Greene County Democrat

Category: General News

  • Newswire : White House says it will make some SNAP payments after Trump threatened to defy court

    By Toni Romm, New York Times

    President Trump threatened on Tuesday to deny food stamps for roughly 42 million low-income Americans until the end of the government shutdown, a move that would defy a federal court that had ordered the administration to continue the aid payments this month.
    In a post on social media, Mr. Trump said that benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”
    Hours after that ultimatum, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, appeared to walk back the president’s comments. She told reporters at a news briefing that the administration is “fully complying” with the court and would provide partial food stamp payments in November.
    “We’re complying with the court’s order, and we’re getting that partial payment out the door as much as we can, and as quickly as we can, but it’s going to take some time,” Ms. Leavitt said.
    The whiplash on Tuesday only added to the persistent sense of panic and anxiety among the roughly one in eight poor Americans who rely on SNAP, the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. The president’s comments once again raised the risk that these families could find themselves vulnerable to hunger and financial hardship, even though a federal court ordered Mr. Trump and his aides to restart nutrition assistance.
    To comply with that directive, administration officials told two separate courts this week that they would make only partial payments to people on SNAP, essentially halving their aid for November. That alone had proved insufficient for cities and nonprofits, which had returned to court on Tuesday — before Mr. Trump’s threat — to try to restore full benefit amounts and force the government to pay the money more quickly.
    “This is immoral. See you in court,” Skye L. Perryman, the president of Democracy Forward, a legal organization representing one of the lawsuits that has repeatedly challenged the Trump administration, said in a post on social media.
    The White House declined to elaborate on Mr. Trump’s plans. The Agriculture Department did not respond to a request for comment.
    In the original order, published on Saturday, Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island essentially gave the Trump administration a choice. He said it could provide full SNAP payments by Monday or partial benefits by Wednesday, while finding that the government had a legal obligation to sustain the program if the funds were available.
    The Trump administration chose the latter approach, financed using about $5 billion set aside for SNAP in an emergency reserve previously established by Congress. The Agriculture Department could have tapped an ample store of additional funds to provide full benefits to those enrolled in food stamps, but the agency declined to do so.
    As a result, families stood to receive about half as much in nutrition benefits this month than they would have normally — and, potentially, only after weeks or months of delay. Officials at the Agriculture Department had acknowledged these limitations in court filings, even as the administration refused to make other funds available for SNAP.
    By Tuesday, Mr. Trump appeared to suggest he would halt food stamps entirely. He said on social media that the benefits were managed “haphazardly” and attacked Democrats, a set of comments that recalled his previous threat to punish the party and cut its favored programs during the shutdown.
    Some congressional Democrats expressed outrage over what they saw as a patently illegal act.
    “The president is not a king,” said Representative Angie Craig of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the House’s leading agriculture committee. “He is not free to disregard the rule of law whenever it becomes politically inconvenient for him.”
    By that afternoon, Ms. Leavitt insisted that the president only sought to register his disapproval with using emergency funds to pay SNAP benefits. She said that Mr. Trump wanted those “funds preserved,” even though the administration had attested to a judge that it would exhaust that money during the shutdown.
    Before the president posted his threat on social media, local leaders and nonprofits had filed anew in federal court in the hopes of securing a clearer order from Judge McConnell, one that would force the Trump administration to pay benefits rapidly and in full.
    “Time is of the essence when it comes to hunger,” they wrote in their filing, prepared by lawyers from groups including Democracy Forward.
    They said that the court “did not contemplate that millions would be deprived of basic nutritional assistance for weeks” while the government readied its partial benefits. They asked the judge to force the Trump administration to “release the unlawfully withheld funding, in its entirety, for November SNAP benefits.”

  • Newswire : Democrats win all November 2025 elections from coast to coast; voters repudiate Trump


    New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.; New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani; Abigail Spanberger, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Virginia. (AFP; Bloomberg; Getty Images)

     

    By NBC News and others

    Democratic wins in Tuesday’s elections gave the party a sorely needed burst of momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
    The party came in favored in races for Virginia and New Jersey governor, New York City mayor and a California ballot measure to green-light a Democratic gerrymander of the state’s congressional map.
    But the huge margins in those governor’s races and other contests left many Democrats feeling a new emotion — excitement — for the first time in some time. The results affirmed the candidates’ decisions to run economic-centered campaigns, highlighted Republicans’ trouble replicating President Donald Trump’s coalition and included other signs of repudiation and warning for Trump.
    Even as they caution there are limits to how much these Democratic victories in several blue-leaning areas can translate into 2026 midterm elections on far more competitive turf, some Republicans are sounding the alarm.
    “It was a bloodbath. It’s a disastrous night for Republicans in the state, and I think nationally folks should probably heed some warnings as well,” said Mike DuHaime, a longtime New Jersey GOP strategist and former Republican National Committee political director. “It shows there’s some discontent certainly with the current administration and it shows that candidates and campaigns matter as well”
    Three Democratic Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges were affirmed to continue serving, after ten years on the court. Pennsylvania law allows a vote on judges after ten years of service. These judges who ruled against Trump in several 2020 election cases will continue to serve on the bench in a swing state that Trump narrowly carried in 2024.
    Zohron Mandani, a Muslim immigrant and self-described ‘Democratic Socialist was elected Mayor of New York by over 50% in a three-way race against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent and Anton Sliwa, the Republican candidate. Trump on election eve endorsed Cuomo and asked Republicans in New York City to vote for him. Mondani brought out thousands of young and discouraged working class voters to the polls with his message and proposed program of economic affordability.
    In California, thousands of people were lined up at polling places when the polls were scheduled to close at 8:00 PM to vote for proposition 50, to allow the California Legislature to re-district Congressional seats in response to Trump’s efforts to create five more Republican favored seats in Texas. Voters in California waiting in line said they were voting for “freedom”, “democracy” and “to turn back Trump” as their reason for supporting Proposition 50.
    Political observers said that Tuesday’s election was the beginning of the 2026 mid-term elections for Congress.

  • Greene County Commission holds special meeting to allocate funds for a waterpark, repairs to Eutaw Activity Center, Greene County Health System and employees

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher and Editor

    The Greene County Commission held a special called meeting on Saturday November 1, 2025, to obligate unrestricted funds at its disposal to various projects and commitments.
    The Commission allocated an unspecified amount of funding toward repairs to the front doors, floors and windows of the Eutaw Activity Center, which is owned by the county. The County Administrator was authorized to design specifications and solicit bids for this work, which was estimated to cost more than $100,000. The funds will come from funding provided to the County Commission from the Greene County Racing Commission, from simulcasting of dog and horse racing and historic horse racing gaming at the Palace Entertainment Center.
    The Commission earmarked $600,000 of funding in its Bingo Fund Account for development of a waterpark. The waterpark will be a leisure and recreation center for residents of Greene County. The park will consist of a splashpad, primarily for children, water slides and a swimming pool. It will be built in phases starting with the splashpad. Commission Allen Turner said, “ We have been studying what other counties and municipalities have done in building and improving their public parks for recreation. We want to build a waterpark in phases with our discretionary funds and grants we can raise from state, federal and private funding.”
    Turner indicated that the Commission was in the early stages of design of the waterpark but had not designated a specific location for the project yet. He pointed out that the County owned land on Highway 43 and was exploring other locations like the Rober H. Young Community Center, formerly Carver School, in cooperation with the City of Eutaw as a potential site.
    The Commission also approved additional support for the Greene County Health System (GCHS), which includes the Hospital, Nursing Home and Physicians Clinic, to ensure these vital facilities would be open and available to serve the residents of Greene County. The Commission authorized an additional $150,000 in advances to the GCHS of the 4 mil advalorem property tax, with an understanding that these funds would be repaid as the county collects these taxes for the healthcare system. In a prior meeting the Commission authorized $100,000 advance to GCHS, which has been already paid to and used by the healthcare system. The Commission also previously provided and paid $40,000 in opioid funds as a grant to the GCHS.
    At Saturday’s meeting the Commission also agreed to grant the GCHS an additional $100,000 in Bingo or other discretionary gaming funds for payment of outstanding debts. This grant was conditioned on the GCHS presenting a list of priority expenses to the Commission. The Commission previously granted $100,000 to GCHS, with half to be used for an audit and other half for necessary expenses. This means that the GCHS has $150,000 to draw against for critical expenses; $50,000 for an audit; and $150,000 for advances from the 4-mil tax, primarily for payroll expenses, on an as needed basis. These advances will be repaid as people pay their 2025 property taxes.
    The Commission also approved a net salary supplement to employees, with $1,100 for full time employees, $500 for part time employees and $300 for temporary employees. The total cost for these supplements will be $85,000.
    The Commission accepted the resignation of Sandra Walker (District 1) from the Greenthumb Development Board and appointed Lucy Spann as the District 1 representative.
    This was Commissioner Corey Cockrell’s last meeting. He resigned on the morning of November 3rd, when he was inaugurated as the new Mayor of Eutaw. The Commission is expecting Governor Ivey to name the replacement for Commissioner for District 3 in the near future.

  • New Eutaw Mayor Corey Cockrell and City Council inaugurated

    New Mayor Corey Cockrell take Oath of Office and Eutaw Council members sworn in

    On Monday, November 3, 2025, at 10:00 AM new City of Eutaw Mayor, Corey Cockrell and City Council members: Valerie Watkins (District 1), Jonathan O. Woodruff Jr.(District 2)., Tracey Hunter (District 3), Lorenzo French (District 4) and Carrie Logan (District 5) were sworn in to their positions. The ceremony was held on the lawn of the old Greene County Courthouse at the Thomas E. Gilmore Historic Square. More than 200 officials, city and county residents were present for the historic inaugural ceremonies.
    The program began with a welcome from Council member Tracey Hunter, a scripture reading by Councilman Woodruff, an invocation by Rev. Joe Webb, Pastor of New Generation Church, the Pledge of Allegiance by Carrie Logan and the National Anthem by the Greene County High School Band
    The oath of office was administered by District Judge Lillie Osborne to Council members Watkins, Woodruff and Hunter. City Judge Joshua Swords administered the oath to Council members French and Logan. Osborne administered the oath to new Mayor Corey Cockrell.
    Mayor Corey Cockrell gave a short address as new mayor setting his vision for progress and unity in the City of Eutaw. He said, “This victory is not just mine. It’s ours. It’s a victory for every neighborhood, every resident, every business owner loves this city and wants to see it thrive.”
    He continued saying, “ I pledge to you : I will work tirelessly. I will listen. I will lead with transparency, with integrity, with courage, and a heart for service. I will build partnerships – with our community, business, faith groups, neighboring cities, because no one person can do this alone.” We have provided a copy of his full remarks, below,  review and hold him accountable.
    Honored quests were recognized. County Commission Chair Garria Spencer made some congratulatory remarks as did Sheriff Joe Benison, who pledged his support to the new mayor. Lauren Smith gave a musical selection. Master of Ceremony, Joe Lee Powell closed out the program a reception in the City Hall and the scheduled Organizational Meeting of the City Council for 3:00 PM also in the City Hall council chamber.

    Inaugural Address by Corey Cockrell, Mayor, City of Eutaw
    November 3, 2025

    Good Morning, Thank You.
    First, I want to thank God who is the head of my life. Nothing is too big for God. Let me say how deeply humbled and honored I am to stand before you this morning as your newly elected mayor of Eutaw. I am grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me and our city council, also the mandate you’ve given us to move this city forward. Together we’ve shown what can happen when a community comes together with hope, determination, and a vision for a brighter future.
     To everyone who voted, who knocked on doors, who made phone calls, who volunteered their time, who believe in our vision and the possibility of change this is your victory too. Your commitment and your voice matter.
    I want to extend my deepest gratitude to my family, friends, campaign team and supporters- you  made this possible. I couldn’t have done it without you. You inspired and encouraged me every step of the way.
    To my opponents: thank you for running a vigorous campaign. I respect your service, and I look forward to working with you/ acknowledging your perspective as we strive to unite in service for our city.
    This victory is not just mine. It’s ours. It’s a victory for every neighborhood, every resident, every business owner who loves this city and wants to see it thrive. But, as we celebrate this moment, let us remember that this is just the beginning. Our journey forward begins now. The city is not defined by the buildings or streets; It’s defined by the people. And the people of this city are the ones who will continue to drive us forward, to build on the strengths, and to  create the community we all deserve. I know we face challenges, some expected and unexpected , but I have unwavering faith in us as  a whole. Together we will tackle these challenges with compassion, understanding, creativity and promptness.
    We are entering a new chapter in Eutaw – one where we build together, inclusively and boldly. A city where everyone has opportunity. A city where our children can grow up safe, confident, and excited about the future. A city where the promise of this place is fulfilled  in every corner.
    This morning, I pledge to you:  I will work tirelessly. I will listen. I will lead with transparency, with integrity and courage, and with a heart for service. I will build partnerships – with  our community, business, faith groups, neighboring cities because no one person can do this alone.
    Our challenges are real; whether it’s affordable housing, public safety, infrastructure, jobs, or our environment, but I believe our potential is greater. We can and we will make progress.
     Let’s get to work. Let’s roll up our sleeves. Let’s be brave, bold and compassionate. Let‘s show what this city can be.
    Thank you again to every resident of Eutaw, for placing your faith in this new administration.  Let’s move forward together.  Our best days are ahead. 
    The time  has come to  put our boots on the ground.

  • Newswire : Halloween Parade canceled in Chicago because ICE is still deploying tear gas and ‘running wild’

     Immigrants protest ICE in Chicago

    By Zack Linly, NewsOne

    Today’s report on the ongoing situation in Chicago — where Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents keep running wild  like rabid dogs off their leashes,’ and residents keep responding by, well, not having it at all — seems to be getting worse as clashes intensify between agents, protesters and, often, people who were just trying to get to work or school.
    As we’ve noted previously, while the Trump administration has claimed repeatedly that its immigration crackdown is about ridding America of the worst kinds of “criminal illegal aliens,” we’re not seeing evidence that hardened criminals represent the bulk of who is being accosted by agents, arrested, and disappeared to who knows where.
    Instead, immigration officers seem to be going after any and everyone who they think looks wrong, and subsequently arresting workers and people raising families, who may or may not have all their paperwork in order, and they seem to be dumbfounded by the lack of support they’re getting from the community, including the protesters they seem to be attacking first and vilifying as agitators later.
    For example, according to the Chicago Sun-Times,  a Halloween costume parade for children that was supposed to take place on a usually quiet residential block has been canceled because just hours before it was scheduled to begin, tear gas had been deployed by agents moved to detain Luis Villegas, a construction worker who agents chased down the 3700 block of North Kildare Avenue and tackled on a lawn. It was reportedly the first of two incidents in the same area where agents deployed tear gas, purportedly to defend themselves against enraged bystanders who took issue with ICE agents behaving more like criminals than the “criminal illegal aliens” they claim to be arresting.
    Of course, the Department of Homeland Security is claiming agents were “boxed in by agitators,” a claim the department has made about previous incidents, only for witnesses and video footage to contradict the narrative.
    “These weren’t activists, these weren’t paid protesters, these were literally my neighbors coming out of their homes at 10 o’clock in the morning because they saw lawless agents acting in violent ways,” Kolp said, claiming the people officers deployed tear gas on were mostly neighbors who had stepped out of their homes to film and shout at agents. “There are only so many ways we can hold these folks accountable. If the courts can’t do it, Congress can’t do it, then it’s up to the community to do it.”
    Erin Sarris, a resident who has lived in the neighborhood for eight years, said she was on her way to the Halloween parade with her two 8-year-old daughters and 6-year-old son when she saw the cloud of tear gas from down the street.
    “It’s impossible to explain the concept of this to school-age kids like that and make them feel OK about it, because it’s not OK,” Sarris said. “It shatters their worldview of what’s right, fair, and appropriate in witnessing this.”
    Again, this was only the first incident involving ICE agents seemingly ignoring a federal judge’s previous order limiting their use of tear gas near schools and residential areas. 
    These clashes between citizens and border cops are not limited to Chicago, of course. In large cities across the country, video footage of federal agents swarming citizens and non-citizens alike as angry onlookers heckle them and, sometimes, get themselves personally involved is being shared across social media on a daily basis

  • Newswire : ASU lands largest ever donation from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott

    Alabama State University and  MacKenzie Scott

    By Josh Moon, Alabama Political Reporter

     

    It’s been a good few days for Alabama State University. 
    After trouncing in-state rival Alabama A&M in the Magic City Classic on Saturday, ASU president Quinton Ross announced in a letter to alumni on Monday that the school was the recipient of a $38 million donation from Mackenzie Scott. 

    Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has gifted billions of dollars in recent years to various organizations and universities, and she has been particularly generous to historically Black colleges and universities. The $38 million donation to ASU is the school’s single largest donation, according to Ross’s letter. 

    “Today marks a defining moment in the history of Alabama State University,” Ross wrote in his letter. “I am filled with immense gratitude and proud to announce that Alabama State University has received the largest single donation in its 158-year history.

    Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated an extraordinary $38 million gift to our great University. Ms. Scott’s generosity affirms Alabama State University’s reputation as a catalyst for excellence and innovation in higher education. This is truly a pivotal moment in ASU’s history.”

    Scott has given to a number of organizations and universities in Alabama and around the country. Last year, as part of more than $640 million in donations through her Yield Foundation, Scott donated to the First Light Foundation in Birmingham and the Alabama ACLU. She also previously donated $20 million to Tuskegee University. 

    Last week, Scott gave Morgan State University, another HBCU, $63 million, and earlier gave Maryland-Eastern Shore a donation of $38 million. 

     

  • Newswire : Over 750,000 Alabamians will lose critical food assistance

    The Department of Human Resources said Monday it would suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on November 1.
    By: Anna Barnett, Alabama Reflector

    
More than 750,000 Alabamians, almost half of them children, will lose critical food assistance on Saturday, November 1, 2025
    The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) said Monday that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be suspended on Saturday. The suspension of the 100% federally-funded program comes on the 26th day of the government shutdown. Alabama DHR was notified of the suspension on Friday evening. 
    “We know SNAP benefits are vitally important to the more than 750,000 Alabamians who depend on the more than $140 million in support each month. Alabama DHR, along with many others, hopes Congress will come to a quick resolution on the federal government shutdown,” Commissioner Nancy Buckner said.
    The 750,000 Alabamians affected represent nearly 15% of the state population. Of that number, 330,000 (44%) are children, according to DHR.
    DHR said in its Monday statement that Alabamians can still apply for SNAP, even though DHR will not be able to administer any benefits. Buckner also said the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) told her on Friday that it plans to reimburse state administrative costs for November. 
    U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, joined other House Democrats on Friday in urging Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to release SNAP contingency funds that Congress made available for situations like this, according to a release. Sewell said nearly a quarter of households in her district, which covers the western side of the Black Belt and parts of Birmingham, rely on SNAP.
    “For so many, SNAP means the difference between a hot meal and going to bed hungry. The fact that President Trump and congressional Republicans would rather take food away from hungry families than work with Democrats to end this shutdown is shameful but not surprising,” Sewell said in a statement. “These are the same people responsible for making the largest cut to SNAP in American history less than four months ago.”
    Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Alabama officials were aware that federal funding for SNAP would reduce in fiscal year 2027, increasing the state’s share. According to estimates in August, the federal cuts to the program would increase DHR’s budget request by $35 million in FY27 and $208 million in FY28 when the state is responsible for 10% of SNAP benefits. 
    The federal government shutdown is a dispute over health care. Republicans in Congress lack the votes to overcome a budget filibuster. Democrats say they want a bipartisan agreement to extend looming cuts in subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. Republicans said they won’t negotiate that until a stopgap spending bill is passed. 
    Gina Maiola, Gov. Kay Ivey’s communications director said in a statement Monday that Ivey hopes Senate Democrats will “get on board” to reopen the federal government.
    Laura Lester, CEO of Feeding Alabama, a food bank network, said in an interview Monday afternoon that she is very concerned about how families will access food. For every meal that Feeding Alabama provides, SNAP provides nine.
    “So as a result, anytime there’s even a small reduction in SNAP, we see a significant increase in the demand on our food banks,” Lester said. “We’re deeply concerned about what this is going to look like.”
    Typically, Lester said Feeding Alabama serves both SNAP recipients and non-SNAP recipients. A SNAP recipient gets $6 per day per month to buy groceries. Lester said that money usually lasts about three weeks, then SNAP recipients go to food banks.
    “Folks work as hard as they can to help that money stretch, but it’s become, obviously, harder and harder with the increased grocery prices,” Lester said.
    Last year, she said, Feeding Alabama and its partners distributed over 90 million pounds of food. Lester said that Feeding Alabama needs a lot of support from the community in donations and manpower to sort and pack meals.

     

  • Newswire : The clash: Museum Advocates vs The Smithsonian Board of Regents

    Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D. C.

    By April Ryan, NNPA White House Correspondent

    Today is an all-day board meeting for the Smithsonian Regents. Advocates and lawyers are advocating for this quarterly meeting to save over a million artifacts and specimens, particularly at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
    A group forming a broad-based coalition called America’s History SOS is presenting over 70,000 signatures to members of Congress who serve on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to save artifacts at what is affectionately called the Blacksonian (NMAAHC), which opened in September 2016.
    America’s History SOS says We Demand:
    – That the NMAAHC and the Smithsonian remain free from political interference.
    – That Congress and the Smithsonian Board of Regents act to protect the Museum’s independence.
    – That President Trump immediately rescind Executive Order 14253. Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History – The White House

    – That all efforts to censor or sanitize African American history be met with unified, unflinching resistance.
    Questions circulate as to why there has been no legislation this year to preserve the history at the museum. A person familiar with the Congressional Black Caucus emphasized “that the caucus is ready, willing, and able to help.” However, the CBC has received “cautionary direction from the Museum hierarchy about how to support.” Even before the government shutdown, a general sense of fear had already been prevalent among Smithsonian Museum workers. A source, who wishes to remain anonymous at the Smithsonian, has warned that emails are now being monitored. The question is, why and by whom?
    However, in March of this year, Congresswoman Nikema Williams led the Call for Protection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Also, a letter in May, led by Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley, announced the Democrats’ probe into Trump’s Executive Order on Museums, asking the Smithsonian Inspector General to investigate the EO’s implementation. The CBC source also states that this year, Black federal lawmakers have “not had any official conversation with the Secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie Bunch.”

    As far as today’s meeting, the regents include Chief Justice John Roberts. The Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents will preside over a meeting. Vice President J.D. Vance is also an ex officio member of the Board of Regents. The meeting is typically public, unless the Regents enter into an executive session, in which case the meeting will then go into a secret session.
    Concerns have arisen regarding the anticipated intense scrutiny of Secretary Bunch’s job performance since Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2025. The Trump administration’s request for the itemization of all the specimens and artifacts has been one of several sticking points. The president’s Executive Order specified a specific time period for compliance.

  • Gala celebrates Hank’s 83rd Birthday

    Hank Sanders reaches 2000 Sketches, all printed in the Greene County Democrat

    Senator Hank Sanders at celebration of his 2000 Sketches; John and Carol Zippert acknowledged for publishing all 2000 Sketches in the weekly Greene County Democrat. Family and community celebrating Senator Sanders reaching 2000 Sketches consecutive weeks since 1987

    A special gala was held for Senator Hank Sanders marking the dual celebrations of his Sketches #2000 and his 83rd Birthday (Oct. 28). The event was held Saturday, October 25, 2025 in Selma in the Hank Sanders Technology Building on the campus of Wallace Community College.
    The first Sketches, a column which was originally named Senate Sketches, was produced April 23, 1987 when Hank Sanders was in his first term in the Alabama State Senate. Sanders produced Sketches 2000 consecutive weeks since that date and all Sketches have been printed in the Greene County Democrat newspaper. Even as Hank Sanders traveled the world during those 38 years, he wrote his Sketches column and got it to the Democrat in a timely manner.
    Although Sketches is frequently published or carried in other media outlets, only the Greene County Democrat newspaper can boast of printing all 2000 issues.
    Hank Sanders Sketches is storytelling at its best. It captures life in the Black Belt, in Alabama, in this nation and the world. His Sketches lifts family and community in struggle and in joy; it lifts youth striving for self esteem and their place in community; it lifts the politics of healthcare, sufficient food, quality education, voting rights and an endangered democracy. As Hanks writes about his journey, he is sharing the stories of many. We can always find ourselves and our situations in his Sketches.
    The 2000 Sketches and Birthday celebration, organized by Hank’s wife Attorney Faya Rose Toure, lent itself to myriad forms of appreciation for Senator Sanders and his unwavering persistence and dedication to his mission. Dr. Carol P. Zippert, who gave remarks on the occasion, stated that Hank often says he is a vessel through which blessings flow. “Hank is a vessel filled with god’s blessings – a vessel that in turn fills our vessels,” she said. Hank’s grandchildren noted, as did others, that each Sketches has a theme that is carries throughout then column. The young folk presented a powerpoint focusing on some of Sketches’ themes and asked their Granddaddy, “What inspired that particular theme.” Hank’s responsive wisdom embraced use all.
    The gala featured music, excerpts from a play Attorney Toure is writing and good food.
    Youth leaders were recognized; gifts were distributed. This was a joyful occasion.

  • Greene County Commission provides $240,000 in assistance to the Greene County Health System

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher and Editor

    In a special meeting on October 23, 2025, the Greene County Commission approved a loan/grant combination of $240,000 in financial assistance to the Greene County Health System (GCHS), which includes the hospital, nursing home and physician’s clinic.
    The healthcare system has been challenged by many financial problems over the past decade. The monthly revenues have not been sufficient to cover all expenses of the GCHS, for the past three years. “We have had to juggle bills for a while to keep operating and we have come to the end of the line. An IRS lien at the beginning of September took all our reserves and some funds we were holding to pay other bills. Last week, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, which provides health insurance for our employees cancelled our policy saying we owed $60,000 for two months – September and October,” said Dr. Marcia Pugh, GCHS Administrator.
    The income of the GCHS has been also affected by low reimbursement rates from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance. The failure of the State of Alabama to expand Medicaid to persons making less that 135% of poverty level income, has resulted in 40% of the people in Greene County, most who are working at low wages, not to have any health insurance coverage. This has meant that the facilities of GCHS giving increasing “uncompensated care”, which adds to the facilities operating deficits. The uncertainty of the impact of future cuts in Medicaid, Medicare and other health care benefits casts a shadow over the future financial progress of the organization.
    John Zippert, Board Chair of the GCHS requested that Garria Spencer, Chair of the Greene County Commission consider advancing to the healthcare system $100,000 from the 4 mil advalorem, property tax funds , that the county collects for the hospital. Taxpayers are starting to pay their 2025 property taxes as of October 1, 2025, and will pay over the next four months. Spencer checked with the County’s Legal Counsel and called the special meeting for the Commission to discuss and act on the request.
    The Commission approved the $100,000 advance to be used to pay Blue Cross-Blue Shield to reinstate the employee health insurance and to pay other bills, including payroll. The Commission also approved transferring $40,000 of Opioid Lawsuit Settlement funds to the GCHS. At the suggestion of Commissioner Tennyson Smith, the Commission also approved granting $100,000 to GCHS from the Commission’s Bingo Funds. That resolution was amended by Commissioner Roshanda Summerville for $50,000 to be used for an audit and the remaining $50,000 to pay other bills, when the GCHS presents a list of bills owed. Commissioner Allen Turner urged the GCHS Board of Directors to seek funding from the sheriff, municipalities, and other groups receiving funds from gaming.
    John Zippert, GCHS Board Chair thanked the Commission for its support and said that the healthcare system might have to come back for additional help depending on the finances of the organization. Zippert explained that GCHS has a short-range financial plan and a longer-range plan that it was working to implement.
    The GCHS currently has a loan/bond financing arrangement with Citizens Trust Bank to pay off bills and debts that accumulated over a dozen years ago. This bond issue matures in 2027 but should have accumulated reserves to pay off the bonds early. The healthcare system looks to make a new loan/bond issue, with the support of the County Commission, to pay off over $2million of current debts. The bonds are backed by a one cent of the 3 cents sales tax that the County Commission receives each month. The County Commission pays the sales tax funds to the bank to service the secure bridge loans to keep operating until supplied the assurance necessary to the bank and the bondholders that they will be paid.
    Along with a new bond issue, the GCHS Board is looking to find other sources of new revenue for the health system. This includes a new Alabama Rural Hospital Investment Fund (RHIF), which can make grants for operational costs to qualified rural hospitals. The grant will be contingent on hospitals raising money from individuals and corporations willing to pay into the RHIF, in lieu of paying state income taxes. Another source will be the five-year, $50 billion fund for rural hospitals, in Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’. Federal regulations are still being developed for the dispersal of these funds. The GCHS also proposes to increase usage of the facilities which will increase revenues. Currently there are 38 residents in the Greene County Nursing Home, and they have 72 beds which potentially could be filled.
    The GCHS plans call for securing the new bond issue by the end of this calendar year. In the meantime, the short-range plan calls for bridge loans to help the facility remain open and operating to serve county residents. The plan also includes asking creditors for patience until the longer-range plan goes into effect to receive the funds they are owed.
    The GCHS Board of Directors, which is appointed by the County Commission, has vowed to keep the hospital, nursing home and clinic open and operating, no matter what it takes.