Greene County Democrat

Category: Crime

  • Newswire: Biden enters presidential race bringing White Supremacy to the forefront of issues

    By Hazel Trice Edney

    Biden campaign video showing 2017 Hate March in Charlottesville.

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – Former Senator and Vice President Joseph Biden, after much suspense, has finally entered the Democratic campaign for president – immediately surging ahead of a crowded field with a message against White Supremacy.
    “We saw Klansmen and White supremacists and Neo Nazis come out in the open, their crazed faces illuminated by veins bulging and baring the fangs of racism”, Biden said in a video announcement with images of the violent 2017 White supremacist march in Charlottesville, Va. juxtaposed with images representing America’s promise that “all men are created equal.” He called the incident in Charlottesville in which the young activist Heather Higher was killed, “a defining moment of this nation.”
    Biden’s entry not only brings a new voice to the field of at least eight candidates who have announced so far, but a voice taking direct aim at incumbent Donald Trump.
    He continued in the video, “And they were met with a courageous group of Americans. And a violent clash ensued. And a brave young woman lost her life. And that’s when we heard the words of the President of the United States that stunned the world and shocked the conscious of this nation. He said, there were quote, ‘some very fine people on both sides.’”
    Biden said with those words, “the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalency between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation wasn’t like any other I’d ever seen in my lifetime. I wrote at the time that were ‘in the battle for the soul of this nation.”
    He said eight years of the Trump Presidency would “forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”
    Biden has since catapulted to the forefront of the other Democratic candidates. But his race will not be easy. Trump has already taken aim, calling him, “sleep Joe” an attempt to pin a nickname on him as Trump has successfully done to many other candidates.
    Trump spokespersons have defended his words about Charlottesville, saying he did in fact condemn racism and antisemitism as well. But despite his successes with maintaining economic growth started by President Obama, the Trump years have been so far full of insults to people of color including calling members of the National Football League “Sons of Bs” for protesting unwarranted police violence against Black people.
    No viable Republican candidates have challenged Trump so far. And most Black Republicans and even conservative Christians have remained silent amidst what some deem as deplorable conduct; such as the SOB remark as well as hundreds of documented untruths.
    So far, Democratic candidates have dealt mainly with key issues with little or no mention of Trump’s leaning on a base that often appears largely White nationalists.
    Among the dominant issues dealt with thus far have been the economy, whether all incarcerated people should be allowed to vote while in prison and whether there should be a commission to discuss ways to issue reparations for slavery.
    CNN reports that Biden now tops the field with more than 37 percent of Democrats saying they would vote for him if the election were elected today. He is followed in diminishing order by Sen. Bernie Sanders Sanders of Vermont; South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.); Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.); Congressman Beto O’Rourke of Texas, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Cory Booker (N.J.).
    Biden will also face opposition from Democrats who point to his political record. They include his treatment of now Professor Anita Hill during the confirmation of Clarence Thomas for which he recently tried to make amends. She did not think his apology was strong enough. Biden is also remembered for his leadership on legislation that led to the growth of mass incarceration of Black people; including the so-called “war on drugs.”

  • Town of Forkland receives $7,000 grant from Tombigbee RC&D for adult education program

    On Monday, April 22, 2019, the Town of Forkland received a $7,000 grant from the Tombigbee Resource, Conservation and Development district located in Tuscaloosa. The grant was to support the town’s adult education program.
    The program is primarily focused on providing seniors with computer training and other useful life skills to keep them involved and active in their community.
    “We have used these funds to provide laptop computers,training modules and screens and an instructor. We are serving over twenty students aged 63 to 83 who want to learn how to use computers and new technologies,” said Mayor Charlie McCalpine of Forkland.

    Mayor McCalpine said that the Town of Forkland appreciated the support and matching funds from Tombigbee RC&D which made the senior learning program possible and successful.
    Ms. Scheree Dasher, the class instructor indicated that, “When our seniors go to the doctor or Social Security office they are handed a computer tablet to sign in and many wanted to be able to handle these situations themselves. Others receive emails and other social media from their children, grandchildren, friends and other relatives which they also wanted to be able to read and answer.”
    The classes are three days a week with computers and on other days, the group does exercises, puzzles, drawing and some classes with a nutritionist and other specialists.
    Presenting the grant award to the Town of Forkland were Don Sherrod, Chair of the Tombigbee RC&D Board, who is also the Mayor of Pickensville and Bailey Sloan and Mckenzie Montgomery from the agency staff. Also attending the check presentation were: Tennyson Smith, Greene County Commission Chair, Probate Judge Rolanda Wedgeworth, Representative A. J. McCampbell, State Senator Bobby Singleton and others. The members of the class are gathered behind a large replica of the grant check.

  • SOS plans rally at Statehouse in Montgomery on April 30th to push for Medicaid Expansion in Alabama

    State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier address press conference. Others present on stage (L to R) are: Robyn Hyden, Karen Jones, John Zippert, Mayor Johnny Ford, Jeanette Thomas, Martha Morgan, Jeffrey Jones and Shelley Fearson.

    Montgomery, AL – Members of Alabama SOS, the Save OurSelves Movement for Justice and Democracy, held a news conference today, Thursday, April 11, at 12:00 p.m. the 3rd Floor Press Room of the Alabama State House to address the dire need for expansion of Medicaid in Alabama.
    John Zippert, Co-Chair of the SOS Health Committee said: “We are planning a rally at the Alabama State House for Tuesday, April 30, 2019 to alert the Governor, the Legislature and the public to the importance of acting to expand Medicaid immediately.”
    He went on to say, “We have to do more to bring about Medicaid expansion in Alabama. Lives literally are depending upon it. Whatever it is required, we have to do it because citizens are dying, hospitals are closing, and access to medical care is diminishing. It is not enough to talk anymore. We have to do more, and SOS will do more.”
    “Expanding Medicaid to reach the working poor will help 300,000 people who are currently uninsured to gain coverage. Currently, these folks fall in a gap between being not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid and not rich enough to qualify for insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Expanding Medicaid to serve this group will also be an economic development program to provide 30,000 new jobs in health care and related fields. It will touch every county in the state,” said Zippert.
    Johnny Ford, Co-Chair of the SOS Health Committee and Founder and Leader of the World Conference of Mayors said: “We have given the Governor and the Legislature every opportunity to expand Medicaid. They not only have failed. They never tried. In the meantime, people keep dying and hospitals keep closing.
    “We have to do everything in our power to move the Governor and everyone who is involved to implement Medicaid expansion in our state,” said Ford, who is also Board Chair of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health.
    Robyn Hyden, Director of Alabama Arise, said: “There are several options to fund Medicaid expansion. Removing the federal income tax deduction for Alabama taxpayers, for example, would generate $719 million in new income tax revenue. This deduction primarily benefits people in the top 20 percent of taxpayers. This would allow the state to not only fund Medicaid expansion, but would also allow the state to remove the sales tax on groceries.”
    Senator Malika Sanders Fortier said: “Health care is even more important than public education. Education helps us to live better. Health care helps us to live. I am calling upon everyone in a leadership position to move to implement Medicaid expansion right now. It is a matter of life or death in Alabama.”
    SOS is comprised of more than 40 statewide Alabama organizations committed to justice and democracy. Other SOS members who spoke at the press conference included Law Professor Emerita Martha Morgan of Tuscaloosa County, Karen Jones of Montgomery, Faya Toure of Selma and Jeffrey Jones of Mobile.
    Persons interested in participating in the rally should contact the SOS office through: alabamanewsouth.org or by calling 334-262-0933.

  • Newswire : The 2019 Masters: Tiger’s incredible improbable comeback to win

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
    @StacyBrownMedia

    Tiger Woods celebrates win at Masters


    After 11 years, multiple surgeries and a myriad of personal drama, Tiger Woods won his fifth Masters Championship and his 15th career major on a sun-soaked Sunday at Augusta National.
    It was the first time Woods had won at Augusta after he was trailing after 54 holes.
    The victory also came following years of doubting whether he would ever be able to play at a high level.
    “It’s overwhelming because of what has transpired,” Woods told reporters after he shot a -2 under 72 for -13 under overall to seal the victory. “It’s unreal for me to be experiencing this. I’m kind of at a loss for words really,” he said.
    The victory, one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, had social media abuzz.
    “The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) congratulates and salutes Tiger Woods as he wins the Masters Golf Tournament for the fifth time,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., tweeted.
    Chavis also noted the tough road Woods had to take to re-emerge as Golf’s biggest star. “Resilience is in our DNA,” Chavis said, referring to African American and other minorities and certainly acknowledging the challenges overcome by Woods.
    Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry called Woods’ victory, “the greatest comeback story in sports. “Congrats Tiger Woods, let me hold one of those 5 jackets one time,” Curry wrote on Twitter.
    Tennis great Serena Williams said the win moved her to tears. “I’m literally in tears watching Tiger Woods. This is greatness like no other,” Williams Tweeted. “Knowing all you have been through physically to come back and do what you just did today? Wow. Congrats a million times. I am so inspired. Than you buddy,” Williams said.
    Former President Barack Obama also offered his congratulations via Twitter. “Tiger! To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a testament to excellence, grit, and determination,” Obama said.
    Fellow golfers like Phil Mickleson, Luke Donaldson, Gary Player and Bubba Watson also tweeted out their respects and congratulations to the 43-year-old Woods.
    And, the “Golden Bear,” Jack Nicklaus also expressed his appreciation and awe of Woods. “A big ‘well done’ from me to Tiger Woods,” wrote Nicklaus, whose all-time record of 18 Major Championships is certainly within the reach of Woods, who now has 15. “I am so happy for him and for the game of golf,” Nicklaus wrote on Twitter. “This is just fantastic.”

  • Probate Judge declares April as Child Abuse Prevention Month

    Shown above Probate Judge Rolonda Wedgeworth signs proclamation for National Child Abuse Prevention Month with Greene County DHR service staff Wilson Morgan, Director; Jacqueline Hughes, Family & Children Services Supervisor; Beverly Vester, Q.A. Coordinator; Latonya Wooley, Foster Care Worker; and Kimberly Tyree, CA/N Investigator.

    Tuesday, April 9, 2019, Greene County Probate Judge Rolanda Wedgeworth signed a proclamation declaring April National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The proclamation reads as follows:
    Whereas, National Child Abuse Prevention Month will be recognized throughout the United States, as well as in the Commonwealth of Alabama during the month of April, 2019; and Whereas, the Greene County Department of Human Resources, other human services, Greene County Public Schools and community partners work together to strengthen and support families and protect children from abuse and neglect, and; Whereas Greene County’s Child Protective Services’ 24-hour hotline received hundreds of calls in Fiscal  Year 2018, many from people seeking help, guidance and referrals to parenting programs and supportive services; and Whereas, assisting children and families early makes common sense as well as fiscal sense.  In addition to saving people the trauma of more intensive services later, prevention and early intervention services save money; and Whereas, the focus for the 2019 Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Campaign is to raise public awareness about child supervision and keeping children safe; and Whereas, all Greene County residents, community agencies, faith groups, and businesses are encouraged to renew their commitment to preventing child abuse and promoting the safety and well-being of children; and
    Now, therefore I, honorable Judge Roland Wedgeworth do hereby proclaim the month of April 2019 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Greene County and urge all citizen to increase their participations in our efforts to prevent child abuse and strengthen our community.

    Judge
    Rolonda Wedgeworth
    Probate Judge of
    Greene County, AL

  • ‘Newswire: Suspicious fires’ fires burn three churches in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana

    From CNN and KLFY-TV in Lafayette reports

    Three historically Black churches in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana were burned between March 26 and April 4, 2019. State Fire marshals

    and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are investigating the cause of the fires.

    The fires destroyed St. Mary Baptist Church in the community of Port Barre, and Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas, the parish seat.

   The churches in rural St. Landry Parish -- about 30 miles north of Lafayette -- have burned since March 26 in what officials have described as "suspicious circumstances."

"There is clearly something happening in this community," State Fire Marshal H. Browning said in a statement.

    Standing outside the charred remains of the Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas — which burned on Tuesday — Pastor Harry Richard said he looked forward to meeting elsewhere with his congregation on Sunday.

    "Quite naturally, something like this would shake us up," he told CNN affiliate KLFY. "I'm very concerned but I'm very optimistic because of our faith in God and, no matter what happens, I feel like this is his plan," Richard said. "He's going to bring me through this."

The first fire occurred March 26 at St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre. Greater Union burned on Tuesday and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, also in Opelousas, suffered a fire on Thursday.

"We believe these three fires are suspicious," Browning said. "We are falling short of talking about what caused the fires, falling short of saying they are related, however cognizant that there is a problem and no coincidence that there are three fires."

Officials were also investigating a fourth, smaller fire last Sunday at the predominantly white Vivian United Pentecostal Church in Caddo Parish more than 200 miles north of St. Landry. The blaze was intentionally set
"The three fires in St. Landry Parish contain suspicious elements, but we have not yet classified them," said Ashley Rodrigue, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal.

Gov. John Bell Edwards this week appealed for the public's help with the investigations. "Our churches are sacred, central parts of our communities and everyone should feel safe in their place of worship, " he said in a statement. "We do not know the cause of these fires in St. Landry and Caddo parishes, but my heart goes out to each of the congregations and all of those who call these churches home."

    Law enforcement presence increases at houses of worship

    Browning said the remains of the three historically black churches in St. Landry Parish are considered crime scenes.

    “Investigating a fire is a very lengthy process,” he said. “It’s one of the most complicated and unconventional crime scenes you’ll ever enter because most of the evidence is burned away.
    “
    The FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting in the investigations. “It’s imperative that the citizens of this community be part of our effort to figure out what it is,” Browning said.

    St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said authorities were "doing everything we can" to protect churches and determine the cause of the fires. Law enforcement presence at houses of worship has increased.

"You got to have a certain degree of anger because there's no reason for this," Deacon Earnest Hines of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas told CNN affiliate WBRZ.

"You know the history of our country. During the civil rights struggle, they had all these incidents that would happen and sometimes that happens again," he said.

Richard told CNN affiliate KATC Greater Union Baptist Church embodied more than 100 years of history. "Our parents, grandparents went here," he said. "Buried in the back there, some of them are."

    On Sunday, he told KLFY he planned to preach about God’s grace to his displaced congregation.

    This incident of burning Black churches reminds people in Greene County, Alabama of 1995 when five Black churches in rural parts of the county were burned.

  • Newswire: Over 100 kidnapped girls in Nigeria reach five years in captivity


    Demonstrations in Nigeria in support of girls

    Apr. 8, 2019 (GIN) – The 112 girls kidnapped from a boarding school in Nigeria and still being held by Boko Haram will have spent five years in captivity if they are not released by next Sunday.

    That was the sad message released by members of the Bring Back Our Girls movement who have been urging more action by the Nigerian government to locate and free the girls.

    Over 200 students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State were abducted by the terrorists on the night of April 14, 2014.

    Over a hundred of them were released following pressure from the federal government, the intervention of activist Nigerians and the International Red Cross.

    The girls have already spent 1,819 days in Boko Haram captivity. “This is not a date we ever imagined we would come to”, they wrote on a social media platform.

    Four of the young women who managed to escape from the kidnappers now study at Dickenson College in Pennsylvania. The students are all on full scholarship funded by the Nigerian government’s Victim Support Fund and the Murtala Mohammed Foundation.

    Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, a drama entitled “The Chibok Girls: Our Story” will be presented at the CrossCurrents festival on selected dates in April and May. Nigerian poet-dramatist Soyinka, now 84, will appear alongside Nigeria’s Renegade Theatre for the performance.

    “Chibok Girls” was written and directed by Wole Oguntokun, Artistic Director of Renegade Theatre and Founder of Theatre Republic.

    In a related development, the Nigeria Security Tracker, a project of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Africa program, documents and maps violence in Nigeria that is motivated by political, economic, or social grievances. The tracker can be viewed at the website: https://www.cfr.org/nigeria/nigeria-security-tracker/p29483

  • Newswire : Structural Racism eliminated Black Farmers

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

    A new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) provides insight on how decades of structural racism within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has led to the virtual elimination of black farmers.
    A century ago, roughly 14 percent of farmers were black. By 2012, that number had shrunk to 1.58 percent, according to the report, “Progressive Governance Can Turn the Tide for Black Farmers,” by Abril Castro and Zoe Willingham.
    The study examined the ways in which discriminatory policies by the U.S. government, and especially the USDA, throughout the 20th century and up to the Trump era have led to the elimination of black farmers.
    The authors said they found that black farmers have had less access to credit and less access to extension programs than their white counterparts, preventing black farmers from modernizing and scaling up their farms as white farmers have done.
    The loss of black farmland has had a profound impact on rural black communities, which today suffer from severe economic challenges, among them a poverty rate twice that of rural white communities.
    “This report illustrates the importance of understanding American history and the impact of systematic racism in our agricultural system,” Danyelle Solomon, vice president of Race and Ethnicity Policy at CAP, said in a news release.
    The report gives several policy recommendations for protecting the livelihoods of black farmers:
    · Protecting inherited family farms
    · Expanding research and technical assistance for farmers of color
    · Regular oversight and audits of the USDA by the Government Accountability Office
    · Expanding access to land for black farmers
    “As the report notes, black farmers were systematically removed from the farming industry through government policy and practices,” Solomon said.
    Between 1920 and 2007, black farmers lost 80 percent of their land, according to the report.
    “Moving forward, policymakers must ensure that agricultural policy includes targeted and intentional policies that correct these harms by expanding access to land and technical resources for black farmers,” Solomon said.

  • Newswire : African Americans audited by IRS more than any other group

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
    @StacyBrownMedia


    A poor, rural county in Tennessee that is predominantly Black receives more audits from the IRS than any other county in the United States while rich counties skate by unbothered, according to a study published on the tax professional news website Tax Notes.

    Humphreys County, Tenn., where more than a third of its Black residents live below the poverty line and the median yearly household income is $26,000, somehow is on the IRS’ radar to audit at a higher rate than anywhere else in the nation, according to AOL News.
    Greene County, Alabama is another of the poorest counties in America with a high rate of IRS audits, 35% more than Shelby County, the richest county in the state. See Commentary on Page 4.
    The irony?
    Humphreys County is audited at a rate that is 51 percent higher than wealthy Loudoun County, Virginia, which has a median yearly household income of $130,000, the highest in the country.
    The reason is believed to be because the majority of taxpayers in Humphreys County claim the earned income tax credit, a government program to help lower income taxpayers get out of poverty.
    According to the report, the top five counties in the United States that were audited by the IRS were predominantly poorer, Black counties in the rural South.
    Other highly-audited counties included majority Hispanic counties in Texas, Native American areas in South Dakota, and white, rural spots in Appalachia, according to Salon.com.
    Last year, ProPublica found that the IRS audits poor, EITC workers at higher rates than any other group, excluding Americans earning over $1 million annually.
    The states that experienced the lowest IRS audit rates were largely white and middle-class, like Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. The safest taxpayer bracket were households with a median yearly income between $50,000 and $100,000, according to Salon.
    What’s even more alarming about auditing poor, EITC taxpayers at a higher rate than wealthier Americans is that wealthier taxpayers generally commit more instances of tax evasion, which costs the agency more than $450 billion per year, according to the IRS. By comparison, poor people who file more fraudulent tax returns cost the agency $1.6 billion per year.

    As the April 15 deadline to file income tax approaches, African Americans aren’t the only ones leery about the IRS.
    Americans spend 8.1 billion hours doing taxes each year and the average person spends 11 hours and $200 completing his or her IRS 1040-Form, according to another new report by the personal finance site, WalletHub.

    Since the tax code is so complicated and has rules based on individual household characteristics, it’s hard for the average person to tell, WalletHub experts said.
    And with a new tax code taking effect this year, 2019 taxes will be quite different than last year.
    One simple ratio known as the “tax burden” helps cut through the confusion.
    Unlike tax rates, which vary widely based on an individual’s circumstances, tax burden measures the proportion of total personal income that residents pay toward state and local taxes. And it isn’t uniform across the U.S., either.
    To determine the residents with the biggest tax burdens, WalletHub compared the 50 states across the three tax types of state tax burdens — property taxes, individual income taxes and sales and excise taxes — as a share of total personal income in the state.
    With a 12.97 percent total tax burden, New York has the highest burden of any state, followed by Hawaii (11.71 percent); Maine (10.84 percent); Vermont (10.77 percent); and Minnesota (10.25 percent).
    Alaska enjoyed the lowest overall tax burden at 5.10 percent followed by Delaware (5.55 percent); Tennessee (6.28 percent); Florida (6.56 percent); and New Hampshire (6.86 percent).

  • Water and sewage problems in Branch Heights go unattended

    Shown L to R: Anita Lewis, CEO and Spiver Gordon, Board Chairperson of Greene Co. Housing Authority inspecting raw sewage in Branch Heights yard.

    “We have four units with a total of 19 children in the 800 block of Branch Heights where there are water and sewer problems that are impacting the health and safety of this community,” said Anita Lewis, Director of the Greene County Housing Authority.
    Mrs. Lewis says that she has been trying to work with the City of Eutaw to resolve the problems but says the Mayor is unresponsive.
    “The Streets in Branch Heights belong to the City of Eutaw.
    The water and sewer flow in pipes under the streets, which are the City’s responsibility. Some of the pipes are old terracotta and are deteriorating. Since the City repaved the streets in Branch Heights this has put additional pressure on the old pipes and they are leaking,” said Lewis.
    Mrs. Lewis had a licensed plumber to come and dig down to the level of the pipes, where sewage was leaking.

         “The plumber says the blockage and the problems with the pipes, which is putting raw sewage in resident’s yards and backing up into their bathrooms, is under the city’s streets and will have to be fixed by the City or paid for by the City,” says Lewis.

    Lewis also points out that the City of Eutaw collects water, sewage and garbage fees from residents in Branch Heights, and should be responsible for repairs to their system.
    Mayor Raymond Steele said in a Council Working Session on Tuesday evening that “Water and sewer problems are our top priority and we are working with a reduced staff and old equipment, so it will take time to get to all the leaks in the city.”
    The Mayor said he is working on numerous water leaks and is aware of the sewage leak in Branch Heights. The Mayor asked for patience by the Council members and the residents, so the City could get to fixing all the leaking pipes, clearing drainage ditches and cutting grass over the coming months.
    Councilman Joe Lee Powell, whose district includes Branch Heights said, “ I will not be voting for the Courthouse Streetscape Project or other projects in other parts of the City until these critical safety hazards in Branch Heights are cleared up.”
    Mrs. Lewis suggests that the City may be facing a larger problem since it repaved the streets in Branch Heights without dealing with the aging pipes that are buried in the ground. “ I spoke to HUD, ADEM, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and others about this problem and there may be grant funds available to fix the water and sewer pipes but the City of Eutaw is the responsible party to apply for the funds. The streets and the pipes under them belong to the City.”
    “I have set up meetings with HUD, ADECA and others to resolve this problem but the Mayor has not been willing to attend