Greene County Democrat

Category: Health

  • Newswire : Biden has appointed more Black federal judges than any other president

    President Biden with Associate Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

    By Char Adams, NBC News

    President Joe Biden has appointed more federal judges of color than any president before him, and overtaking Donald Trump’s record for overall federal judge appointments in the process.

    On Friday the Senate confirmed Biden’s judicial nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California Benjamin Cheeks. With Cheeks’ confirmation, Biden has appointed 63 Black federal judges, the most of a presidency of any length, according to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. 

    Earlier this month, the Senate confirmed Tiffany Johnson, Biden’s judicial nominee for the Northern District of Georgia, making her the 40th Black woman he has appointed to lifetime federal judgeships — more than any president in a single term. Overall, about 60% of Biden’s 235 appointees are people of color, according to figures the White House shared with NBC News. The Senate confirmed Cheeks and Serena Raquel Murillo last week. 

    Trump appointed 234 federal judges during his first term. White House communications director Ben LaBolt said in an emailed statement that Biden is “proud to have strengthened the judiciary by making it more representative of the country as a whole and that legacy will have an impact for decades to come.”

    “Even before taking office, President Biden signaled to the Senate that he wanted to make sure that people who had been historically excluded from our judiciary” are included, said Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program and an adviser at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. 

    “The research shows that when you have more judges that have different perspectives because they’ve worked on different types of issues or they come from different communities, it improves the decision-making and it certainly improves the trust that communities might have in these institutions. So making sure we have fair-minded judges at all levels is really important.”

    Barack Obama appointed 26 Black women lifetime judges during his two terms, and Trump appointed two Black women judges to the federal bench in his first term.  Jimmy Carter appointed 37 Black lifetime judges in his one term. Both Obama and Bill Clinton each appointed 62 Black judges over the course of their two terms. Biden has beaten their record by one, according to the Leadership Conference. These numbers include multiracial judges and account for those appointed to multiple courts under the same president. 

    Senate Democrats vowed to confirm as many Biden nominees as possible before Trump takes office in January and Republicans take control of the Senate. They’ve confirmed dozens since Election Day, but these circuit nominees are in limbo amid some opposition from Democrats as well as GOP senators.

    In November, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a post on X that, “This Senate will keep working to confirm more of President Biden’s excellent judicial nominees.” 

    In an interview, Marge Baker, executive vice president at People For the American Way, a national progressive organization focused on combating far-right extremism, said it was crucial that the remaining nominees be confirmed. 

    “As pleased as we are with the quality and quantity of nominees that have been confirmed so far, these circuit court nominees are also really, really important,” Baker said. The four circuit judges in limbo are Adeel Abdullah Mangi of New Jersey, nominated for the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals; Julia M. Lipez of Maine, 1st Circuit; Karla M. Campbell of Tennessee, 6th Circuit; and Ryan Young Park of North Carolina, 4th Circuit.

    “These courts make decisions that affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people,” Baker added. “They decide questions about voting rights, about consumer rights, about workers’ rights, about antitrust laws, about climate change, about abortion. There’s just a whole range of issues where these courts of appeals are often the final deciders on.”

    Biden has long made it his goal while in office to reshape the overwhelmingly white and male federal judiciary by appointing judges from various professional and demographic backgrounds. He’s managed to do that, confirming record numbers of former public defenders, civil rights lawyers or lawyers representing workers. More than half his appointees have been women, according to the White House, and his appointments include several LGBTQ judges and judges from several racial and ethnic minority groups.

    Biden made history by appointing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Dozens of his appointments account for various “firsts.”
    “Biden has been a leader in terms of appointing Black judges,” said Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based think tank. “The great thing about this is that these appointments will have long-term impacts, at least in terms of representation. This is showing the public that the inclusion of Black judges should be natural, regular.”

    Now, experts say the stakes are high as these appointments can affect court decisions during Trump’s second term. Elliot Mincberg, a Supreme Court expert and counsel for the People For the American Way, said Biden-appointed judges have “had an enormous impact on improving justice for Americans all across the country.”

    Zwarensteyn called it “a tremendous and often not-discussed part” of Biden’s legacy.
    “He’s really taken it to what I would say is the next level in terms of administrations who have done this.”

  • Newswire : There’s ‘no basis’ for Letitia James to drop multi-million dollar Civil Fraud Judgment against Trump, NY AG’s Office says

    NY AG Letitia James

    BY Bruce C.T. Wright, NewsOne

    Donald Trump was dealt a sobering dose of reality recently when the New York Attorney General’s office said there was “no basis” to drop a mammoth civil fraud judgment against the president-elect.

    The firm rejection of Trump’s repeated requests to drop the nearly half-billion-dollar judgment came as he has been trying to assert his immunity in other legal cases against him, seemingly emerging victorious in those instances.

    But not when it comes to New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose civil fraud suit against Trump led to a jury in February finding that he exaggerated the worth of his business and assets to secure loans and other financial benefits without revealing that he’s not as wealthy as he claims. The punitive damages owed by Trump were initially $464 million, but that figure has since inflated to $497 million because of the interest accrued while he tries to legally maneuver out of paying it.

    And, according to the letter from New York Deputy Solicitor General Judith N. Vale responding to a letter from D. John Sauer, an attorney nominated by Trump to be solicitor general, the president-elect is still very much on the hook to pay the bill.
    “Your letter presents no basis for this Office to seek to vacate the final judgment or to
    dismiss this action,” Vale wrote in no uncertain terms to Sauer in the latter dated Monday.

    Vale explained the reason for keeping the judgment as-is was twofold.
    Citing legal precedent, Vale shot down claims that the judgment would adversely affect Trump’s presidency, saying they had “no merit” and noting that the “ordinary burdens of civil litigation do not impede the President’s official duties in a way that violates the U.S. Constitution.”

    In addition, Vale reminded Sauer that “the overwhelming evidence supports [New York] Supreme Court’s conclusion that Mr. Trump and the other defendants engaged in repeated and persistent fraud and illegality” – a non-negotiable fact that prompted “awarding disgorgement and other equitable relief.” Trump’s lawyers previously said that the purported billionaire couldn’t afford to pay the judgment.

    Vale’s defiant response contrasts with the actions of federal special counsel Jack Smith, who was prosecuting Trump in a 2020 election interference case before moving last month to dismiss all the charges. Those dropped charges came after the U.S. Supreme Court decided in July to grant immunity for crimes that a president may commit.

    Now’s a good time to be reminded that Trump has relentlessly taunted James, and he even  doxxed her while he was under a gag order. He repeatedly called her and other Black prosecutors who brought cases against him “racist” without bothering to give a single example of their racism — which would have been rich anyway coming from a man who provides endless examples of his own racism.

    Given those above facts, Sauer still brazenly appealed to James to drop the judgment under the purported guise that it would help Trump – a man who the U.S. Department of Justice claimed“ pursued unlawful means of discounting legitimate votes and subverting election results” – end “our Nation’s partisan strife” and be “for the greater good of the country.”
    This is America.

     

     

  • Newswire : Alabama can’t replace food stamps lost to theft, scams after congressional authorization expires

    By Howard Koplowitz, AL.com

    Congressional authorization that allowed Alabama to replace SNAP benefits lost to theft or fraud expired on Saturday, meaning the state can no longer process affidavits involving theft unless congress acts.

    Under federal legislation, states have been allowed to use federal money to replace residents’ EBT funds lost to card skimming, card cloning and other fraud since Dec. 21, 2022, but the legislation set Dec. 20, 2024 as the end date of the provision.

    “Therefore, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) cannot process affidavits with thefts occurring on or after Saturday, December 21. Alabama DHR will continue to process affidavits of theft for incidents that occurred on or prior to December 20, 2024 from households impacted by EBT card skimming, cloning, and similar fraud,” the agency said Monday.

    Scammers have stolen nearly $5 million in recent months from Alabama families who receive food stamps, according to DHR. In November alone, DHR received nearly 14,000 requests from families seeking reimbursement for funds stolen by scammers.

    Reports of theft prior to Dec. 21 have to be submitted to county DHR offices within 30 dates of a resident having discovered the fraud.

    Locations and contact information for all 67 county DHR offices are available at dhr.alabama.gov/county-office-contact. The site also has more information on how to report fraud, ways to prevent benefit theft, and other tips.

    All reports of skimming, cloning, or similar fraud will require confirmation verifying that all information reported in the request is true and correct, the agency noted. EBT cardholders may be contacted about their claim, and those who purposefully give false information may be prosecuted, according to DHR.

  • Greene County Children’s Policy Council Holds Annual Christmas Community Reading

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    On Sunday, December 15, 2024, The Greene County Children’s Policy Council held its annual Community Christmas Reading program. The program was held at the Robert Young Community Center. Over one hundred individuals attended the event and was inspired by community individuals reading their favorite Christmas book or poem. Mrs. Mildred Morgan, Ziya Strode, Dr. Carol Zippert and Mrs. Julia Spree read their favorite Christmas book or poems at the event. The SPOT and YLI (Youth Leadership Institute) students read the symbols of Christmas and Luke 2: 1-20.

    A delicious Sunday dinner was served to all in attendance. The children were excited for the entrance of Santa Claus. The children had the opportunity to take a picture with Santa and each child attending the event was given a Christmas book and a toy.

    After the event, the SPOT and YLI students donated the poinsettias used to decorate the tables at the event to the residents at the Greene County Nursing Home.

    The Christmas Community Reading is a part of the Policy Council‘s “Read Greene Read Campaign.” The next community reading will be held in April 2025. We encourage all Greene Countians to continue to “Read Greene Read.”

  • Alabama leads US in executions in 2024:6 men put to death by lethal injection, nitrogen hypoxia

     

     Alabama’s lethal injection chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Ala., is pictured in this Oct. 7, 2002 file photo. 

    By Ivana Hrynkiw, AL.com
    The nation’s death penalty watchdog group released its annual report Thursday, showing Alabama led the country in executions in 2024. It’s the first time Alabama has executed more people than any other state.

    The Death Penalty Information Center, a national nonprofit who provides data and analysis on capital punishment, released its year-end report and showed that while nine states carried out executions in 2024, just four states made up three-fourths of the total 25 executions.

    Those four states included Alabama. The Yellowhammer state executed six people in 2024: Kenneth Smith, Jamie Mills, Keith Gavin, Alan Miller, Derrick Dearman, and Carey Grayson. Smith, Miller, and Grayson were put to death using nitrogen gas. 

    The other three leaders were Missouri (4), Oklahoma (4), and Texas (5). The others were South Carolina two executions with one each in Georgia, Utah, Florida and Indiana.
    Smith was the first inmate to be executed using the new method in the United States. The method was approved by the Alabama Legislature years ago, and inmates had a chance to request to change their method of execution to gas in June 2018 instead of the default method of lethal injection. Smith elected to make that change.

    That execution, which happened on the evening of Jan. 25, set off calls from around the world to discontinue use of nitrogen executions after the 58-year-old writhed and thrashed on the gurney for several minutes.

    In her dissent in the Smith case, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, “Having failed to kill Smith on its first attempt, Alabama has selected him as its ‘guinea pig’ to test a method of execution never attempted before. The world is watching… With deep sadness, but commitment to the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment, I respectfully dissent.”

    But the calls didn’t help. In September, Miller, who killed three men in a string of workplace shootings in 1999, was executed with nitrogen pumped through a gas mask, just like Smith. Miller had no pending appeals at the time of his death and had entered into a confidential settlement with the state weeks prior.

    Miller struggled against his restraints for about two minutes, shaking and trembling. The shaking was similar to what was seen at Smith’s execution but was not as long nor violent.
    Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said after Miller died that those movements weren’t surprising. 

    “There’s going to be involuntary body movements as the body is depleted of oxygen, so that was nothing we did not expect,” Hamm said.

    Officials from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office have argued that Smith’s execution was prolonged because he held his breath, delaying the nitrogen entering his body.

    According to the Death Penalty Information Center’s report, public support for the death penalty remains at 53%, a 50-year low. This year was the 10th consecutive year with fewer than 30 executions, according to the report.

    The report also notes lawmakers and elected prosecutors from both sides of the aisle who publicly supported prisoners with innocence claims, including Richard Glossip in Oklahoma, Marcellus Williams in Missouri, and Robert Roberson in Texas. 

    “In 2024, we saw people with credible evidence of innocence set for execution, followed by extraordinary levels of public frustration and outrage,” said Robin Maher, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center. 

    “Several high-profile cases fueled new concerns about whether the death penalty can be used fairly and accurately. A new poll also predicts a steady decline of support in the future, showing for the first time that a majority of adults aged 18 to 43 now oppose the death penalty.”

    The report shows 26 people were sentenced to death in America this year, including four in Alabama. Three of the four were imposed by non-unanimous juries. Alabama and Florida are the only two states where non-unanimous juries can impose a death sentence: eight out of 12 are needed in Florida, while 10 out of 12 are needed in Alabama.

    Six of those 26 death sentences in 2024 were imposed in Florida. Yet, the courts are not taking up more death-penalty cases. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review 114 of 117, or 97%, of appeals from death-sentenced prisoners in 2024, according to the nonprofit report. 

     

  • James Childs recognized as the Outstanding Male Farmer in the Blackbelt

     

    James Childs , Sr.,

    On Saturday, December 21st, the Blackbelt Small Farmers Ruminate Improvement Association Conference honored James Childs, a renowned farmer from Boligee, Alabama, as the Outstanding Male Farmer in the Blackbelt. At 84 years young, Mr. Childs boasts an impressive 70-year farming career.

    Born and raised in a farming family in Sumter County, Alabama, Mr. Childs relocated to Greene County at 31. For him, farming is not just a profession, but a way of life and a means of survival.

    Reflecting on the industry’s evolution, Mr. Childs noted, “Farming has changed significantly since I started.” Despite these changes, he remains dedicated to traditional practices, earning recognition as one of Alabama’s finest farmers. Many admirers, including myself, affectionately regard him as the “Greatest Of All Time” (GOAT) in farming.

    Mr. Childs’ farm is a family endeavor, with his son James Jr. and grandson Keith actively contributing. James Jr. balances his full-time job with farm work, demonstrating the family’s unwavering commitment.

    What sets Mr. Childs apart is his willingness to share expertise and give back to the community. In September, he hosted a community workshop on farming and gardening, teaching participants to grow their own food and establish community gardens. The event featured a complimentary lunch, showcasing Mr. Childs’ generosity.

    More recently, Mr. Childs opened his farm to a group from Texas who had heard about his remarkable story and wanted to meet him. For Thanksgiving, he welcomed these visitors and also invited the local community to join in the celebration. During the gathering, he took the opportunity to recognize and honor some of the senior citizens from Mt. Hebron and Boligee, demonstrating his appreciation for his community’s elders.

  • Eutaw City Council agrees to declare the R. H. Young Community Center as surplus, as a step toward sale of the property

    Police Officer Tyler Johnson named ‘Officer of the Year” . L to R. are Councilwoman Tracey Hunter, Police Chief Tommy Johnson, Councilwoman Valerie Watkins, Officer Tyler Johnson, Mayor Latasha Johnson, Councilwoman Suzette Powell, and Councilman Jonathan Woodruff.

     

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    In response to financial and budgetary pressures, the Eutaw City Council met on December 10, Dec. 17 and in a working session on December 12, to deal with several issues related to the projected deficit in the current Fiscal Year (2024-25) finances. Mayor Latasha Johnson and the Eutaw City Council differ on the best approaches to the financial problems.

    Councilmembers led by Jonathan Woodruff and Tracey Hunter feel the city must curb expenses, layoff workers and sell properties that are not financially sustainable, to avoid deficits. The Mayor argues that she has faith the city will grow and provide new revenues to sustain the workforce, make necessary improvements and hold on to properties like the R. H. Young Community Center. Mayor Johnson also argues that the mayor oversees “day-to-day operations”, which includes hiring and firing of employees to accomplish the on-going tasks of city administration.

    The Council voted unanimously at its December 17 meeting to declare the Robert H. Young Community Center as surplus property, so it can be sold. The City of Eutaw purchased the school from the Greene County Board of Education for $200,000 in the prior city administration of Raymond Steele. The Council’s intention was to develop the former Carver School as a community center, with spaces rented to community organizations and small businesses. While the school, especially the gymnasium has been used for meetings and funerals, the facility has not generated enough income to pay utility, maintenance and repair costs.

    The Mayor stated the city needs a community center and the Greene County Commission may be interested in buying the facility or working together with the city in its development as a community center for all county residents. Councilman Woodruff says, “There is a lack of trust between the city and county because the county did not honor its commitment to put up $70,000 for the matching funds for the Street Scape
    Project to remodel the sidewalks around the old Courthouse Square in downtown Eutaw.”

    Woodruff continued, “We are willing to sell the property to the County at its current appraised value, but I do not think we can work together with them since we have financial problems and no funds for a community center.” Many community residents feel the best way to proceed would be a joint effort of the city and the county seeking public and private grant funds to develop a comprehensive community center out of the old Carver school.

    The City of Eutaw was able to borrow funds from Merchants and Farmers Bank to cover the shortfalls in matching funds for the Street Scape and West End Avenue repaving projects. The City committed funds from its State of Alabama 4-cent and 7-cent roadway repair funds to repay the loan.

    The Mayor presented a revised fiscal year 2024-25 fiscal budget, where she moved expenses around from some funding to repair the old E-911 building and a fund to purchase or repair police vehicles to be able to retain all current staff. The Council voted not to accept the Mayor’s budget revisions and approved the original budget which requires layoff or not replacing vacancies in the street, water, sewer and administrative departments.

    The Mayor voted against this resolution and said the budget was a plan that could be revised based on needs. She asserted that she oversaw day-to-day operations and as long as her spending was within the budget requirements, she could keep staff needed to operate the city. Councilmembers Woodruff and Hunter said they would continue to monitor and evaluate the budget, expenses and the staffing of city departments. This remains as an area of disagreement between the mayor and the council.

    The Mayor said that the city attorney was working on negotiating an agreement with Alabama Fiber Network to sell them a 50 by 50-foot space to place their “middle mile broadband equipment” to facilitate expansion of fiber Internet access in the city and county. The legal paperwork for this sale will be provided by the attorney, for approval by the council, at a future meeting.

    A payment of budgeted support funding to E-911 was tabled until after the city receives its allocation of property taxes in January. E-911 provides dispatch services for city agencies like the police and ambulance services.

    In other business, the Eutaw City Council:

    • Approved travel for Police Chief Tommy Johnson to attend the AACOP Winter Conference in Montgomery on February 9-13, 2025.
    • Approved $150 membership dues for City Attorney, Zane Willingham, for the Alabama Association of Municipal Attorneys.

    • Tabled repairs to a manhole behind Ms. Suzzette Quinnie’s property until the ownership of the sewer line can be documented between the City and the Greene County Housing Authority.

    • Heard a presentation from Lamar Martin, of the Secure Wellness Group on a Self-Insured Medical Reimbursement Plan for city employees. The Council voted to provide information for a payroll census, without personal information, so he could develop a plan for the City of Eutaw and
    present it at a future meeting.

    Mayor Johnson indicated that City Hall would be closed on December 24 and 25, 2024, December 31, 2024 at 12:00 Noon and January 1, 2025, for the holidays.

  • Newswire : Kerry Washington’s ‘Six Triple Eight’ shows the important role Black women played in WWII

    By Ronda Racha Penrice, NBC News

    The job was considered impossible: Clear 17 million pieces of backlogged mail. In a war zone. 

    Maj. Charity Adams knew it was a mission that could not fail, not just for the sake of morale of World War II troops, but also for the reputation of Black people in the eyes of the country’s top military brass. The real-life efforts of the 855 women of the Women Army Corps’ 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion are captured in Tyler Perry’s latest film, “Six Triple Eight,” streaming now on Netflix. 
    To Kerry Washington, who portrays Adams, the battalion’s ability to resolve an ongoing problem in the face of discrimination while also being underestimated by others around them felt like both a herculean task and an all-too-familiar scenario. 

    “When these women were asked to solve this problem, it was a problem that lots of people had tried to fix, and nobody could,” Washington said in an interview with NBC News. “They came in and, as Black women do, they figured out how to fix a situation that seemed impossible to fix, and by doing so, they returned hope and purpose and belonging and love to the soldiers to help end the war.”

    Mary McLeod Bethune, head of the National Council of Negro Women and a member of what was known as President Franklin Roosevelt’s “Negro Cabinet,” whom Oprah Winfrey plays in the film, advocated for Black women to serve in the war. But while Black women were admitted to the military, they were segregated from white women and given very little to do. Because top military brass deemed Black people generally inferior, many doubted a successful outcome to clearing endless piles of mail.

    “Back then, mail was how you stayed connected to the people you love,” Washington said. “There was no WhatsApp, no texting, no emailing, no FaceTiming. Rarely could you get to a landline phone. People didn’t have cellphones, so mail was it,” she said. “So when soldiers weren’t getting mail, they no longer had hope. They had lost their sense of purpose.”

    The unit’s work had been forgotten by most — even Perry, the director, did not know about the 6888th’s work until producer Nicole Avant contacted him about taking it on. 
    During a Q&A last month after a screening of the film on his home turf, Atlanta, Perry told the crowd, filled with members of the National Association of Black Military Women, how meeting Lena Derriecott Bell King, then 99, a member of the 6888th, showed him that he could apply her life experiences to help tell the remarkable story. Perry was also fortunate to screen an early version of the film for King before she died on Jan.18, nine days shy of her 101st birthday. 

    To play 17-year-old Lena Derriecott, Perry tapped Ebony Obsidian, who stars in his long-running series “Sistas” on BET. The role came as a surprise to Obsidian. When he asked her to read the script, she did not realize it was a true story or that he wanted her in his film. 
    “I hadn’t even thought about me playing Lena when I read the script,” she said with

    “Meeting with Lena was the biggest gift,” Obsidian added. “She obviously was 100 years old when I met her, but at 17, I feel like there are certain elements about her that had to be the same, that had to just be noble.”

    Washington did not get to meet the real Adams, who died in 2002 at age 83, but she still felt guided by her.  “She passed, but she wrote a really beautiful memoir called ‘One Woman’s Army’ that I read a couple times,” Washington said. “I devoured it, and I used to have portions of the memoir hanging up in my dressing room. I surrounded myself with pictures of her and watched archival footage and interviewed people who knew her and worked with her and listened to old interviews. I just really tried to submerge myself in as much of her soul and essence as I could.” 

    Washington said finding the commander’s actual trunk from World War II, containing her clothes and handwritten notes, outside her dressing room after having rehearsed one of Adams’ monologues with Perry felt like an approval. 

    But how Washington speaks in the film has generated the most interest, including from her own kids, who asked, “Whose voice is that?” after she played them the trailer. To achieve that distinctive voice, which sounds like a sharp Southern twang punctuated by precise Midwestern enunciation, perhaps reflecting Adams’ South Carolina upbringing and schooling at Wilberforce University in Ohio, Washington worked hard with both an accent coach and her acting coach. 

    “They didn’t have amplification back then. It wasn’t like she was standing there with a karaoke machine,” she said. “So if I had the kind of responsibility and command and calling that she had, where would that live in my body? How would that impact my posture? How would it impact my voice? How would it impact my resonance and my need to be heard by these women so that they felt seen and heard by me? Those are some of the questions that I asked to help me figure out where that vocal performance came from.”

    Washington and Obsidian said they are grateful to be at the center of a film celebrating Black women’s strength, excellence and sisterhood, which Obsidian said also shows that “you can overcome anything you need to overcome with the right support and the right people by your side.”

    Washington said: “It’s really exciting to be part of, in some ways, corrective history. We are telling a story that has been pushed into the margins about some true heroes, not just American heroes, but heroes of democracy all over the world.”

     

  • Board approves local mentors for Alabama Teacher Mentor Program

    School Board receives report on State Report Card results for 2023

    At the School Board’s regular session, held Monday, December 16, 2024, Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones presented the Greene County Schools 2023 State Report Card results, which indicated overall growth across the system. The District advanced from 68 to 72 to an overall C score. Eutaw Primary advanced in academic growth from 77 to 81, an overall B score; Robert Brown Middle advanced from 50 to 64 , a D score; Greene County High academic growth dropped from 66 to 65, a D score. Jones stated that the particulars of the report card results indicated that all schools made significant increases in proficiency. “ We still have very much to improve,” he said.
    Dr. Jones noted that all grades at RBMS are assessment grades, utilizing the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program; At GCHS the11th grade is the assessment grade, utilizing the ACT testing.
    In his report, Superintendent Jones gave positive news for each school citing scholar recognition, teacher/administrator achievements and school events schedule.
    The Greene County Board of Education approved a listing of mentors with a stipend schedule for the school year 2024-2025. Stipends for the following to serve as mentors will be $600 per semester, according to the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP) guidelines: Montoya Binion – Eutaw Primary School; Vanessa Bryant – Robert Brown Middle School; Annie Howard – Robert Brown Middle School; Nashondra Ruffin-Brown – Robert Brown Middle School; Rodney Wesley – Greene County High School.
    According to the ATMP guidelines, the Alabama Legislature provides the line-item funding for the ATMP annually. The ATMP provides LEAs with the structure to implement high-quality support to all new teachers in all schools, focusing on improving teacher effectiveness and reducing the rate of attrition and teacher turnover. The ATMP provides training and technical assistance to LEAs upon request. Also, the ATMP disseminates surveys to mentors and mentees to gather perception data used to determine program effectiveness. The Alabama State Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP) is in the Office of Teaching and Leading Division of the Alabama State Department of Education.
    During the 2023-2024 school year, the ATMP partnered with Cognia, a non-profit, to make programmatic improvements to the ongoing work of the ATMP. The program updates go into full implementation at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year.
    The board also approved the following personnel items:
    Samon Sanders, Mental Health Coordinator to serve as Mental Health Coordinator and Truancy Officer to be paid as a first-year teacher.
    Adjustments to Additional Services Salary Schedule, effective the beginning of each contract.
    The administrative items recommended by Superintendent Jones and approved by the board are as follows:
    MOA between the Greene County Board of Education and The University of Alabama at Birmingham for Robert Brown Middle and Greene County High School to participate in the Alabama Rural Learning Accelerator Program.
    Contract between Greene County Board and Chante Myles-Rice to provide ACT Prep tutoring Services in Math for 10th graders (Funding Source: CCR Grant.)
    Quote from Allianz Solutions to provide English Only ACT Prep for 11th graders Jan – March 2025 (Funding Source: CCR Grant).
    Quote from Singleton & Associates to provide Strategic Planning Sessions Consulting Services in the amount of $1,500 (Funding Source: CCR Grant).
    Travel for Board member Robert Davis to travel to 2025 COSSBA National Conference in Atlanta, GA on March 20 – 23, 2024.
    Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll.
    Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO.
    Sale of metal pieces from the damaged canopy at RBMS that occurred November 14, 2024.
    Travel for Greene County High School Varsity Boys team and coaches to attend Biloxi High School 8th Annual Lady Indians Holiday Classic in Biloxi, MS on December 27-28, 2024.
    The CSFO, Marquita Lennon presented the following Financial Snapshot as of November 30, 2024. Operating Reserves included the following: 6.11 months combined general fund reserve; 5.58 months cash reserve; all bank accounts have been reconciled. General Fund bank balance totaled $6,125,411.96 – (reconciles to the summary cash report); Accounts Payable Check Register totaled $290,243.71; Payroll Register totaled $940.084.26; Combined Ending Fund Balance totaled $6,707.617.30. Local Revenue Sources: Property Taxes – $256,339.87; Sales Taxes- $120.619.78; Other Taxes – $22,287.39. Total Local Revenue – $399,247.04. CSFO Lennon noted that the monthly stipend from Amendment 743 had not been received.

     

     

     

     

     

  • DHR reports 15,000 cases of food stamp EBT card fraud statewide; Some cases in Greene County

    The Alabama Department of Resources reports over 15,000 cases of fraud with EBT cards, between October 1 and December 20, 2024, held by SNAP (Food Stamp) recipients across the state. Hackers are using cloning, skimming and phishing to illegally get the card numbers and pins of low-income recipients.

    More than 25 cases of this fraud have been reported to Greene County law enforcement officials. One SNAP recipient told the Democrat that she had $300 placed on her card by DHR, earlier this month, but when she went to the grocery store, scammers had taken all but $3 of her needed food stamp benefits.

    In its official statement, Alabama DHR says the fraud “is non-client fraud, unless the client is sharing their card or pin number with anyone. We continue to accept and process households’ replacement requests through each county office and can reimburse funds stolen through December 20, 2024.” DHR does not give any timeframe that the funds will be reimbursed, which leaves many families without resources for food at this holiday time.

    DHR also recommends that recipients who feel their EBT card has been compromised or notice unexplained use of benefits, should immediately:

    Change your EBT card PIN number immediately to prevent further theft.

    Call or visit your local county DHR office to report your benefits stolen.

    Complete and submit a Reimbursement Request Affidavit and supporting documentation.

    Among the documents required is a police report where the card
    holder reports the theft to local law enforcement. The recipient must also supply their card and pin number, as well as a form of identification like a driver’s license.

     

    The Democrat will continue to follow this story in future newspapers. We welcome statements from recipients involved in this situation.