    “Close to 20 percent said they were unsure of how it was inherited and this presents a problem,” Adams said. “If you don’t know how it’s inherited, you may be putting your offspring at risk.”

  • Newswire : 60th anniversary of the “Little Rock Nine”

    Photos of Little Rock Nine
    Little Rock Nine
    As the world watched, nine African American students were escorted into the formerly all-white Little Rock Central High School by members of the 101st Airborne on September 25, 1957, and remained in the school. This was the culmination of not only three weeks of tumult in Little Rock, but of several years of legal battles.
    In reality, the Little Rock Nine (Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Patillo, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls) were the fulfillment of efforts for equal rights which dated back for decades and centuries.
    Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out the National Guard to keep the Little Rock Nine out of the school, though he claimed it was to maintain peace. Eventually, President Dwight Eisenhower had to federalize the National Guard and removed them. He replaced them with the 101st Airborne who escorted the students in.
    The story did not end on September 25. The Little Rock Nine endured much hostility during the 1957-1958 school year. Even after that school year was over, the drama continued as the high schools were closed during 1958-1959 in an effort to keep them segregated. Once the schools reopened, there were still efforts to delay the full integration of Little Rock schools.
    Likewise, there was an immense amount of effort leading up to the Little Rock Nine entering into the school. Work by the NAACP both nationally and within Arkansas laid the groundwork for that day.
    During September 2017, there will be a series of events that will look back at the events of September 1957. They will also examine the work that led up to the integration of Little Rock Central High. In addition, the programs will look at the impact of the 1957-1958 school year over the past six decades.

  • Newswire : New travel ban listing Chad, an important U.S. ally, stumps area experts

     

    Chad protest
    Zahriya Miller, North Alabama University student, opposing travel –
    (GIN) – African countries working with the U.S. to defeat terrorism are questioning why Chad has been added to the latest group of countries excluded under the U.S. travel ban.
    The addition of Chad took that country’s government by surprise and bewildered analysts of Central Africa.
    For years, the United States and its European allies have praised the central African nation of Chad as a helpful partner in the fight against terrorism, noted the Washington Post. Chad has been a longtime American ally in fighting Islamist militants in the region, including offshoots of Al Qaeda and Boko Haram, and its troops took part in a French-led effort to root out Islamist militants from parts of Mali in 2013.
    The government expressed “incomprehension in the face of the official reasons for this decision, which contrasts with Chad’s constant efforts and commitments in the fight against terrorism.”
    In a report on Chad last year, the State Department said that few Chadians join terrorist groups, and that the country had tightened its borders to impede the movements of militants, but that a financial crisis kept the country from consistently paying police and military salaries, which presented some risk.
    “This makes no sense at all, even from a Trumpian standpoint,” said Reed Brody, a lawyer for Human Rights Watch. “I’ve been to Chad 30 times. No country should be on list, but Chad is particularly bewildering. Only one Chadian was ever accused of anti-US terror.”
    Chad has been a key member of the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, a US inter-agency program that helps governments defeat terrorists in the Sahel and west Africa regions. US marines and navy personnel have also provided training for Chadian officers, even deploying troops to Chad to help find the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls.
    Chad’s increasing involvement in regional conflicts has made it a continental superpower.
    This was most obvious in Mali in 2013, where Chadian forces were key to the defeat of Islamist rebel groups who had occupied the north of the country, and were planning to march on the capital.
    Another surprise in the newly released list of excluded countries was the removal of Sudan from the Trump travel ban. Sudan was removed just days ahead of an Oct. 12 decision whether to permanently lift decades-old US sanctions on Khartoum.
    Relations with the government of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the U.S. began warming under Pres. Obama. Charges of genocide, however, still face the President at the International Criminal Court for actions taken against South Sudan.

  • County Bingo facilities provide $332,820 to designated entities

    Sheriff Benison continues work on changing bingo rules to help hospital

    In a telephone interview with The Democrat, Sheriff Benison said that he is continuing to work on changes to the Greene County electronic bingo rules to assist the Greene County Health System (GCHS).
    The Sheriff met with the GCHS Board of Directors last week and committed to increasing the per machine fee on bingo machines by $25 to support the health care services of the hospital, nursing home, physicians clinic and other services.
    This change in the machine fee would generate $50,000 a month
    to support health care for Greene County, starting November 1.
    “ We desperately need these funds to cover ‘uncompensated care’ for low income residents,” said John Zippert, GCHS Board Chair.

    Bingo

    Shown above: Boligee City Councilperson Ernestine Wade, Mayor of Union James Gaines, Greene County Board of Education CFO Katrina Sewell, Bingo Clerk Emma Jackson, Greene Co. Sheriff Jonathan Benison, Bingo Clerk Minnie Byrd, Shirley Edwards Greene County Hospital Board member, Forkland Councilman Joe Tuck, and Brenda Burke representing County Commission.

     

    On Friday, September 15, 2017, Greene County Sheriff Department distributed $332,820 in monthly bingo allocations from the five licensed gaming operations in the county. The recipients of the monthly distributions from bingo gaming designated by Sheriff Benison in his Bingo Rules and Regulations include the Greene County Commission, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the cities of Eutaw, Forkland, Union, Boligee and the Greene County Board of Education. To date, only the Palace (Tommy Summerville Police Support League) contributes to the Greene County Hospital. The following assessments are for the month of August 2017.
    Greenetrack, Inc. gave a total of $60,000 to the following: Greene County Commission, $24,000; Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $9,000; City of Eutaw, $4,500; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,000; Greene County Board of Education, $13,500.
    Green Charity (Center for Rural Family Development) gave a total of $60,000 to the following: Greene County Commission, $24,000; Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $9,000; City of Eutaw, $4,500; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,000; Greene County Board of Education, $13,500.
    Frontier (Dream, Inc.) gave a total of $60,420 to the following: Greene County Commission, $24,000; Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $9,420; City of Eutaw, $4,500; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,000; Greene County Board of Education, $13,500.
    River’s Edge (NNL – Next Level Leaders and TCCTP – Tishabee Community Center Tutorial Program) gave a total of $60,000 to the following: Greene County Commission, $24,000; Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $9,000; City of Eutaw, $4,500; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,000; Greene County Board of Education, $13,500.
    Palace (Tommy Summerville Police Support League) gave a total of $92,400 to the following: Greene County Commission, $4,620; Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $36,960; City of Eutaw, $27,720; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $4,620; Greene County Board of Education, $4,620 and the Greene County Hospital $4,620.

  • School board approves superintendent’s contract Greene County schools awarded $300,000 for school based 21st Century Community Learning Centers

    At the Greene County school board meeting held Sept. 18, 2017, Superintendent James Carter announced that the school system, in partnership with the Greene County Children’s Policy Council, under the leadership of District Judge Lillie Jones Osborne, was awarded two 21st Century Community Learning Center Grants (CCLC) for Eutaw Primary School and Robert Brown Middle School, totaling $300,000. The projects will serve 100 students at each school facility with a 36-weeks after school program (Monday through Friday) and a four-to-six-weeks summer enrichment program.
    The 21st CCLC programs at both schools will focus on Reading, Math and Science, and (STEM), Arts and Music education, tutorial services, language enhancement, recreational skills, entrepreneurial education and nutrition and health education, counseling and expanded library access.
    The project also includes programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy, and drug, bullying and violence prevention programs.
    “The current funding of this 21st Century CCLC project is a significant boost to our overall goals and efforts in preparing our students academically as well as equipping them with relevant life skills,” said Dr. Carter.
    According to Dr. Carter, the sponsoring partners have scheduled orientation and training for timely implementation of the programs.
    At its September meeting, the school board approved a contract agreement with Superintendent Dr. James H. Carter, Sr. for the period 2018-2020.
    Other personnel actions of the school board included the following:
    *Approved the resignation of Lamar Lavender, Custodian at Greene County High, effective September, 2017.

    *Approved employment of Tina Cherry as Substitute Cook, Child Nutrition Program.
    *Approved Additional Service Contracts 2017 – 2018 Greene County High School: (Separate Contract) Karon Coleman – Head Track Coach.
    *Approved Catastrophic Leave for Angelia Hood – Special Education Coordinator, Central Office; Family Medical Leave for Linda Merriweather – Cook, at Greene County High School and for Freddie Merriweather – Bus Driver, Transportation Department.The board approved the following administrative services:
    *Greene County Schools One-on-One Technology Handbook.
    *Implementation Guide of Curriculum Component for Strategic Plan (Phase 1).
    *Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Greene County Sheriff ‘s Department through Football season.
    *Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Greene County Commission for School Resource Officers, for the following schools: Greene County High School; Robert Brown Middle School and Greene County Learning Academy.
    *First Reading of the Travel Policy.
    Superintendent Carter also reported on the following initiatives in the school system.
    *Teachers in grades Pre-K – 3rd will be trained in how to implement the Math Their Way concept, an approach which incorporates adding concrete means in calculations.
    *Students at Robert Brown Middle School will have the opportunity to engage in a community garden program.
    *Provide opportunities for students in grades 4 -12 to engage in the National Park Service Programs.
    *Field trips will have a greater focus on historical sites in and around Greene County this school year. Also, a main focus will be on the contributions that Black citizens made in the civil rights movement.
    *We are exploring the possibilities of implementing during this school year a salad bar for students and teachers at all schools. Students also have the opportunity to provide input in the school menu.

  • Eutaw City Council concerned about financial recordkeeping and reporting

    At its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, the Eutaw City Council was unable to get a second and vote on a motion made by Councilman Joe Lee Powell to pay bills for the month of August.
    Three Council members present, LaTasha Johnson, Jeffrey Carpenter and Sheila H. Smith expressed misgivings about paying the bills without a more detailed financial statement and record of the City’s finances and bank accounts. Councilman Bennie Abrams was absent and was not present to second or vote on the motion. Had Abrams been present, the motion may have resulted in a tie vote on paying the bills.
    Councilwoman LaTasha Johnson said she sent Mayor Steele a letter asking for specific information about bills and bank accounts especially the funds coming from electronic bingo. Councilman Carpenter said he has been pushing for many years for the city to have a budget and pay bills based on a plan and a budget.

    Mayor Steele said the City of Eutaw did not have its records in proper form to provide the reports and budget that were being requested. Steele said Council members could come to City Hall “at any time and request that the City Clerk show them any bills, bank statements or other financial data they want to see.”
    Steele said that he had discussed this with James Gardner, the City’s CPA and accounting firm and was advised that additional funds were needed to train and support City Hall staff to enter information in the computer system to generate the needed reports. Steele said that he would invite Gardner to speak with the Council at a work session on Monday, September 18, 2017 to explain the situation.
    At the Council Work Session, Gardner explained that the last audit for the City of Eutaw was done by him in FY2012 and that a Financial Compilation Report and Financial Statement was done for fiscal year 2014, through September 30, 2014. There have been no financial statements or reports done by his firm for the ensuing fiscal years of 2015, 2016 and 2017. Bank statements and files of receipts and expenditures are on file in the City Hall, which could be used to construct a financial statement and reports.
    Gardner said that he would send an estimate of the cost to do these unaudited compilation statements by the next City Council meeting. Gardner said it would cost $4,000 to $7,000 to train City Hall staff to enter financial information in a modified QuickBooks system, for the city’s multiple accounts, starting October 1, 2017. Once this training was done and the system was properly maintained he could do an audited statement for the FY2018, which ends September 30, 2018.
    Mayor Steele said that he would bring a report from the CPA firm on recordkeeping, accounting and financial reporting to the next meeting for the Council to make a formal decision.
    At the Council Work Session, Mayor Steele reported that the City water system expansion project was moving toward conclusion. More new digitized self-reporting water meters will still be installed, including individual meters in Carver Circle taking the place of a single master meter.
    Steele said the new water tank would be painted by the end of October and put into operation by the end of the year. This would allow the power pole to be moved from its temporary location in the street near the Courthouse to its permanent place. The Mayor also indicated that the water line contractor would return to fix other areas that were affected by the construction.
    The Mayor indicated that the City’s knuckle-boom truck to cut and remove trees from city roadways was in the shop and would require $18,000 to $20,000 to repair. He reported that both City backhoes were also in the shop for repair and that the city workers were doing their best to pick up branches piled up on the side of roads and streets.
    Steele said, “Our equipment is very old and in need of repair and upgrading. We are going to do our best to prepare for the Tour of Homes, scheduled for October 7 and 8, in Eutaw.”
    At the September 12 Council meeting, Councilwoman Sheila H. Smith confronted Mayor Steele and tried to make a motion to deny the Mayor the use of a new 2017 Tahoe, he uses for conducting city business. Smith said the vehicle could be better used by the Police Department.
    Steele said he needed the car to show visitors interested in the community, a positive image of the community. He also said he needed a reliable vehicle to travel to meetings to seek resources for the city. The Mayor suggested that Smith was taking these actions against him, as personal retribution, because he had requested that she turn in her city issued cell phone. The Mayor was successful in ruling the motion out-of-order but the issue lingers and may come up again in future meetings.

  • Greene County and Alabama law enforcement apprehend St. Louis, MO fugitive

    raw.jpgOn Wednesday, September, 13, 2017 at approximately 7:30 p.m. law enforcement officials from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the 17th Judicial Circuit’s Drug Task Force and the Eutaw Police Department apprehended Andre Lemoyne Williams, 32, of St. Louis, Missouri, without incident. Williams was wanted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for Murder 1st Degree and a Parole Violation on which there is a $1,000,000 cash bond. Williams is being held at the Greene County Jail awaiting extradition. “We would like to thank all of the agencies that assisted us with this apprehension including the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit. We also want to thank the Greene County Ambulance Service for being on standby during this high risk apprehension. This is a prime example of what can be achieved when we all work together as one,” stated Chief Deputy Jeremy L. Rancher, Greene County Sheriff’s Office.