Greene County Democrat

Category: Community

  • Newswire : Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are ‘children’. Touching off national controversy

    From Reuters, BBC and wire reports

    The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos created and stored for in vitro fertilization (IVF) are children under a state law allowing parents to sue for wrongful death of their minor children. The ruling revived three families’ lawsuits accusing a Mobile, Alabama fertility clinic, Center for Reproductive Medicine, and the hospital where it is located, Mobile Infirmary, of failing to properly safeguard frozen embryos, resulting in their destruction.

    The 8-1 majority of the court found that it was a long-established precedent that “unborn children” are “children” for the purpose of the 1872 wrongful death law at issue in the case. It said that any doubt about that was removed by a 2018 amendment to the state’s constitution, which declared that it was “the public policy of this state to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children.”

    The court, whose members are all elected Republicans or appointed by a Republican governor, further found that there was no “unwritten exception” for frozen embryos outside of a woman’s uterus. Chief Justice Tom Parker drew widespread attention for his overtly religious concurring opinion, in which he wrote that the state constitution includes the “theologically based view” that “human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.”

    It is not yet clear, but IVF providers are very concerned about the implications of the ruling. IVF treatment typically involves the creation of multiple embryos in order to maximize the chance of a successful pregnancy, leaving some unused. At least three providers – the defendant in the case, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System and Alabama Fertility – have said they are pausing IVF treatments, citing potential civil and criminal liability in the wake of the decision.

    The ruling left open the question of whether destroying a frozen embryo could result in criminal homicide charges. It also left it to the legislature to determine whether and how IVF could continue in the state.

    When the US Supreme Court struck down a nationwide right to abortion in 2022, in the Dobbs decision, it opened the door for states to make their own laws on the issue.

    Since the decision, Democratic-controlled states have expanded access while Republican-controlled states have restricted it. Alabama already has a total ban on abortion, at all stages of pregnancy.

    It is unclear how the Alabama court decision will affect other states. It has opened a debate between “Pro-Life, anti-Abortion forces” and “Pro-Women’s Right to Choose forces”. The Anti-abortion forces support the concept that “life begins at conception” and all abortion is “baby killing” so they support the court decision which calls into question the IVF process.

    The Biden White House called the Alabama ruling “exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make”.
    Some Republican politicians who support and have used IVF themselves are caught in the middle of this debate, which is a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion. This issue will be a major factor in the national elections in November and may persuade many women to come out to the polls, to assert their rights to control their bodies and healthcare.

  • Eutaw City Council learns that city is losing police officers due to low pay

    At its regular meeting on February 13, 2024, the Eutaw City Council learned from Chief of Police Tommy Johnson that three police officers had left the staff to take jobs at other law enforcement agencies, due to low pay.
    Currently Eutaw police officers have a starting pay of $15.00 an hour which the officers said is not sufficient for their essential and needed services. This wage is comparable to many fast-food workers in the area, who do not have the same risks and danger faced by police officers.

    Chief Johnson said that four additional officers may leave and that the current staffing pattern requires extensive overtime pay because there are not enough officers to cover all shifts.

    The Eutaw City Council, at this meeting, approved an amended policy on the use of city vehicles which allows police officers to drive cars home, beyond the police jurisdiction, but not for personal use beyond the roundtrip to work. This will also allow the police, who live out of town, to respond to emergencies more quickly. An earlier version of the policy required parking of all city vehicles including police cars. Chief Johnson and some police officers objected to the original policy and the effort to control and reduce a small benefit to police officers, which may have contributed to some officers leaving the staff.

    Council members concerned about the reduced number of police officers, agreed to a Council Work Session on Thursday, February 22, 2024, to review the police budget and possibly adjust pay rates to improve recruitment and retention of police officers.

    The Council considered a fee schedule for the rental and use of the Robert H. Young Community Center (formerly the Carver School) which the city purchased from the Board of Education. The proposal suggested $300 for a four hour basic rental of the gymnasium, and increments for additional hours, also if funds are raised and further if alcohol is served at the function. The facility has been used for funerals, by 501c3 non-profit organizations and others who may not be able to afford these rates. The Council tabled the rental fee schedule for further discussion at the upcoming work session.

    The Council approved salary raises for two of three city employees, who were recently promoted: Broderick Lewis as General Superintendent at $18/hour; and Marcus Burton, Water and Sewer Supervisor at $17/hour; Paul Jones raise is pending based on resolution of a problem with his driver’s license.

    In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:

    • Approved the low bid of $1,074,075.09, of Cornerstone Civil Contractors, for the Eutaw Courthouse Streetscape Project and sent the information forward to the Alabama Department of Transportation and Goodwyn, Mills and Caywood, project engineer, for contract award and initiation of construction.

    • Approved Ordinance No 2024-20-06 #6 regulating grass and weed nuisances, accumulation of rubbish, abandoned and inoperable vehicles, abandoned/dilapidated structures, and other nuisances. This ordinance simplifies the process for dealing with these nuisances and eye soars in the city.

    • Received a report from Logan Land Company that land owned by the City of Eutaw on County Road 53, also known as Lock 7 road, which is zoned M-1, for light industry is worth $10,000 to $15,000 per acre for sale in 4-to-5-acre parcels. A church group had indicated an interest in purchasing some of the city’s land in this location, which prompted the city to seek an estimated commercial value for the property.

    • Received notice from Mayor Johnson that the City of Eutaw had submitted documents to be included in the RAISE Grant, a program by Auburn University to build sidewalks and crosswalks on Greensboro Avenue, Hwy 14 to Highway 43, reaching to the Carver Circle community and public housing units.

    • Approved a proposal from Lorenzo French, PARA Director for a one-week Boys and Girls Basketball Camp at the Robert H. Young Community Center in June 2024.

    • Approved payment of bills for the past month.

  • Tens of Thousands Expected to Attend The 2024 Bridge Crossing Jubilee: The Jubilee has Something for Everyone!

     

    The Bridge Crossing Commemoration and Jubilee’s 2024 Theme is Return to the Bridge: Democracy and the Vote are at Stake. In 2023, President Joe Biden was a special guest at the Bridge Crossing Commemoration in Selma, addressing the thousands of attendees at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, prior to the annual bridge crossing. The previous year, Vice President Kamala Harris was the special guest. According to Jubilee organizers, plans are still in the works to attract noteworthy presenters to address the theme in these critical times in the nation when Democracy and voting rights are at stake.
    The Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee features dozens and dozens of events beginning on Monday, February 26th and running through Sunday, March 3rd. There is something for everyone at this year’s Jubilee! The working kickoff of the Jubilee are Kingian Nonviolence Seminars at the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth & Reconciliation led by Civil Rights Legend Dr. Bernard Lafayette. These seminars are open to the public and run from Monday, February 26th, through Thursday, March 1st, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.
    The ceremonial kickoff of the Jubilee is the Old Fashioned Mass Meeting at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Thursday, February 29th, at 7:00 p.m. Dr. David Peoples, President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, is the keynote speaker at the Mass Meeting at Tabernacle, the site of the original Mass Meetings. Dr. Peoples will also be participating with other ministers at the Ministers of Justice Roundtable earlier that day at Tabernacle at 1:00 p.m. The Voting Rights History Bowl takes place at Tipton Middle School from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. that same day.
    There will be Education Summits on Thursday, March 1st, and on Friday, March 2nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day at Wallace Community College Selma. These and most other events are also free to the public. The Mock Trial at the Dallas County Courthouse, an annual favorite for many, is Friday, March 2nd, from 4:00 to 6;00 p.m. Each year the public participates on juries.
    The Original Foot Soldiers share their stories at the Annual Foot Soldier Breakfast on Saturday, March 2nd. at 8:00 a.m. at Selma High School. This is a truly special event with living history being shared and the public encouraged to attend. This year’s Freedom Flame Awards take place later that day at 7:00 p.m. at Selma High School. One of the award recipients is one of “The Tennessee Three,” Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson.
    The Martin & Coretta King Unity Breakfast kicks off the events of Bloody Sunday on March 3rd. The Unity Breakfast is from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. at Wallace Community College Selma. There will be numerous national Civil Rights Speakers. Those receiving Unity Awards this year include four of the original Freedom Singers and Maria Diarra Keita of Mali, West Africa as well as Hosea Williams, whose daughter will be accepting the award for him posthumously. More information will be released as it develops.

  • Newswire : Superstar Kenyan marathon runner dies in car crash

    Kelvin Kiptum
    

     Feb. 19, 2024 (GIN) – Kelvin Kiptum, a superstar of long distance running and the first man to run the marathon in under 2 hours, died tragically in a late night car crash in western Kenya.
     
    He died along with his coach, Gervais Hakizimana , when he veered off the road into a ditch and hit a large tree, the authorities said. He and Hakizimana were killed instantly. A third person in the car, Sharon Kosgei, was injured. Kiptum was 24 years old.
     
    His record of world records began with his first marathon in Valencia, Spain, in 2022, with a winning time of 2:01:53. At the London Marathon in 2023, he crushed the field to win in 2:01:25, the second-fastest time in history, 16 seconds short of the world record of 2:01:09 held by Eliud Kipchoge, also of Kenya.
     
    Finally, he broke a new world record at the Chicago Marathon, obliterating the world record with a score of 2:00:35
     
    Kiptum was born on Dec. 2, 1999, in Chepsamo, Kenya. As a young man, he worked as a goat herder and trained as an electrician before deciding to become a runner.
     
    In an interview with the BBC, coach Hakizimana recalled the little boy herding livestock barefoot. “It was in 2009, I was training near his father’s farm, he’d come kicking at my heels, and I would chase him away.”
     
    News of Kiptum’s death brought tributes from Kenya, throughout Africa and across the world of road running. William Ruto, Kenya’s president, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Kiptum was our future. An extraordinary sportsman has left an extraordinary mark in the globe.”
     
    Kiptum’s victories came at a time when nearly 300 athletes from Kenya were being punished for using banned substances, tarnishing the country’s image as a running powerhouse.
     
    As a result, the 23-year-old record-holder — who has not been accused of doping — found himself defending not only what he had done in Chicago, but what he had not. His record time, he said, was the product of running 150 miles or more per week at altitude, not the use of banned substances.
     
    “My secret is training,” he said. “Not any other thing.”
     
    World Athletics president Sebastian Coe offered his condolences. “We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach,” he wrote. “An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.”, 
     
    Kiptum’s survivors include his wife and two children.
     
    Meanwhile, in Cairo, around 10,000 runners participated in a Run for Gaza marathon. Ticket sales will be used for much needed humanitarian aid for the people in the Gaza Strip
     
    Runners from 30 different countries took part, with French participant Lauren Cocula telling the AP news: “If we don’t save people in Gaza, we are going to just fail humanity as humans so I think it is important.”
     
    The event was organized by Egyptian minister of Social Solidarity Nevin Al-Qabbaj in cooperation with the Egyptian Tribal and Families Council, the Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad and the Minister of Youth and Sports.
     

  • Newswire: U.S. forgives nearly $137 Billion of student loans – teachers, social workers, public servants among those to benefit

    By Charlene Crowell

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – Teachers, social workers, and other public servants are among those expected to benefit from recent Biden Administration efforts to expand eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness.
    Collectively, these borrowers will be relieved of $4.9 billion debt in return for their service to communities that earned them forgiveness under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR).
    “The Biden-Harris Administration has worked relentlessly to fix our country’s broken student loan system and address the needless hurdles and administrative inaccuracies that, in the past, kept borrowers from getting the student debt forgiveness they deserved,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
    James Kvaal, U.S. Under Secretary of Education added, “The Biden-Harris Administration is not going to stop until we’ve helped all of those harmed by the broken student loan system.”
    Announced by the federal Department of Education  in January, this latest expansion boosts the Biden Administration’ s total student loan forgiveness to $136.6 billion for more than 3.7 million borrowers. Here’s how this unprecedented loan relief was accomplished:
    $56.7 billion for 793,400 borrowers enrolled in PSLF since October 2021. Prior to the Biden-Harris Administration’s fixes to PSLF, only about 7,000 borrowers had ever received forgiveness;
    $45.7 billion in IDR relief for 930,500 borrowers;
    $11.7 billion for almost 513,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability; and
    $22.5 billion for more than 1.3 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.
    In late 2023, the Federal Reserve determined that although most consumers pay $400 or less in monthly loan payments, 19 percent of borrowers pay far more. As reported by Motley Fool, payments between $500 and $999 are made by 14 percent of borrowers, while payments of $1,000 or more are paid by five percent of borrowers.
    “Outstanding student loan debt exceeds outstanding auto loan debt and credit card debt,” recently noted Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). “If student loan borrowers are unable to successfully enroll in payment plans or obtain accurate information about their accounts, this can have a domino effect on the rest of their financial lives.”
    In December 2023, CFPB issued a new report entitled, Making Ends Meet in 2023. Two findings in this report highlight the heavy and disproportionate financial effects for borrowers of color:
    “Consumers who currently have student debt were 10 percentage points more likely to have difficulty paying bills than consumers who had student debt at some point in the last 10 years but no longer do and consumers who have not had student debt for at least 10 years if ever.”
    “Nearly 58 percent of Black consumers and 54 percent of Hispanic households could not cover expenses for more than a month in February 2023,” continued the CFPB report, “while this was the case for only 34 percent of non-Hispanic white households and 32 percent of households of another race. These differences among groups were largely unchanged since 2022.”
    Secretary Cardona said the Education Department’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan will deliver even greater debt relief and help put more borrowers on a faster track to loan forgiveness. Borrowers who originally took out $12,000 or less for college and are enrolled in the SAVE Plan will see forgiveness after as few as 10 years of payments. Those who are enrolled in SAVE and are eligible for early forgiveness will have their debts automatically cancelled starting next month, months ahead of schedule, with no action needed.
    The Department and its partners are reaching out to encourage eligible but unenrolled borrowers to sign up for SAVE. Borrowers can find additional resources at StudentAid.gov and sign up for the SAVE plan at StudentAid.gov/save.
    Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

  • Newswire : Trump and associates ordered to pay $354 Million in damages in fraud trial

    New York AG, Leticia James


    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    When she assumed the role of New York Attorney General, Letitia James made little bones about her desire to take down Donald Trump for what she said was the massive business fraud his organization had committed in the Empire State.  She also took aim at his politics, filing numerous lawsuits related to immigration and environmental policies during Trump’s White House tenure. James also inherited an ongoing state lawsuit against Trump’s charitable foundation, initiated before her term, successfully steering it towards a settlement that included a substantial $2 million fine.
    Demonstrating her commitment, she filed another civil lawsuit against Trump the following year, accusing his company of deceiving banks, insurers, and others by artificially inflating the value of assets and his net worth on financial documents. In a clever twist, when announcing the case against Trump, James quipped, “It’s the art of the steal,” playing on the title of Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal.”
    On Friday, Feb. 16, James nailed the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president as Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in a civil business fraud trial against the MAGA leader, his sons, business associates, and the Trump Organization, ordering him to pay over $354 million in damages. Engoron also slapped Trump and his company with temporary restrictions on conducting business in New York.
    The verdict comes after a prolonged trial where James sought $370 million, alleging “repeated and persistent fraud,” including the falsification of business records and financial statements. And, in a clear-cut victory for James, Engoron dismissed attempts by Trump to shift blame to accountants. “The buck for being truthful in the supporting data valuations stopped with the Trump Organization, not the accountants,” the judge determined.
    The judgment imposes a three-year ban on Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation, along with the appointment of an independent monitor and a directive to install an independent director of compliance for the Trump Organization.
    The judge highlighted Trump’s lack of remorse, stating it “borders on pathological” and necessitates external oversight. This marks the second financial setback for Trump this year, following an $83.3 million defamation verdict he was ordered to pay for sexually assaulting a journalist. He also faces four criminal trials later this year, with the first scheduled for March 25 in New York State Court. By the time the November election arrives, Trump could also be a convicted felon.
    During the New York civil trial, Trump and his executives, including his sons attempted to downplay the significance of exaggerated financial statements. Examples of fraud included inflating property values, such as at Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago, by significant amounts. Trump, who claimed his innocence, asserted that the case was politically motivated.
    The judgment cancels Trump’s business certificates in New York, a decision he is appealing. Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, naturally denounced the ruling as a “manifest injustice” and expressed confidence in overturning the verdict through the Appellate Division.
    Los Angeles-based trial attorney V. James DeSimone, of V. James DeSimone Law, added that Trump found out exactly how powerful New York’s civil fraud law is. DeSimone opined that Engeron’s detailed opinion provides ample basis for the $354 million in penalties he assessed against the Republican presidential frontrunner and his family. “When it comes to anything involving Donald Trump’s court cases, it’s best to figure that he’ll appeal any ruling that finds him in the wrong, and he’ll appeal until the end of time, or he runs out of lawyers. At some point, the findings of fraud against a presidential candidate should matter to the voting public.”
     

  • Newswire : Patient advocacy groups call on governor to close the coverage gap

    By: Alabama Health Advocates
    From Alabama Political Reporters

    Here’s the startling reality: in Alabama, a couple with one child earning $5,000 a year would make too much to be eligible for Medicaid.
    We represent the patients, families and advocates served by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, American Heart Association and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  We advocate of behalf of people facing serious and often life-threatening medical conditions. We know about the healthcare plight of patients and workers in Alabama because we see it every day.
    We also stand up for hard-working Alabamians who want to stay healthy, like the construction worker with high blood pressure who can’t afford medication, the hairstylist with a family history of breast cancer who wants a screening mammogram and the truck driver who previously smoked and knows he should have his lungs checked. These Alabamians deserve to take care of themselves but often they fall into the coverage gap where they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford health insurance.
    For our neighbors with risk factors for cardiovascular disease or recovering from a heart attack or stroke, or those who are battling cancer, access to affordable and adequate health insurance is a matter of life and death. By closing the coverage gap, hundreds of thousands of working families, veterans, and small business owners would be able to have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare and get the medications and treatments they need to stay healthy.
    In fact, recent studies show nearly half of Alabama workers do not get employer-sponsored health insurance. On behalf of these patients and hard-working Alabamians, we want to see a solution to close the coverage gap and take action to address the healthcare crisis in Alabama.
    When workers can’t stay healthy, they leave the workforce, which puts a strain on their families as well as on businesses. And it strains the healthcare system when uninsured patients only have access to emergency care. We have seen rural hospitals close, leaving people vulnerable to more health challenges in those areas. The resistance to closing the coverage gap in Alabama is costing us all. Patients have worse outcomes that still require care and our federal tax dollars currently fund coverage in other states without any of it benefitting Alabama.
    As we head into this year’s legislative session, it is more important than ever for our state’s leaders to take Alabama’s health crisis seriously. Gov. Ivey and Alabama legislators, we’re calling on you to expand healthcare access in Alabama and close the coverage gap as soon as possible. It’s time to shift from talking to action. We need to implement solutions to solve the health system and workforce problems that impact Alabamians every day. Give us and all our friends and neighbors a fighting chance to get healthy, stay healthy and continue working.

  • School Board holds emergency meeting to consider teacher resignation

    The Greene County Board of Education met in an emergency meeting, Friday, February 9, 2024, to consider action on a personnel item. The three board members present, Mr. Leo Branch, Board President, Mr. Robert Davis and Mr. Brandon Merriweather, forming a quorum, voted unanimously to approve Superintendent Corey Jones recommendation to accept the resignation of Mr. Elroy Skinner, Math TEAMS teacher at Robert Brown Middle School, effective February 8, 2024.
    No additional information relative to the resignation was available to the public.
    This was the only item considered by the board. The meeting was adjourned

  • Eligible Alabama citizens must register to vote by Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Deadline approaches to register to vote before the primary election

    Secretary of State Wes Allen wants to remind Alabama citizens that there is one week left to register to vote before the 2024 Primary Election.
    “As Secretary of State, I want to encourage all eligible Alabama citizens to register to vote and to exercise this constitutional right,” said Secretary Allen. “Voter participation in safe, secure, and transparent elections is critical to the success of our state.”
    Eligible Alabama citizens must register to vote by Monday, February 19, 2024 to vote in the March 5, 2024 Primary Election. Electronic voter registration may be completed by visiting https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/register-to-vote.
    The deadline to turn in a physical voter registration form to your county Board of Registrars is Friday, February 16, 2024. The deadline to postmark a voter registration form is Saturday, February 17, 2024.
    To be eligible to vote in Alabama, one must be a citizen of the United States, reside in Alabama, and be 18 years old on or before election day. One must not be barred from voting due to a disqualifying felony conviction or have been judged “mentally incompetent” by a court of law.
    On election day, polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters are required to present a valid form of photo identification when voting at their polling place or by absentee ballot.
    For questions about registering to vote in Alabama, please call the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office at 334-242-7210 or your local county Board of Registrars.
    Wes Allen is Alabama’s 54th Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is Alabama’s Chief Elections Official. Additionally, Alabama law gives the Secretary of State more than 1,000 different duties. To learn more about the Secretary of State and his responsibilities and duties visit http://www.sos.alabama.gov.

  • Greene County Commission urges ‘yes’ vote on Amendment 1 on March 5th primary ballot

    The Greene County Commission held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 12, 2024. All five commissioners were present, including: Corey Cockrell, Chair and District 3, Garria Spencer, District 1, Tennyson Smith, District 2, Allen Turner, District 4, and Roshonda Summerville, District 5. The Commissioners handled an agenda of routine business, taking a forty-minute Executive Session to discuss personnel and legal matters, without announcing any actions that needed to be approved by vote.
    The Commission approved a resolution urging voters to support Amendment No. 1 on the March 5th primary ballot. Amendment No. 1 would allow the Alabama Legislature to consider and approve ‘local legislation” by a majority vote prior to passing a budget in the session.
    Currently the legislative rules require a 60% super-majority for votes on legislation prior to the approval of the budget. This change would allow for easier passage of ‘local legislation’ when the Legislature does not approve a budget until the end of the session. In the past, some ‘local legislation’, including some Greene County proposals, have been lost or postponed because they could not be voted on prior to passing the state budget.
    In other actions, The Greene County Commission:
    • Approved levies for Alcohol Licensing for 2024-2025.
    • Approved a contract with M&H Construction for $1,950 to replace ceiling tiles at J. C. Poole Memorial Library, that were damaged in a recent storm. The Commission had already repaired the library roof with insurance funds.
    • Approved contract with the State of Alabama for clean-up at dump site on County Road 181; and also accepted state funding for clean-up of up to three other illegal dump sites.
    •Approved travel for Assistant Engineer to attend a training class in March in Prattville, Alabama.
    •Approved purchase of a full-page ad in the Greene County Democrat’s Black History issue.
    •Tabled action on the Greene County Golf Course to gather more information.
    The Commission also heard and accepted a financial report from CFO, Mac Underwood, in which he listed $8,610,648 in Citizens Trust Bank of which $4,189,591 is in unrestricted General Funds and $4,421,055 are in restricted funds for designated government purposes, like road and bridge repairs. He also reported $5,542,720 in Merchants and Farmers Bank, including $3,129,181 in unrestricted funds and $1,413,539 in restricted funds. This is a total of $14,153,366 in restricted and unrestricted funds available to the county government. There is also $894,166 in Bond Sinking Funds.
    He also reported the expenditure of $1,769,202, in bills and claims paid for January 2024. Another $101,056 in electronic claims were paid during the same period. For the four months of the fiscal
    year, October 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024, 68% of the budgeted funds are left to be utilized for expenditures this fiscal year, which is in line with proposed budget, for this point in the fiscal year.

    County Commission Work Session

    At the Greene County Commission’s monthly work session, held Wednesday, February 7, 2024, County Coroner, Ronald Kent Smith, presented his concern regarding his salary. Smith noted that a local Bill authorizing an increase in salary for the County Coroner was passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2020. The Bill scheduled the salary increase for the next election term. Smith was re-elected in 2022, expecting that his salary increase would go into effect at that time. To date, the Greene County Coroner has not received an increase in salary as designated in the 2020 Legislation. Smith also indicated he receives no travel compensation for transports to Montgomery. The Commission’s response was to take all this under advisement, referring the matter to the Alabama State Attorney General for an opinion on how to proceed.
    The County’s Greenes Committee also addressed the Commission at this work session.relative to the Greene County Golf Course. Committee members James E. Morrow, Don Black, and Doug Bell alerted the Commission that the golf Course was in danger of closing within the next three weeks, due to lack of funds to continuing operating.
    Morrow noted that the Golf Course was receiving Bingo resources until Sheriff Jonathan Benison cut off community distributions in May, 2023. Morrow indicated that there are no designated funds from the county for the Golf Course. “The county owns the Golf Course. It comes under county sponsored recreational activities, therefore the county should support it,” he stated.
    The Greenes Committed stated that there are 22 members, contributing $40 per month, but it takes approximately $4,000 per month for utilities and upkeep.