The Greene County Democrat

Author: Maya Quinn

  • Greene County Commission Files Suit to Recover Nearly $5 Million in Bingo Funds Identified by State Examiners

    Greene County Commission Files Suit to Recover Nearly $5 Million in Bingo Funds Identified by State Examiners

    Office of The Greene County Commissioners

    Action seeks return of public money for emergency medical services and other lawful public purposes after State collection efforts stalled

    EUTAW, Ala. — September 29, 2026 — The Greene County Commission announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Greene County seeking to recover $4,966,427.69 in public funds that the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts determined were disbursed from the Greene County Bingo Fund by the Office of the Sheriff without adequate supporting documentation or for purposes not authorized by the Constitution of Alabama. The suit,  Greene County v. Benison, Case No. CV-2026-900059, names Sheriff Jonathan “Joe” Benison and the surety on his official bond. 

    The lawsuit is based on Examiners’ Report No. 25-560, a public record filed October 3, 2025,  covering the period October 1, 2018 through April 30, 2024. Following that examination and a  show-cause proceeding, the Chief Examiner of Public Accounts entered an order on September  17, 2025 fixing the unpaid charges at $4,966,427.69 and certified them to the Attorney General  and the District Attorney for collection under Alabama law. The report found, among other things,  more than $3.1 million in payments made directly to employees in addition to their county-paid  salaries, and more than $2.1 million in Bingo Fund disbursements —including nearly $1.2 million  to consultants and attorneys — for which adequate documentation was not provided. The report  also found that the Sheriff’s use of bingo assessments for salary supplements and other law enforcement expenses did not comply with the constitutional amendment that authorizes bingo in  Greene County. 

    Nearly a year has passed since those charges were certified. No collection action has been filed.  On July 6, 2026, the County Attorney wrote to the Attorney General and the District Attorney asking for a status report and explaining the urgency created by the financial condition of Greene  County Emergency Medical Services. That letter has not been answered. 

    “The State’s own examiners did their job. They found the money, they fixed the amount, and they certified it for collection,” said Garyia Spencer, Chair of the Greene County Commission. “We waited. We asked. We have heard nothing. The Commission has a duty to the people of this county  to protect public money, and we are not going to let nearly five million dollars sit unaccounted for  while our ambulances go unfunded. If the State will not collect it, Greene County will.” 

    The bingo assessments at issue were collected from bingo operators in Greene County under rules issued by the Sheriff, which state that the money is to be used to benefit the public welfare of the citizens of Greene County. Historically, those funds have supported the County Commission, the municipalities, the school system, the Health System, and emergency services. In July 2026,  Greene County EMS was forced to suspend ambulance transports for lack of funds; service was  restored only through emergency assistance and private donations. 

    The complaint asks the Court to declare that the Bingo Fund is public money held for the benefit of Greene County and its citizens; to order the Sheriff to pay the certified charges; to prohibit further spending of bingo assessments for purposes the Constitution does not permit; to require a full accounting of the Bingo Fund; and to recover on the Sheriff’s official bond, which under  Alabama law is payable to the county treasury. The Commission has asked that any funds  recovered be placed in a segregated account under the Court’s supervision and used only for lawful  public purposes, including emergency medical services, public health, public education, and the  municipalities of Greene County. The Commission is also seeking recovery of its attorneys’ fees  so that the cost of the litigation is not borne by taxpayers. 

    “This is not about one office or one official. It is about whether public money in Greene County will be spent the way the Constitution allows,” said Chairman Spencer. “We would welcome the  Attorney General and the District Attorney joining this effort. Until they do, the Commission will  carry it.” 

    The Commission emphasized that the lawsuit seeks recovery of funds, not the disruption of law  enforcement, and that the County will continue to fund the Sheriff’s Office and the county jail as required by law. The allegations in the complaint are based on the public findings of the  Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. 

    ### 

    About the Greene County Commission 

    The Greene County Commission is the governing body of Greene County, Alabama, responsible  for the County’s budget, roads, facilities, and general administration, and for safeguarding the  public funds entrusted to the County on behalf of its citizens.

  • Greene County School Board receives AASB President’s Award

    Greene County School Board receives AASB President’s Award

    By Barbara Amerson, Office Manager

    The Greene County Board of Education held its regular meeting on Monday, September 21, 2026, with all board members present.

    The Greene County Board of Education received the School Board Member Academy President’s Award for 20252026 presented by the Alabama Association of School Boards. The special recognition was “For demonstrating a commitment to excellence in education through boardsmanship training.” The Greene County School Board has received similar recognition in previous years.

    The Board‘s meeting opened with approval of minutes from August 27, regular meeting, September 10 and 11th Budget Hearing I and Budget Hearing II, The meeting began with the school board’s financial report. Marquita Lennon, CSFO, reported all accounts as reconciled with no fraudulent activity. As of August 31, 2026, the school board’s combined ending funding balance was reported as $7,269,082.65. Local revenue brought in $134,877.85.

    Superintendent Dr. Thurman stated that, as of today, enrollment totals 852 students, and the school system is running smoothly. Board members will soon decide on a date for capital planning.

    Superintendent Dr. Thurman recommends the Board approve the following action items:

    • Proposal from Criterion Consulting LLC for Administrator Evaluation Support Services for the 2026 – 2027 school year
    • Reimbursing Full Time Bus Drivers for out-of-pocket costs for DOT PhysicalsRetention Bonus Agreement for Bus Drivers, effective November 1, 2026– October 31, 2027 
    • Volunteer Coaches/Chaperones Information Form
    • Resolution Concerning the Division C Regional Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, Phase II
    • Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll
    • Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO

    Superintendent, Dr. Thurman recommends the Board approve the following personnel items:

    A. Resignation

    • Robin Campbell, English Teacher – RBMS, effective August 25, 2026

    B. Employment for the 2026 – 2027 school term:

    • Kelsey Thomas – English teacher – RBMS
    • Earnest Carpenter Mechanic Helper C. Additional Service Contracts 2026 – 2027 for the following employees at Robert Brown Middle School: (Separate Contract)
    • LaJeffery Carpenter Asst. Football Coach D. Saturday School pay rate: $37.50 per hour for teachers and assistant principal
    • Natasha Lewis E. Additional Personnel for Saturday School sessions at Robert Brown Middle School
    • Annie Howard Teacher F. Additional two percent raise for all CNP Employees to be effective FY 2027 G. Transportation Personnel for After-School Tutorial Program and the 21st CCLC at Greene County High School at a rate of $44.00 per day
    • 21st Century
      • James Gaines
      • Carla Russell
    • After School Tutorial
      • George Pippen
      • Jerdin Grays
      • Gerald Holloway
      • Stanley Lucious
      • Eddie Coats
      • Johnny Pelt
      • Teresa Hill – Sub
      • Marcus Steele – Sub
      • Coresha Walton – Bus Aide

    When the floor was opened for public comments, Hodges Smith thanked the board for approving of the Resolution Concerning the Division C Regional Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, Phase II.

  • Greene County PARA aims to increase literacy rates

    Greene County PARA aims to increase literacy rates

    By Maya Quinn, managing editor

    Numerous efforts have aimed to increase literacy rates in Greene County. However, Greene County Parks and Recreation (PARA) director Tyesha Weekes still sees a need for more intervention. On Wednesday, September 16th, Weekes partnered with C&J Resources to host a literacy strategies workshop that parents and caretakers can implement at home. Their goal is to help build confident readers and students who take initiative in their own learning. 

    The Greene County Children’s Policy Council previously identified literacy and parental involvement as critical needs that must be addressed in the county. Although initiatives such as the Little Library, Story Walk, and Imagination Library have seen an increase in participation, there is still a literacy deficit within the county. Office Manager Tenesia Washington states that the organization is committed to “look at the children holistically” and meet them where they are. 

    Increasing reading skills is a crucial stepping stone to building overall confidence. C&J Resources Owner and Director Chante Myles-Rice states that “If you cannot read by the third grade, it becomes a struggle.” Rice has been an educator for 10 years and has tutored for the past 6 years. She noticed that many parents are not spending enough time reading to their children or encouraging them to read. For 15 to 20 minutes a day, Rice says, “Drop everything and read.” 

    Two adults and two children engaged in an educational activity at a table, with papers and writing utensils spread out.
    Myles-Rice working closely with a parents and her two young children during the workshop

    Rice also informed attendees that use of an iPad and viewing short-form content does not help a child build their attention span. With three children herself, she explains that it may take building up the time in increments of 5-minute intervals. When taking breaks, Rice states that the child should be prompted with questions to build reading comprehension skills. The key is to find books that spark a child’s interest, as there are books on every topic imaginable. 

    Following the conclusion of the workshop, Weekes revealed that Greene County PARA  is entering a long-term partnership with C&J Resources. Children enrolled in their after-school program will receive targeted tutoring in reading and math this fall. PARA staff is striving to “create a platform where our children can be self-sufficient.”

    Featured Image: Director and owner of C&J Resources Chante Myles-Rice (L) with Greene County PARA Director Tyesha Weeks (R)

  • Figures’ bill would fund college for public servants’ children

    Figures’ bill would fund college for public servants’ children

    By Mary Claire Wooten, Alabama Political Reporter

    Representative Shomari Figures introduced legislation that would provide college and training assistance to dependents of educators, first responders and social workers after 20 years.

    U.S. Representative Shomari Figures, D-Alabama, has introduced legislation that would help pay for college or job training for dependents of educators, first responders and social workers with at least 20 years of qualifying service.

    The Public Service Educational Assistance Act would direct the U.S. Department of Education to cover tuition, fees and books at public colleges and universities or public training programs that lead to a recognized postsecondary credential.

    To qualify, an employee would have to work full time in an eligible role for at least 20 years. The employee would also have to hold an eligible position when the law takes effect or begin qualifying service afterward. The bill defines full-time work as at least 40 hours a week.

    “These public service employees perform among the most challenging and important functions in our communities, so that is why I am proud to introduce this bill that relieves the financial burden of them sending their children to college or job training programs,” Figures said.

    Eligible educators would include employees of public elementary and secondary schools, public school systems, and state and local education agencies. The bill’s definition of first responders includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, 911 operators, fire dispatchers, emergency medical services personnel, certain emergency management employees, government prosecutors and public defenders, and certain Department of Energy nuclear emergency personnel.

    Eligible social workers would be employees of government agencies that provide mental health or child welfare services.

    Dependents could receive assistance for up to four academic years. The bill uses the federal tax code’s definition of a dependent but raises its age threshold to 26. Recipients could also receive other federal student aid, including grants and loans. The assistance would be exempt from federal income tax and would not count as wages or compensation when determining eligibility for retirement or other employment benefits.

    “I’m committed to making sure that we recognize the sacrifices made by people who are the backbone of communities in Alabama and across America, and that we invest in real opportunities for their families,” Figures said.

    Senator Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and Representatives Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut, and Mike Ezell, R-Mississippi, joined Figures in introducing the legislation. Figures’ office said the International Association of Fire Fighters, Major Cities Chiefs Association and National Association of Social Workers endorse the bill.

    The bill would take effect one year after enactment.

    Featured Image: Representative Shomari Figures (Office of U.S. Representative Shomari Figures)

  • Trump administration drops 760,000  Americans from ACA coverage, citing fraud 

    Trump administration drops 760,000  Americans from ACA coverage, citing fraud 

    By Selena Simmon-Duffin, National Public Radio

    Citing widespread fraud, JD Vance and Dr. Mehmet Oz announced 760,000 Americans had been kicked off health insurance purchased in the federal ACA marketplace. The move raises lots of questions. 

    The Trump administration says it canceled health insurance for what it calls phantom enrollees. Officials are not sharing details of how they decided the 760,000 names did not represent real people. 

    The enrollments in question were on HealthCare.gov, the marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. This is for people who don’t get insurance from their job or a public program, like Medicare or Medicaid. They can go  on HealthCare.gov and buy a private health insurance plan, oftentimes with premium  subsidies paid for by the federal government. 

    On Tuesday, Vice President Vance said fraudster brokers were signing up, quote,  “phantom people” into these plans. He announced moves to punish brokers, like stopping new ones from registering for the upcoming open enrollment and changing enrollment processes. He said the government would save more than $2 billion in subsidies it would have been sending to insurance companies for the enrollments it canceled. 

    Cynthia Cox is the director of the program on the Affordable Care Act at KFF, a  nonpartisan health research organization. She heard some time ago from contacts in  the health insurance industry that this effort was underway. She said, “ There could  have been collateral damage here.” 

    “What we know is that the administration sent a list of about a million people to health insurance companies and asked these health insurance companies to try to make contact with those people. And if those people did not respond within 30 days, they  ultimately had their plan canceled.” 

    Cox says there is fraud in the marketplace, but it’s also entirely possible that qualified people had their health insurance canceled. Cox says, for instance, if someone didn’t file a claim, they might have just been healthy, and if they didn’t respond to the notice in time, they might have just missed it. People move; you know, they don’t check their email or their voicemail or, you know, that sort of thing. 

    Vance and other Trump administration officials said they were looking at 400,000  more enrollees who might get their plans canceled. The Centers for Medicare &  Medicaid Services, which runs HealthCare.gov and the government’s other healthcare  programs, did not respond to NPR’s questions by airtime about the process it’s using  and what happens if there were mistakes and people had their plans canceled in error. 

  • Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers

    Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers

    BY Mary Clare Jalonick, Joey Cappelletti, Eddie Pells, HBCU News

    The Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate college sports, an attempt to end “chaos” in an industry that has been upended by skyrocketing athlete payments and near-unrestricted transfers between schools.

    The overwhelming 77-22 vote to pass the legislation is the strongest effort yet by Congress to set national regulations governing payments to college athletes for their name, image and likeness and how often they can transfer. It would give the NCAA new authority over those rules and limited antitrust protections to enforce them.

    The bill is the product of years of Senate negotiations that intensified after a 2025 lawsuit settlement uprooted the college sports landscape by allowing colleges to pay their players. The legislation, which would still have to pass the House, would codify the settlement into law but also establish new guardrails around the system in an attempt to rein in the runaway costs for colleges.

    “It would be nice if college sports could somehow magically fix itself, but this is a matter of law, federal law, and only Congress can fix it,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who negotiated the bill with the top Democrat on the panel, Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell.

    President Donald Trump praised the bill in a social media post after the late night passage. “This is a really big deal,” he said. “It will not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves.”

    The bill’s backers — more than 70 senators from both parties — say it aims to curtail constant litigation and uncertainty across college sports for athletes, schools and fans. It would also give hundreds of thousands of athletes new health and labor protections.

    But critics say the bill doesn’t do enough to protect athletes or curtail the enormous sums of money flowing to coaches, colleges and conferences.

    “This is a bill that essentially ensconces a system of exploitation, and it doesn’t fix the broader problems,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat who has worked with labor and civil rights groups to rally opposition to the bill.

    The bill’s future is still unclear. It could face an uphill battle in the House, which failed repeatedlyover the last year to get a different version to the floor and is in recess until after the November elections.

    Lawmakers will have to start over in the next Congress if the bill doesn’t pass both chambers by the end of the year.

    Bill addresses skyrocketing spending, unlimited transfers

    College sports have been reeling in the wake of the 2025 court settlement allowing colleges to directly pay players for their name, image and likeness. The fallout has reshaped the industry and led to football roster payrolls that can exceed $40 million.

    The bill would codify the court settlement, including a revenue cap that allows schools to share up to $21.5 million in revenue with their players. The legislation would more than double that amount for some schools, allowing up to an additional $27.5 million in payments through a retention fund — a change that helped win the support of the two largest conferences, the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

    To help schools raise more revenue, the bill would give schools and conferences the option of pooling their TV media rights.

    The legislation also aims to stabilize the NCAA transfer portal that has led to players constantly switching teams. It would restrict player transfers to one “free” move over five years without sitting out a year, with some exceptions, and also would restrict players to five years of total eligibility.

    The proposed eligibility limit comes amid backlash to schools that have increasingly pushed boundaries, including LSU’s now-canceled plans to place players on the roster who had participated in NFL training camps.

    “That was probably like a big lamp for some people who saw it and said, ‘Oh my God, this is so out of control,’” Cantwell said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

    The bill also would restrict coaches from leaving their schools during the season, force schools that want to switch conferences to spend three years as an independent and prevent conferences from growing larger than 20 programs — an effort to prevent so-called “superleagues” from taking over sports. A last-minute amendment proposed by Florida Sen. Ashley Moody raised that cap from 19 in the original legislation.

    The vote was delayed several hours on Monday as senators negotiated Moody’s amendment and others that were eventually adopted, including a provision to make it easier for athletes to sue over sexual assault and a requirement to disclose foreign financing.

    The Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that would have put limits on ticket prices for fans and two by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., that would have capped coaches’ salaries at $5 million a year and increased compensation for athletes who have catastrophic injuries.

    Critics say it wouldn’t do enough to help athletes

    The legislation includes new protections for athletes, including caps on agent fees and guarantees for health insurance and scholarships. It would also require schools to maintain a minimum number of sports and roster spots — an effort to ensure that women’s and Olympic sports are not cut in favor of football, basketball and other sports that generate more revenue.

    Featured Image: College Sports Act supporters on Capitol Hill (HBCU News)

  • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Concerned Over Supreme Court’s Approval Of ‘Harmful Acts’

    Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Concerned Over Supreme Court’s Approval Of ‘Harmful Acts’

     by Joe Jurado, Newsone 

    If you’ve spent the last year wondering how far the Supreme Court will go in allowing President Donald Trump to run roughshod over the United States’ foundational principles, you’re not alone. In fact, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has expressed concerns about how the court’s willingness to approve “harmful acts” by the Trump administration through emergency orders is damaging trust in the institution. 

    According to the New York Times, Jackson made her comments during an annual lecture hosted by the University of the District of Columbia Law School focused on the university’s commitment to civil liberties. In her speech, Jackson added that the court “cannot expect the public to have faith in our judicial system if, without clear explanation, we are consistently greenlighting harmful acts” without a full hearing.

    Jackson told the audience that there was “a serious concern” that the Supreme Court’s handling of its emergency docket was “having an enormously disruptive and potentially corrosive effect” on the federal court system.

    The Supreme Court has become such a rubber stamp for the Trump administration that it’s genuinely surprising when it rules against them. I genuinely thought there was a significant chance the court would allow the Trump administration to disenfranchise one-third of voters by letting his executive order on mail-in voting proceed. 

    Like clockwork, the Supreme Court did the exact thing she warned against, literally only a day after she made her remarks. AP reports that the Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed with building a national voter registry. 

    From AP:

    The emergency order allows states, for now, to use the Trump administration’s revamped version of a Department of Homeland Security program, called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on their rolls. It’s a program that has drawn scrutiny for its use of voters’ sensitive personal data and its tendency to wrongly flag some eligible voters as noncitizens.

    States’ use of the SAVE program is voluntary, limiting the ruling’s impact on the midterm elections. Existing law also blocks most states from systematically purging voters from their rolls within 90 days of an election, said David Becker, an election law expert who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research. He said DHS itself has admitted the data is not perfect.

    Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat who has refused to participate in the SAVE program, said the ruling will have no effect in her state because it “does not force states to change the way we run our elections.”

    The court’s conservative majority ruled in favor of allowing states to use the SAVE tool, while the three liberal justices dissented. Their dissent focuses on the possibility that eligible voters will be unjustly removed from voter rolls because of registry errors. This has already happened in Travis County, Texas, where the SAVE tool flagged 97 voters as noncitizens. It was found that likely 21% of those people were legal citizens who were eligible to vote. 

    “The harm caused by burdening or disenfranchising even a few lawful voters outweighs the nonexistent harm that the government experiences when it is prevented from taking an action that it likely lacks the authority to take,” Jackson wrote in the dissent, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

    If there’s any upshot in this ruling, it’s that it will have little to no effect on the upcoming midterms, since existing laws prevent most states from purging their voter rolls 90 days before an election. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Red states take advantage of the tool ahead of the 2028 election. 

    Featured Image: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (The Washington Post)

  • Community Screening for a film dedicated to the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival

    Community Screening for a film dedicated to the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival

    The Renaissance Theater in Downtown Eutaw, Alabama, will host a community screening of Dwight Cammeron’s film “The Fourth Weekend in August.” The film starts promptly at 6:30pm on Thursday, October 8th.

    Promotional poster for 'The Fourth Weekend in August,' a film by Dwight Cammeron, highlighting the 50th Annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival. Includes event details such as the date, time, and location in Eutaw, Alabama.
  • BBCF Greene County Community Associates hosts their first annual grantee showcase

    BBCF Greene County Community Associates hosts their first annual grantee showcase

    Greene County’s Black Belt Community Foundation Associates: Mr. Johnny
    Williams, Fatima Robinson, Mollie Rowe, Darlene Robinson, Nancy Cole,
    Johnnie Morning, Mollie Gaines, Geraldine Walton and Samantha Lenbetter
    By Maya Quinn, editor

    The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF)  Greene County Community Associates filled the Eutaw Activity Center’s main auditorium on Saturday, September 19th, to honor past and present grantees. Chairperson Darlene Robinson led the program, which featured a variety of Greene County organizations that used their grants to fund projects and build organizations committed to meeting the needs of Black Belt citizens. 

    A man in a suit speaking into a microphone at an event.
    Commissioner Elect Wesley Hodges describing how BBCF funded organizations such as the 21st Century Scholars impacted his life and the lives of others in Greene County

    Darlene Robinson began the program by allowing Mayor Corey Cockrell of Eutaw to extend his appreciation for the organization’s work, seen and unseen. “We’ve been doing this for 20 years,” Darlene explained. “Our goal every year is to fund more grantees.” The BBCF Greene County Community Associates hold various fundraising events throughout the year to have the ability to do so. Some funds are matched by the board, but the vast majority comes from cookouts, raffles, yard sales, and other creative ways to raise money.

    After a selection by the Greene County Mass Choir, BBCF Member Fatima Robinson addressed the crowd with a spoken word piece to describe what the foundation is and embodies. “We are the heart of Central Alabama,” she stated in one of the lines, and “We pour love back into our communities” in another. The work also described a desire for improved infrastructure and connection. The BBCF community associates have been continually working towards these goals by “putting resources where they are most needed.”

    A smiling man with glasses sitting next to framed certificates, wearing a blue plaid shirt, in a room with a light-colored brick wall.
    Terrance Fletcher from BOSS TIES LLC came to bless the program and attendees. He described how BOSS TIES prepares students for careers in agriculture and entreprenuership.

    Following Fatima’s piece, the grantees were each given the microphone to describe what they were able to accomplish with their grants. A menagerie of projects and businesses attended to give testament to what it means to be in the Black Belt community. Many dedicated themselves to teaching financial literacy, carpentry, agriculture, civics, volunteer firefighting, senior engagement, and more. The entire showcase  illustrated the foundation’s motto of “taking what we have, to make what we need.”

    A display board for Lower Gainesville Road Volunteer Fire Department featuring photographs of fire safety equipment, including helmets and hoses, along with a miniature fire truck and safety cones on a table.
    A smiling elderly woman wearing an orange t-shirt with 'Boligee Seniors' printed on it, sitting at a table decorated with yellow sunflowers in vases and a promotional flyer for the Boligee Senior Rail Experience.
    A woman standing by a display board celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Federation of Greene County Employees and the Federal Credit Union, wearing a black shirt with green text and a lotus design.
    A group of three individuals standing in front of a table with a blue tablecloth featuring the Eutaw Housing Authority logo. They are surrounded by informational materials about the organization and its initiatives related to health and community support.
    Display board for Boy Scouts Troop 945 from Macedonia CME Church featuring photos and information about troop activities, with a red and white tablecloth.
    A presentation board featuring the logo 'Release the Earth' in the center, surrounded by images of people working in agriculture, animals, and community engagement. The slogan 'Growing Food. Growing People.' is prominently displayed.
    A man stands beside a table featuring a banner for the 'Justice the Beaver' Criminal Justice Reform and Intervention Forum. The banner includes a cartoon beaver character in a superhero outfit, and the table displays informational materials.
    A man and a woman stand in front of an informational display featuring community programs, with text about 'Operation TBOC' and 'L&G Hope for All'. The man wears a black t-shirt with a religious message, while the woman wears a shirt with 'I Still Win'.
    A woman smiling beside a display board that reads 'MINISTRY' and 'PEOPLE' in bold letters, with printed documents and decorations on a table in a community event setting.
    Group of six individuals, including adults and children, posing in front of a display board at an event, with a table covered in black cloth.
    Two women sitting behind a table with a black tablecloth featuring the logo and services of Woman-to-Woman, Inc., including suicide prevention, diaper bank, GED program, fatherhood program, and computer lab.
    A woman in a black t-shirt with 'Greene County Community Association' printed on it, speaking into a microphone. She is standing beside a display board titled 'Baskets of Love' featuring images of gift baskets. In the background, other individuals are engaged in community activities.

  • Commissioners discuss solid waste management fees and SRO agreement

    Commissioners discuss solid waste management fees and SRO agreement

    By Maya Quinn, editor

    The County Commission met in a called meeting on Monday, September 21st, to further discuss budget items for the upcoming year, namely solid waste management and school resource officers.

    The solid waste department is currently operating at a deficit and aims to become self-sufficient. Assistant Engineer Calvin Culliver has been working tirelessly to balance the department’s budget so that they are self sufficient. After reviewing the rates of surrounding counties, the department has concluded that raising the rates is necessary to continue operations. Culliver discussed the improved budgets with an eventual rate of $29.00 per month, but asked for the commission to enforce it in increments. The commissioners voted to raise rates to $25.00 per month starting January 1st. They did not confirm if or when the rate would be increased again.

    The county also approved the School Resource Officer (SRO) Contract with the Greene County School District. The contract ensures SROs will be supplied to the school district to communicate with the principals regarding law enforcement matters. The Sheriff is tasked with assigning six deputy sheriffs to the school district as follows: two SROs at Greene County High School, one SRO at Robert Brown Middle School that is available to float to other schools as needed, one SRO at the Greene County Learning Center, and one SRO at Eutaw Primary School. During the term of this agreement, the District must maintain funding levels to supply base pay, equipment, and fuel as determined by the Sheriff.

    The County Commission’s next work session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7th at 5:00 pm. Please contact the commissioner’s office to be added to the work session agenda.

    Featured Image: Assistant Engineer Calvin Culliver presenting a solid waste proposal to the count commission