By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
In a political stunner, New York State Attorney General Letitia James has dropped out of the race for governor, upending the campaign and possibly solidifying Gov. Kathy Hochul as the Democratic front-runner.
“I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general,” James, the Howard University School of Law graduate, wrote on Twitter. “There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job,” James, 63, continued. “I am running for re-election to complete the work New Yorkers elected me to do,” she concluded.
That work includes the ongoing investigation into former President Donald Trump. On Thursday, December 9, reports surfaced that James wants to question Trump under oath in a civil fraud investigation.
James’ office also has partnered with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance in a criminal investigation of Trump where the former president could face indictment in the Big Apple. It’s alleged that the Trump organization engaged in criminal fraud activity by intentionally submitting false property values to potential lenders.
Trump’s lawyers have sought to block any attempts by James and Vance to depose the Republican.
After news of the devastation from multiple tornadoes spread, Jimmy Finch knew he had to do something. So he loaded up supplies and set out from his home in Clarksville, Tennessee, driving nearly two hours to Mayfield, Ky., to help feed people. According to local news reports, Finch brought his smoker with him and soon connected with a local food truck owner to feed people in the town of approximately 10,000. “I just came down here trying to feed the people,” Finch said in an interview with WLWT. “Everybody’s talking about they’re sending up prayers and, you know, their well wishes and everything. You know, folks can’t eat no prayer. You gotta put something in their stomach. Give them something to hold on to.” As state and federal officials figure out the recovery for communities in the South and Midwest affected by the cluster of tornados that hit over the weekend, people like Finch and Rhonda Moss-Levelle are filling in the gap. Moss-Levelle told the outlet that her family’s food truck remained untouched, and she and Finch are just doing what made sense. Three residents of Bowling Green set up a stand giving out free hot dogs and hamburgers to help folks in the aftermath of the storm. Around the region, people are filling in the gap to meet the overwhelming need of the moment. Located in Louisville, Ky., the Muhammad Ali Center announced support for relief efforts. “The Ali Center is joining the Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Efforts following last weekend’s historically devastating storms” the center tweeted.” Starting Wednesday, we’ll donate $1 for every admission ticket sold until January 30th, and $3000 immediately. Western Kentucky, we are here for you!” Hood to the Holler leveraged its platform to share opportunities to support community-led efforts in response to the disaster. Kentuckians For The Commonwealth also pulled together a list of resources for those in need and people looking to provide support. Another mutual aid organization in eastern Kentucky was helping to coordinate supplies from local public school districts to help affected families and students in the western part of the state. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced a relief fund to directly benefit people in the western part of the state impacted by the tornadoes. As of Wednesday morning, over $10 million had been raised. To contribute, go to http://www.TeamWKYREliefFund.ky.gov. Severe weather disasters are increasingly becoming the norm in many communities around the country, with mutual aid becoming more commonplace than in previous years. As communities continue to work together to sustain each other in times of crisis, policymakers and elected leaders will need to get serious about real solutions to protecting people’s lives and livelihoods.
The Greene County Board of Education hired Ms. Marquita Lennon as the system’s Chief School Financial Officer at its call board meeting November 22, 2021. Ms. Lennon assumed her official duties as CSFO on December 13, 2021.
In Her Words
I have over ten years of experience in financial and budget analysis as a Public Utility Analyst with the Alabama Public Service Commission. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Administration from Auburn University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Southern University. I am a devoted wife of 11 years and the proud mother of 3 children 4, 7, and 9 years old. My father is the Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Opelika, AL and my father-in-law is the Pastor of 1st Holy Ground Temple in Ozark, AL.
Alabama House District showing District 72 which include all of Greene County
The Alabama Legislature, in its November Special Session, adopted a new redistricting plan for State Senate and State House of Representatives, reflecting changes in the population from the 2020 Census.
The new legislative districts are required to be equal in population with a deviation of no more than five per cent. The 2020 U. S. Census showed Alabama with 5,030,053 people. Ideally each Alabama House district should represent 47,905 people and each Alabama Senate district should represent 143,716.
Greene County was divided into two Alabama House districts in 2010 – districts 71 represented by A.J. McCampbell and district 72 represented by Ron Howard. For elections beginning with the May 24, 2022 primaries, all of Greene County will be in House District 72. House District 72 will include all of Greene, Hale and a part of Bibb and Tuscaloosa.
Representative A. J. McCampbell, who is a native of Greene County and represented a portion of the county in the past, will now represent a part of his home in Marengo, all of Sumter and parts of Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties.
Greene County will remain a part of Alabama Senate District 24, which includes all of Greene, Hale, Sumter, Marengo and Choctaw counties and a part of southern and western Tuscaloosa County. Senator Bobby Singleton currently represents District 24.
The Montgomery Advertiser says, “On paper, the maps appear to protect Republican supermajorities in state government. Republicans hold six of seven congressional seats; six of eight state school board seats; 77 of 105 House seats and 27 of 35 Senate seats. None of the congressional districts appear to be competitive, though a handful of legislative districts, most notably in Madison County, could be.” Several lawsuits have been filed against the Congressional district redistricting plan but the state legislative redistricting plans have not been challenged. –
At its regular meeting held Monday, December 13, 2021, the Greene County Commission approved a one-time bonus for all employees, with full time employees getting $2,000 each and part-time employees receiving $1,000 each. Disbursements of the same are scheduled for Friday, Dec.17. These resources are from the American Rescue Plan funds. Elected officials are not eligible for such payments.
Consideration of the employee bonuses was added to the agenda on a motion by Commissioner Roshanda Summerville with a second by Commissioner Corey Cockrell.
Commission committee assignments as designated by the chairperson were also made available at this meeting. Commission Chairperson Allen Turner is assigned to the Finance, Water and Housing Authority Committees; Commission Vice Chair, Lester Brown is assigned to the Highway and Solid Waste Committees; Commissioner Roshanda Summerville is assigned to the Personnel and Hospital Committees; Commissioner Tennyson Smith is assigned to the EMA and Education Committees and Commissioner Corey Cockrell is assigned to the PARA and the Industrial Committees.
Following an executive session, another item added to the agenda on a motion by Summerville and a second by Cockrell, the commission agreed to participate with one small defendant in a settlement regarding an Opioid Lawsuit. There are other larger defendants in the lawsuit.
The holiday schedule for county employees include two days off before Christmas and one day before New Year’s Day.
The commission took action on the following:
* Travel for the Chairman and three employees to the NACO legislative meeting Feb. 12-16, 2022 in Washington, D.C.
* Advertising for a mechanic.
* Liability coverage renewal for 2022.
* Updating copy machine for Probate Judge’s office.
* Extending garbage exemptions through January 2022.
* Highway bids.
* Applying for an Industrial Access Grant for County Road 117.
* Allowing engineer to solicit bids to replace fence at Highway Department.
Public hearing regarding County Road 138.
In the financial report presented by CFO Macaroy Underwood, accounts payable for November totaled $378,391.23; payroll transfer totaled $236,456.84 and fiduciary totaled $82,179.88 with total claims at $697,027.95. Electronic claims totaled $86,880.94.
Bank balances as of Nov. 22, 2021: Citizen Trust Bank – $4,651,285.66; Merchants & Farmers Bank – $4,937,362.35; Bond Funds – $1,100,778.56.
At the close of the meeting, the commission held a holiday tree lighting in the courthouse foyer with refreshments.
I am seeking re-election to the Greene County Board of Education, District 1 in the May 24, 2022 Primary Election. I have served as a school board member for the past eight years. I completed an unexpired term in 2014 and was elected to the District 1 seat in 2016. The overall role of the Board of Education is to serve our children, creating policies and supporting programs and projects that provide for and enhance their academic, cultural, physical and social development. My main goal for serving is to always focus on the students through our administrators, teachers, support staff, families and community. This was complicated by the arrival of the COVID pandemic which made last year’s progress more difficult. I supported our administration’s efforts to keep our school family safe, yet continue to provide all the tools we could acquire for the virtual schooling forced upon us by COVID. During the virtual period, we also utilized our transportation system to deliver meals to students at home. Once we were able to return to face-to-face classes, we provided additional safety measures including encouraging vaccinations for all who were eligible, requiring face masks, installing plexiglass shields, maintaining hand sanitizing stations and continuous sanitizing of school facilities. We also supported additional instructional programs, including a summer school program for retrieval and enrichment. I have always been a strong proponent of the concept that it is vitally important that we learn the truth of where we come from (our history) so we can understand our living today (our present) and decide for ourselves how we want to continue to live and contribute (our future). I introduced to the Greene County School Board the idea of infusing Black History in our academic curriculum. This has become a policy, yet there is still much work to be done in the design and implementation of that policy. I support strong leadership development for our students at all levels for building individual self esteem and affirmation toward each other. I also support a greater role of the arts in our school curriculum to develop the creativity in our students which helps to solidify our school and community bonds. Although I am elected through a District, my commitment is to serve our entire school system. To keep myself prepared I attend all the workshop trainings of the Alabama Association of School Boards( AASB) on the role and duties of a board member and to stay abreast of Alabama education laws and guides. If you support my past work and plans for the future, please vote for me in the Primary Election and urge your family and friends to do the same.
The City of Eutaw, the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce and a collaborative of local organizations sponsoredthe Christmas on the Square Bethlehem Walk on Sunday December 5, 2021 to celebrate the Season with the Greene County Community.The Bethlehem Walk consisted of various scenes of events reminding us of the circumstances of Jesus’ Birth, including the Inn that turned away Mary and Joseph, the Wise Men following the Star, the stable and animals, the Nativity Scene and more.Gifts were shared and photo ops were available.The annual Christmas Tree Lighting was held Thursday, December 2, 2021on the old courthouse square in Eutaw. Other sponsors of the event included the Housing Authority of Greene County, SCORE International, True Vine Foundation and the Arington Foundation.
Dec. 6, 2021 (GIN) – Harsh criticism continues to be heard from Africans and their leaders against UK and U.S. travel restrictions allegedly to control the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant – now showing up in several U.S. states.
“What is expected is a global approach, not selective,” Sarafa Tunji Isola, Nigeria’s high commissioner to the UK, told the BBC on Monday.
He also echoed comments made by the UN’s chief, who described restrictions imposed on some southern African countries as “travel apartheid.”
Nigeria has criticized the UK’s travel restrictions after it was placed on the red list amid fears over the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
The latest travel restrictions facing Nigeria mean that travelers of that country will be required to enter hotel quarantine – at their own expense – and isolate for 10 days.
“The travel ban is apartheid in the sense that we are not dealing with an endemic,” Mr Isola said in a press interview. “We are dealing with a pandemic. Whenever we have a challenge there must be collaboration.”
UK government minister Kit Malthouse, denied that there was a racist bias in the treatment of low-income countries who have been denied vaccines because of patents held by U.S. and European corporations. He called the wording “travel apartheid” “very unfortunate language”. “We understand the difficulties that’s created by these travel restrictions, but we’re trying to buy a little bit of time so that our scientists can work on the virus and assess how difficult it’s going to be” he told the BBC.
The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care said all countries collect data differently, meaning it is hard to directly compare the information. Nigeria is now the 11th country to go on the UK’s red list for international travel. All nations currently on that list are African.
The only people allowed to enter the UK from African countries are UK or Irish nationals, or UK residents. They will also have to pay for and self-isolate in a pre-booked government-approved hotel for 10 days.
Nigerians in the UK expressed shock at the new restrictions. Olufemi Awokoya told the BBC he was trying to raise money for his wife’s quarantine, as she is due to return from a trip to attend her mother’s memorial service.
“She is being punished and our household is put in financial hardship. She is a health services worker and tripled-jabbed, and we can’t afford the $3,024 hotel bill,” he said. “I think the government’s decision… is wicked, unfair and a heavy financial burden.”
UN Secretary General António Guterres first used the term “travel apartheid” last week, telling reporters in New York that bans “are not only deeply unfair and punitive, they are ineffective”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says blanket travel bans will not stop the spread of variants and will discourage countries from reporting and sharing important data. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, at a recent press conference, called the restrictions “instruments of immigration control”.
The new variant was first detected in South Africa in November by researchers studying the virus. It is now found in several American states and European countries. w/pix of Covid testing in Namibia.
ADECA campaign will raise awareness of and advocate for adoption of EVs
By Business Alabama Staff
The initiative was launched Monday at a gathering on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“As automakers make significant investments in electric vehicles, we know more and more motorists will consider purchasing one,” Gov. Kay Ivey said at the launch. “In addition, automobile manufacturing is one of Alabama’s key industries, and we want to make sure that this economic engine remains vibrant for Alabama’s workers. That’s why I’m pleased Alabama is launching this education and marketing program that will help all Alabamians learn more about EVs.”
The campaign will include TV, radio and digital advertising, as well as billboards and events.
Drive Electric Alabama also boasts a coalition of supporters, including Alabama Power, the Energy Institute of Alabama, the Alabama State Department of Commerce, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Alabama Transportation Institute and the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition.
