District Judge Lillie Jones Osborne swears-in Jonathan Woodruff as Eutaw Councilman for District 2, as his mother, Mrs. Kelly Wilson looks on.
In its final regular meeting of the year on December 12, 2023, the Eutaw City Council appointed Jonathan Woodruff to the District 2 vacancy,caused by the resignation of LaJeffrey Carpenter.
Woodruff was sworn in to the position on December 15 by District Judge Lillie Osborne. Woodruff, a resident of District 2, is a math instructor at East Mississippi Junior College, who has also taught in the Greene County school system.
The Council received several reports from Financial Adviser, Ralph Liverman on the status of various city bank accounts. He also provided a report on the bid opening for the Eutaw Streetscape Project to improve the outside sidewalks for the Thomas Gilmore Courthouse Square in downtown Eutaw. There were two bids: Cornerstone Civil Contractors of Tuscaloosa, for $1,074,075; and Dominion Construction Company of Duncanville for $1,216, 584. The bids have been sent to the Alabama Department of Transportation for review and evaluation.
The original grant for this project approved in 2018 was $640,000 with a 20% matching share to be provided by the City of Eutaw, Greene County Commission, and the Greene County Industrial Development Authority. Since the bids came in higher, the Alabama Department of Transportation may have additional funds to contribute to make the project a reality. Once this project is underway, the City can apply for funding to improve the inner sidewalks and lighting for the Courthouse Square.
The City of Eutaw adopted a proclamation for Arbor Day on February 17th and becoming a Tree City. The Council also approved an agreement with the Sixth Day Saddle Club for non-exclusive use of the riding area in the City of Eutaw Park, at Lock 7. The agreement allows the group to hold horse shows and other events to promote the health and well-being of horses.
The Council heard a presentation by Mike Dillon of the West Alabama Regional Commission on their program to assist landowners improve the conditions of brownfield areas. These are structures like gas stations, dry cleaners and industrial sites which have been impacted by environmental problems. The WARC program will help with environmental studies and other actions needed to revitalize commercial properties for sale and use for new purposes. The Council heard a request from Evelyn Eason, representing Second Baptist Church who was seeking land for a cemetery.
In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:
• Approved travel for the Municipal Court Clerk and Magistrates to attend training in 2024. • Approve claims of Itagia Pelt and Gloria Mobley to be turned over to the city’s insurance company for payment. • Adopted holiday schedule for Christmas and New Year’s holidays. • Approved an easement for C-Spire to have a storage area on city property. • Designated January 6 as “Bishop Edwards Day in the City of Eutaw” in conjunction with the celebration of the church leader’s 98th birthday. • Agreed to pay bills for the city.
Shown above: Family, friends, and officials unveil the Lester ‘Bop’ Brown Memorial Highway sign on Greene County Road 191. Three Memorial signs honoring Brown were placed along that road.
On Saturday, December 16, 2023, Greene County Road 191 in the Union community was dedicated as the Lester ‘Bop’ Brown Memorial Highway in commemoration of a much beloved community leader who served Greene County and other areas of the Black Belt Region for many years. The dedication ceremony, organized by Commissioner Garria Spencer, who now serves District 1, was attended by family members, friends, community and political leaders, including Union Mayor James Gaines and Town Council Members, District 5 Commissioner Roshanda Summerville, District Judge John H. England, who also served a period of time as legal counsel to the Town of Union, and community worker, Dr. Carol Zippert. All who lifted Brown spoke of his untiring dedication and work in the community. He was noted as a strategic, generous and compassionate leader who did not hesitate to cuss you out if he thought that was warranted. Many speakers mentioned that, among other services from Bop, they missed the bags of sweet potatoes he distributed to families throughout the county during holiday times. His gifts also included other fresh vegetables and Muscadine grapes. Following in his mother’s footsteps, Mrs. Annie Brown, Lester ‘Bop’ Brown was a social activist and trail blazer all his life. As a primary school student in the 1960’s, he was one of first Black students to enroll in the desegregated Eutaw Elementary School. From then on, he was a warrior for justice. Brown served in various capacities in Greene County, including the following: City Councilman with the Town of Union; Greene County Highway Department, Solid Waste Supervisor; Greene County Racing Commissioner; Greene County School Board Member; Greene County Commissioner; member of the Greene County Democratic Executive Committee and an active member of the Greene County Chapter of Alabama New South Coalition. He attended Shelton State Community College, C.A. Fred Campus in Tuscaloosa and served in the Army National Guard for 20 years. Commissioner Brown died suddenly on January 22, 2022, at 61 years of age, as he completed his second four-year term on the Greene County Commission, representing District 1, and prepared for re-election to the same office. He was heralded as Greene County’s Commissioner, for he served wherever he was needed, district lines did not matter to him.
Shown L to R: Tangie Wiggins with grandson and FOGCE Clerk Shanique Mayes.
The Federation of Greene County Employees Federal Credit Union (FOGCE) held its annual membership meeting on Friday, December 15, 2023. The Drop-by arrangement brought in 54 credit union members who received gift bags and cast votes for board and credit committee members. Members also received door prizes provided by the board members. Mr. Jimmie Pasteur was re-elected to the Board of Directors and Mr. James Powell and Ms. Arnelia Johnson were re-elected to the Credit Committee. Highlights of the previous year include the credit union partnering with the Greene County Office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A& M University and Auburn University) in holding a community gathering – Come Meet Your Credit Union. The purpose of the gathering, held June 15, 2023 at the Robert Young Community Center in Eutaw, was to bring more attention to the local credit union and its current services, promote a membership drive for the credit union as well as to proposed addition financial literacy workshops to residents, which would be scheduled and presented through the local Extension Service Office, where Mr. Doug Fulghum is County Coordinator. The credit union, which was certified as a Community Development Financial Institution in 2021, subsequently received in 2022, a CDFI Fund grant of $125,000 for new equipment, technological upgrades, technical assistance, education, training and staff support. A follow-up grant of $125,000 was awarded in 2023 to continue to enhance the credit union’s services through technological upgrades, technical assistance, community education programs including financial literacy, board, committee and staff training and additional staff support. These grant funds must be implemented by end of 2024. The FOGCE Federal Credit Union, organized in 1975 can now boast itself as a $1.6 million financial institution, with over 800 members. The field of membership includes individuals who live or work in Greene County.
Jacob Zuma, former President of South Africa, in green shirt, with supporters at pollical meeting in South Africa
Dec. 18, 2023 (GIN) – The historic African National Congress, leader of the decades-old struggle against apartheid, governing party of the Republic of South Africa since 1994, is having a family feud.
Deep divisions are coming out into the open as when former South African president Jacob Zuma recently declared he would not vote for the ruling ANC in national elections in 2024.
“I have decided that I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa in 2024. My conscience will not allow me to lie to the people of South Africa and to pretend that the ANC of Ramaphosa is the ANC of Luthuli, Tambo and Mandela,” said Zuma, referring to previous leaders of the ANC.
Zuma said he would vote for the radical new left-wing Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) party, named after the ANC’s old armed wing, and urged all South Africans to reject the ANC.
“I call on all South Africans to join me in taking the important step and to vote for the MK Party and any other progressive party which seeks total liberation,” he said.
Zuma’s remarks added to a growing pile of critiques – often from former ANC officials such as ousted ANC secretary general Ace Magashule who recently announced the formation of a new party – the African Congress for Transformation (ACT).
A close ally of ex-president Zuma, he was expelled from the ruling party in June for allegedly personally benefiting from money meant to be used to remove asbestos from the homes of people in the Free State province where he was the premier from 2009 to 2018. He also faces charges of corruption in a criminal case.
Another breakaway was announced last month by seven opposition parties including the country’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, and a string of small parties who agree on what they call a Multi-Party Charter for South Africa.
Support for the ANC has slowly waned over the years amid criticism that it has failed to provide basic services and ease poverty for millions of the country’s Black majority. Widespread corruption in state-owned institutions and local and national government has further eroded its popularity.
Other problems include the highest levels of unemployment in the world, a failing electricity supply that’s led to regular blackouts, a broken public transport system and high violent crime rates.
In an effort to bring the opposition together, a multiparty national convention was organized, led by William Gumede, founder of the Democracy Works Foundation and assoc. professor, School of Governance at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Participants at the first meeting included party leaders from the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, among others.
Herman Mashaba, president of ActionSA, explained his presence at the convention.
“ANC will lose its majority, and all South Africans know this, but they have never seen opposition parties putting aside differences to give them hope,” he said. “We must define this agreement with a positive vision for South Africa, not against other political parties.”
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald asked the parties to set an example by paving a way forward to help to save South Africa.
“I don’t think there is anyone in South Africa who will not agree that we are not at a good point in the history of our country. There must be change,” Groenewald said.
Prof William Gumede, who is chairing the discussions, encouraged party leaders to rise above egos and squabbles.
“Every decision the group makes has to be in the best interest of South Africa. It has to be for the future of all of us and for those still to be born.” w/pix of J. Zuma in green shirt
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
A looming healthcare crisis is on the horizon as hospitals and emergency rooms face the potential need to ration care by the month’s end, according to a chilling advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC’s latest briefing underscores the swift escalation in COVID-19 hospitalizations, with a particular focus on the surge in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Simultaneously, influenza is gaining momentum nationwide, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continues to pose a significant threat in multiple regions.
Several reports noted that pediatric hospitals are grappling with a near-maximum patient load, mirroring the levels witnessed this time last year. Emergency room visits for school-age children have undergone an alarming, nearly twofold increase, driven chiefly by a surge in flu cases. The CDC said the spike follows a period of stabilized emergency room figures leading up to Thanksgiving. Strikingly, influenza-related emergency room visits have now eclipsed those for COVID-19 across most age groups, with seniors being the sole exception where COVID-19 rates remain markedly higher.
Nursing homes also are reportedly witnessing a sharp uptick in reported COVID-19 cases, particularly in the Midwestern region, where infections among residents have already surpassed last year’s peak. The emergence of the JN.1 COVID variant contributes significantly to the current wave of infections, estimated to comprise up to 29% of cases nationwide—a stark increase from 8.8% at the close of November. According to the CDC’s projections, JN.1, a direct descendant of the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant, has become the swiftest-growing variant in the United States. While a World Health Organization panel asserts that JN.1’s alterations do not warrant a revision to this season’s vaccines, initial data raises concerns about reduced vaccine efficacy against this variant.
Despite the situation’s urgency, the CDC said vaccination rates are experiencing an unprecedented decline. Adult flu vaccinations are trailing by approximately 8 million doses compared to last year, and children’s flu shots have dipped by around five percentage points. Bridging this gap is anticipated to be a formidable challenge, according to discussions between vaccine manufacturers and the CDC.
With only a third of nursing home residents and less than 10% of staff receiving the COVID-19 vaccine this season, Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director of the CDC, expressed deep concern about the sluggish vaccine uptake. Urging healthcare providers to intensify efforts, especially among high-risk groups, she emphasizes the crucial role of vaccinations as the peak of the respiratory virus season looms.
The CDC emphasized the importance of staying updated on vaccinations against respiratory viruses. Beyond COVID-19 and influenza, a global uptick in pneumonia cases in children is also under scrutiny, officials asserted.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
As Democrats intensify their call for Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from the case scrutinizing Donald Trump’s potential immunity, recent findings from legal advocacy group ProPublica have added a new layer of complexity to the ethical challenges surrounding the Supreme Court justice. ProPublica’s investigative report titled, “A Delicate Matter,” revealed that Thomas, previously under scrutiny for failing to report gifts from prominent Republican donors, raised concerns about the financial strain on justices and advocated for removing a law prohibiting judges from receiving speaking and other fees. Hank Johnson, a representative for the House of Democrats, is calling for Thomas’s recusal because of doubts about his objectivity in the case involving Trump’s immunity from federal prosecution. The letter, dated December 15, underscored the Democrats’ apprehension, particularly considering the activities of Thomas’s wife and the couple’s post-2020 election activities, raising questions about the justice’s ability to remain unbiased. “Faith in the Supreme Court has plummeted, and fewer than half of all Americans trust the Supreme Court,” Johnson wrote in the letter to Thomas. “Public perception is growing that the Supreme Court flouts the rules, in large part due to your recently reported ties to and luxury travel with billionaire Republican donors that you hid for decades. The public pressure has grown so intense that last month the Supreme Court announced a formal, though unenforceable, Code of Conduct.” Johnson reminded Thomas that he also signed the Code, publicly proclaiming that he subscribed to the rules, which state that “A Justice should disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the Justice’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned, that is, where an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties.” The Code details such instances, including those in which ‘The Justice or Justice’s spouse… is known by the Justice… to have an interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding; or likely to be a material witness in the proceeding.” Johnson then detailed Ginni Thomas’s involvement with the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and to obstruct its certification—the very conspiracies at issue in this case. “Your wife not only attended the pro-Trump rally that preceded the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol, but she was also one of nine board members for a conservative political group that helped lead the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement,” Johnson asserted. “If you want to show the American people that the Supreme Court’s recent Code of Conduct is worth more than the paper it is written on, you must do the honorable thing and recuse yourself from any decisions in the case of United States v. Trump.” Meanwhile, ProPublica’s latest revelations amplify the existing ethical concerns surrounding Thomas. The report detailed a 2000 conversation between Thomas and Republican congressman Cliff Stearns, where Thomas expressed worries about the financial well-being of justices. In the discussion, Thomas suggested that one or more judges might contemplate resigning without a salary increase. Further, the investigation disclosed Thomas’s lobbying efforts to eliminate a law prohibiting Supreme Court justices from receiving speaking fees. Thomas’ 2000 comments to Stearns, a vocal conservative who’d been in Congress for 11 years and occasionally socialized with the justice, set off a flurry of activity across the judiciary and Capitol Hill. “His importance as a conservative was paramount,” Stearns said in a recent interview, according to ProPublica. “We wanted to make sure he felt comfortable in his job, and he was being paid properly.” Worried, Stearns wrote a letter to Thomas after their flight, promising “to look into a bill to raise the salaries of members of the Supreme Court.” “As we agreed, it is worth a lot to Americans to have the constitution properly interpreted,” Stearns wrote. “We must have the proper incentives here, too.” According to ProPublica, “Stearns’ office quickly enlisted the assistance of a lobbying firm working on the issue, and he delivered a speech on the House floor about how inflation is eroding judges’ salaries.” Thomas’ warning about resignations was relayed at a meeting of the heads of several judges’ associations. L. Ralph Mecham, then the judiciary’s top administrative official, fired off the memo describing Thomas’ complaints to Justice Rehnquist, his boss. “I understand that Justice Thomas clearly told him that, in his view, departures would occur within the next year or so,” Mecham wrote of Thomas’ conversation with Stearns. Mecham worried that “from a tactical point of view,” congressional Democrats might oppose a raise if they sensed “the apparent purpose is to keep Justices [Antonin] Scalia and Thomas on the Court.” (Scalia had nine children and was also one of the less wealthy justices. Scalia, Mecham and Rehnquist have since died.) During his second decade on the court, ProPublica noted that Thomas’ financial situation appears to have markedly improved. In 2003, he received the first payment of a $1.5 million advance for his memoir, a record-breaking sum for justices at the time. Ginni Thomas, who had been a congressional staffer, was by then working at the Heritage Foundation and was paid a salary in the low six figures. Thomas also received dozens of expensive gifts throughout the 2000s, sometimes coming from people he’d met only shortly before. Thomas met Earl Dixon, the owner of a Florida pest control company, while getting his RV serviced outside Tampa in 2001, according to his biography, “Supreme Discomfort.” The next year, Dixon gave Thomas $5,000 to put toward his grandnephew’s tuition. Thomas reported the payment in his annual disclosure filing. Larger gifts went undisclosed. Crow paid for two years of private high school, which tuition rates indicate would’ve cost roughly $100,000. In 2008, another wealthy friend forgave “a substantial amount, or even all” of the principal on the loan Thomas had used to buy the quarter-million-dollar RV, according to a recent Senate inquiry prompted by The New York Times’ reporting. Much of the Thomases’ leisure time was also paid for by a small group of billionaire businessmen, who brought the justice and his family on free vacations around the world. (Thomas has said he did not need to disclose the gifts of travel and his lawyer has disputed the Senate findings about the RV.) By 2019, the justices’ pay hadn’t changed beyond keeping up with inflation. But Thomas’ views had apparently transformed two decades before. That June, during a public appearance, Thomas was asked about salaries at the court. “Oh goodness, I think it’s plenty,” Thomas responded. “My wife and I are doing fine. We don’t live extravagantly, but we are fine.” “A few weeks later,” ProPublica concluded, “Thomas boarded Crow’s private jet to head to Indonesia. He and his wife were off on vacation on an island cruise on Crow’s 162-foot yacht.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
A group of current and former Alabama prisoners have filed a federal lawsuit, alleging that they were trapped in a “modern-day form of slavery” by being forced to work at fast-food chains for meager or no compensation. The comprehensive 129-page complaint, seeking class-action status, contends that the prisoners were victims of a “convict leasing” system, compelling them to work under exploitative conditions while the state of Alabama and its corporate partners reaped substantial profits.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama and first reported by the website Law & Crime, implicates over two dozen state officials, including Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall, alongside numerous government agencies and private employers, including the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC). The plaintiffs argue that these entities have violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
The complaint notes that while 26.8% of Alabama’s population identifies as Black or African American, double that percentage constitutes the Black incarcerated population. Drawing historical parallels, the group compares the alleged labor-trafficking scheme to the enslavement of individuals in Alabama’s cotton fields and subsequent sharecropping and convict leasing practices post-Civil War.
In a video statement, jailed activist Robert Earl Council, also known as Kinetik Justice, asserts that Alabama’s work programs are a continuation of pre-Civil War slavery. He accuses corporations and fast-food companies involved in these programs as complicit “slave masters,” condemning their participation in the exploitation.
The complaint alleges that Alabama generates an annual $450 million from forced labor, with inmates compelled to work against their will. At the same time, the ADOC claims 40% of gross earnings purportedly for the cost of incarceration. In a recent finding, the U.S. Department of Justice announced significant deficiencies in ADOC facilities, prompting a 2020 lawsuit against Alabama, citing widespread violence among prisoners and guards.
Individual plaintiff stories further underscore the harsh realities. Lakiera Walker, incarcerated from 2007 to 2023, recounted years of uncompensated work, including housekeeping, floor stripping, and employment at Burger King for a paltry $2 per day. Walker details enduring sexual harassment, being forced to work while unwell, and the intimidation preventing many women from speaking out.
The lawsuit contends that the work programs create a paradoxical situation where inmates are denied parole for public safety reasons while simultaneously working without supervision at local businesses. The plaintiffs demand justice for what they describe as forced labor and aim to expose and rectify systemic exploitation within Alabama’s prison system.
The Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Eutaw held the annual Christmas Parade for Greene County, Thursday, December 7, 2023. Howard Crawford, renowned athlete, and the Greene Sheriff Jonathan Benison served as Grand Marshals. This year’s theme, A Parade of Christmas Trees featured a variety of decorated trees on the Old Courthouse Square, sponsored by various local businesses and organizations. Many businesses also decorated their storefronts lifting the Spirit of Christmas.
Even Smokey the Bear and Santa and his wife marched and rode in the local parade. The children enjoyed all the candy thrown from the floats.
Other parade participants riding on beautifully decorated floats and vehicles, or walking in unison, included elected and appointed officials, representatives of churches, non-profit organizations, businesses, housing authorities, local schools and homecoming courts, fire departments, ambulance service, AKA Chapter’s Fashionetta participant and Debutantes sponsored by the Greene County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and more.
An exceptionally large crowd was out to view the festivities and purchase snacks from the vendors.
Following the parade was the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Thomas Gilmore Courthouse Square and visits with Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus.
The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Monday, December 11, 2023, with all Commissioners present. The commission unanimously approved Employee Incentive Resolution providing salary supplements for county employees who are designated as essential. The adopted Resolution included the following:
Greene County employees are essential to everyday operations to provide county service, therefore, County Commission finds and declared the County employees are deserving of a salary supplement to be paid before end of the year as part of their compensation. Essential workers will receive salary supplements as follows: Full-time – $1,200; Part-time – $600; Temporary – $300.
In other business the commission acted on the following:
Approved Engineer’s request to purchase one flatbed truck at a cost of $85,000 and one pick-up truck at a cost of $50,000.
Adopted a Resolution in regards to Discretionary Funds Allocation. Each commissioner is allocated $5,000 in Discretionary Funds to use as they see fit, however, funds must be used by governmental organizations or 501(c)(3) organizations. The commission must approve each allocation.
Approved request from Black Belt Community Foundation regarding discretionary funds granted to commissioners. Apparently this is the first award from the commission’s Discretionary Funds Allocation, recommended by Commissioner Garria Spencer.
Approved Assistant Engineer’s travel request to NACE Conference, April 15-18, 2024, in Palm Springs, CA.
Approved resignation of Mr. Jimmy Hardy from Housing Authority of Greene County.
Tabled a new from District 3 appointment to GCHA.
Approved appointment of Mr. Ronald Edwards to Greene County DHR Board, District 3.
Adopted a Resolution approving the Flood Plain Development Ordinance.
Approved extending garbage exemption until January 31, 2024.
Shown above with newly delivered school buses: Mr. Leo Branch, School Board President; Mr. James Gaines, Transportation Superintendent; Ms. Mary Henderson, Transportation Secretary; Ms. Verna Nickson and Earl Pelt, Bus Drivers; and Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones.
The Greene County Board of Education received two of six new school buses ordered two years ago. The two 72 passenger, fully air conditioned buses arrived at the school bus shop, Friday, December 8. Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones said the four additional buses with same capacity and convenience are expected for delivery by May 2024. The buses have a price tag of $112,122 each. “This is an indication of the school system’s efforts to improve the comfort and safety in transporting students between home and school and other school related events,” Dr. Jones stated. The school board held its regular monthly meeting, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, with three board members in attendance, including Mr. Leo Branch, Mr. Robert Davis and Mrs. Veronica Richardson. The meeting date was moved a week earlier because of the school’s Christmas Holiday schedule, beginning Friday, Dec. 15. The personnel items recommended by Superintendent Jones and approved by the board are as follows: Employment of the following Teacher Mentors for the 2023 – 2024 school year. Eutaw Primary: Montoya Binion, Valerie Moore, Walter Taylor, Carolyn Beck. Robert Brown Middle School: Vanessa Bryant, Annie Howard, Marva Smith, Clifford Reynolds, Raven Bryant. Greene County High School: Larry Burnette, Tura Edwards, Ka’Needa Coleman, Teresa Atkins, Angela White, Rodney Wesley, Tameshia Porter. Stipends for the following employees for after-hours events/activities which may include weekend college tours, test prep bootcamps, and other activities outlined in the College and Career Readiness Grant include the following: Hourly rate of $30 per hour for after school activities/events and $200 per day for all day college and industry tours: Tura Edwards, Victoria Moore, Tamika Thompson, Angela White, LaMonica Little, Shamyra Jones, Teresa Atkins, Andrea Perry, Janice Jeames, Supplement pay for LaTanya Cockrell Fowler for additional duties in the amount of $450 per month. Additional supplement in the amount of $500 for Paula Calligan for additional duties with the band. The board approved Catastrophic Sick Leave and FMLA Leave for Shana Lucy, teacher at Eutaw Primary. The following administrative items recommended by Superintendent Jones were approved by the board. * Out of state and overnight field trip requests for Greene County Career Center Business and Marketing class to attend Spring Sports Marketing Day with the Hawks and college tour in Atlanta, GA on March 28 – 29, 2024 (Funding Source: CCR Grant). * Change order proposal from Fraiser-Ousley in the amount of $29,759 to add toilet room at end of new press box. * Quote from RJ Young for Sophos MDR Renewal (1 year). * Travel for LaMonica Little to Dominican Republic for Professional Learning in the Dominican Republic February 15 – 20, 2024 (Funding Source: Educational Tours Professional Development Scholarship, Professional Development Funds). * Agreement between and Greene County Board of Education and Johnny Pelt, Jr. to assist the mechanic in the Transportation Department on an as needed basis at the rate of $25 per hour. * Memorandum of Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and the University of Alabama at Birmingham for Alabama Rural Learning Accelerator Program. * Permission to dispose and sell for salvage the serving line that was removed from Robert Brown Middle School and the butcher table that was removed from Eutaw Primary School. (Proceeds will go to the CNP fund account). * Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll. Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO. In his report to the board, Dr. Jones gave updates on positive COVID cases reported from each school. The week of Nov. 12-18, RBMS reported two cases; GCHS reported one case. The week of Nov. 26 – Dec. 2, RBMS reported one case. The week of Dec. 3-9, no COVID cases were reported from the schools. In his school positive reports, Superintendent Jones noted that GCHS hosted a Community Block Party in which all the schools participated. GCHS Garden Club participated in Ag Exploration Day at Tuskegee University. Scholars from the Greene County Career Center visited UWÅ for a campus tour on Nov. 11. All welding booths, totaling 19, are installed and functional. Jag students visited Birmingham-Shuttlesworh International airport on Nov. 9. Military Mondays are held at the Career Center. The Army Reserve was the latest Service to visit the Center. Dual enrollment scholars had Friday presentations with the following guest speakers: Rodney Pelt, Mind Changers; Terrance Fletcher, Boss Ties, LLC; and Doug Fulghum, Extension Serve. The National Career Association had its Installation Ceremony. The GCCC received the Future Teacher Association grant. CSFO Mrs. Marquita Lennon presented the following Financial Snapshot as of November 30, 2023. Operating Reserve: 4.69 combined general fund reserve; 3.04 cash reserve; all bank accounts have been reconciled. General Fund Balance: $3,647,704.35 (reconciles to the Summary Cash Report); Accounts Payable Check Register – $485,897.21; Payroll Register – $901,437.20; Combined Ending Fund Balance – $5,624,297.17. Local Revenue: Property Taxes – $291,625; Sales Taxes – $89,923; Other Taxes – $3,158.
