The Greene County Democrat

Category: Newswire

  • John and Carol Zippert inducted into the National Cooperative Hall of Fame

    Zipperts hold plaque and statute awarded by Co-op HOF. L. to R. Myra Bryant, Mississippi Co-op Development Center; John and Carol Zippert; Cornelius Blading, Executive Director of the Federation; Carrie Fulghum and Shirley Blakley, Federation Board members and Attorney Monica Rainge, Federation’s Land Retention Director.

     

    At a ceremony last Wednesday night, May 3, 2017, John and Carol Zippert were inducted into the National Cooperative Hall of Fame for a lifetime of service to the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the cooperative movement overall. This is the highest honor that a cooperative development leader in this country can attain.

    John and Carol who met and married in Louisiana in the mid 1960’s while working on civil rights and cooperative development were honored for 50 years of work with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. They moved to the Federation’s Rural Training and Research Center, near Epes in Sumter County in 1971. They moved from Epes to Greene County in 1976. They have been the co-publishers of the Greene County Democrat, weekly newspaper since 1985.
    The Co-op Hall of Fame induction took place at the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. and was in part a fundraiser for the work of the Cooperative Development Foundation, a non-profit foundation affiliated with the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA).
    The Zipperts were inducted as a couple along with Rita L. Haynes, CEO emeritus of Faith Community United Credit Union, John D. Johnson, retired president and CEO of CHS Inc.; Richard Larochelle, retired senior vice president of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation. In conjunction with the induction ceremony, a public forum on cooperative development and leadership was held that afternoon.
    “Induction into the Cooperative Hall of Fame is reserved for those who have made genuinely heroic contributions to the cooperative community. The 2017 inductees join a host of extraordinary Hall of Fame members who have contributed significantly to the advancement of the cooperative movement,” said Gasper Kovach, Jr., board chair of the Cooperative Development Foundation, which administers the Hall of Fame.
    Each of the recipients received a glass blown statute of the two pine trees that symbolize the cooperative movement. The inductee’s organization received a copy of the brass plaque that will hang in the official Co-op HOF in Washington D. C., to hang in the organization’s offices.
    At the afternoon panel, the inductees were given the opportunity to discuss and reflect on their lifetime of work in organizing, supporting and managing cooperatives and credit unions. John spoke of his work in developing some of the cooperatives in Louisiana, which formed the Federation with other co-ops around the South that were supported by the civil rights movement. John spoke to his work for five decades in building the Federation, its member cooperatives and the Rural Training and Research Center at Epes.
    John invited the 300 leaders from cooperatives across the nation to attend the Federation’s 50th Annual Meeting celebration, August 17 – 19, 2017 in Birmingham and Epes. (More information on the Federation’s 50 th anniversary is available at http://www.federation.coop).
    Carol spoke about her work with cooperatives starting in the early 1960’s as a high school and college student. After moving to Epes as a couple in 1971, Carol served as a lifelong volunteer with the Federation and other cooperatives and civic organizations. She helped to organize the FOGCE Federal Credit Union in 1975 to serve the people of Greene County. She has served on the credit union’s board of directors since its establishment and currently serves as Board Chair. She has helped build FOGCE-FCU as a community financial institution with assets that have grown from $25,000 to $1.4 million over the past 42 years.
    Carol also serves as an elected member of the Greene County School Board and has worked with the Society of Folk Arts and Culture for more than four decades putting on the Black Belt Folk Arts Festival, each year on the fourth Saturday and Sunday in August to celebrate Greene County musicians, artists, artisans and food specialists.
    “Receiving this honor caused both of us to reflect on our lives of service and support for the community. It was an impressive ceremony to honor us and our work with and in the communities of Greene County, west Alabama and the nation,” said Carol.
    For more information on the Cooperative Hall of Fame contact the Cooperative Development Foundation at 1775 Eye Street in Washington, D. C. 20006; and at http://www.cdf.coop and http://www.heroes.coop.

  • Trump Administration plans to ‘repeal and replace’ Affordable Care Act raises concern in Alabama

    By: Mynecia Steele, Special to the Democrat

    After two unsuccessful tries, the Trump Administration was able last week to convince the U. S. House of Representatives to narrowly pass, by a 217 to 213 vote, a measure to ‘repeal and replace’ the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called Obamacare.
    Trump and members of the House Republican leadership celebrated victory last week in the White House Rose Garden. Trump called the legislation “a great healthcare plan that will give all Americans access to health care at lower premiums and better care.” But many questions and concerns remain before this legislation passes the U. S. Senate and reaches the President’s desk for final signature.
    “The Trump administration may make changes in the ACA, but will not totally repeal it while President Trump is in office,” said Elmore Patterson, CEO of the Greene County Health System, which operates the hospital, nursing home and a physician’s clinic in Greene County.
    “Eliminating the Affordable Care Act will leave even more Americans without healthcare,” said Patterson. He sees the attempts to repeal the ACA as a “waste of time.” There does not seem to be a thought-out replacement for the ACA. The repeal will only increase the number of uninsured citizens, and that is not what the country needs,” said Patterson. A study by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said as many as 24 million people will loose health care under the Trump proposal.
    “The thing is, they would have to find a way to keep the good things about the Affordable Care Act, and get rid of the bad,” said Patterson.
    Former Governor Robert Bentley never allowed the expansion of Medicaid in Alabama. So, Alabamians never reaped the full benefits of the Affordable Care Act, said Patterson. Many low income working people, who made more than the base minimum of around $5,000 annually to qualify for Medicaid and less than the $15,000 annually to qualify for subsidies on the ACA state exchange, were left out of care. The Supreme Court gave states the discretionary power to expand or not expand Medicaid for people up to 138% of the state poverty level ($11,000 for an individual in Alabama). Alabama did not expand Medicaid and over 300,000 people, some of the poorest and the sickest in the state, were left without insurance coverage.

    Alabama healthcare will be further limited with President Trump’s plan, said Dr. Dedra Reed of the Franklin Primary Health Center, in Mobile, Alabama. “I don’t think Trump should repeal Obamacare, because millions of people would lose coverage. Medicaid won’t be expanded, and many rural hospitals will be forced close down because they will not have people who can pay for needed healthcare.”
    In 2015, AP reported that eight rural Alabama hospitals were closed within the last 15 years. Many others are staying open with subsidies and support from sales taxes and other local non-healthcare generated support.
    When former President Obama’s administration originally proposed the Affordable Care Act, and even after it was approved the public reacted in both negative and positive ways.
    “Current health care with Obamacare has given many people healthcare coverage without being penalized for preexisting conditions,” said Dr. Dedra Reed of the Franklin Primary Health Center, in Mobile, Alabama. “I think it can be improved by lowering premiums and making it more affordable for everyone.”
    Proposals for a new health plan have received similar reactions.  “I make so little money, I can’t qualify for subsidies in health care plans–at least as far as I’m currently aware,” said Lyra Galle, a senior Professional and Public Writing, and English major at Troy University. “The health care plan my mom has through work doesn’t allow family members on the plan, so that puts me in a sticky situation.” Obamacare does allow insurance companies to cover students and young adults, up to age 26, to be covered on their parent’s health care plans.
    “Ultimately, before Obamacare, with Obamacare, or the Republican health care plan that recently passed wouldn’t have benefited me. I think it’s a bad idea to repeal Obamacare, and I think it’s a move purely to spite Democrats.” People are uncertain that President Trump will successfully pass a new healthcare plan while in office. And, some don’t want him to. Galle is one of those uncertain people. “I didn’t think Trump would win the election, but he did. At this point, I don’t know what to expect,” Galle said.

  • 82 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls are reunited with their families, after trade for 5 Boko Haram fighters

    By PADDY DINHAM FOR MAILONLINE

     boko82

    Kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls Abducted by Boko Haram

    82 schoolgirls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram have been released after more than three years in captivity.
    They are the largest group yet to be released after years of tense negotiations between the government and the terrorist group, a Nigerian government spokesman said. Later government statements indicated that the girls were released in exchange for the government release of five Boko Haram fighters.
    The girls were among about 220 students abducted from a secondary school in the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014, sparking a global campaign #bringbackourgirls supported by then-U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, and a host of other celebrities.
    · Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said he was told of the release by the Bring Back Our Girls pressure group and an official in Maiduguri. He added: ‘This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released.’
    ·
    Bring Back Our Girls said it was awaiting an official statement but added: ‘Our hopes and expectations are high as we look forward to this news being true and confirmed.’
    Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 girls. Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.
    Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam. The kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanized support across the globe.
    21 Chibok girls were released in October in a deal brokered by Switzerland and the International Red Cross, while a handful of others have escaped or been rescued. However, a large number of the girls are still missing.
    Last month President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that the government was ‘in constant touch through negotiations, through local intelligence to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted persons unharmed’.
    The girls were taken from a school in Chibok in the remote northeastern Borno state where Boko Haram has waged an insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic state that has killed thousands and displaced more than 2 million people.

  • CBC lists 100 Trump actions in 100 Days – to the detriment of Black Progress

     

    By Hazel Trice Edney

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – The Congressional Black Caucus has released a list of 100 actions taken by President Donald Trump during his first 100 days that the CBC says have been detrimental to the country – especially the Black community.
    “People of all ages and races, including many young people of color, are standing up and speaking out about this Administration’s actions and how they will hurt our communities and the country,” says CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond in a statement. “President Trump says he wants to make America great again but in our view the programs and policies he’s implementing will do the opposite. We hope this list will help those who are engaged and those who aren’t stay woke because our democracy is at stake.”
    “The list, titled ‘What Did Trump Do?: The First-100-Days, #StayWoke List,’ is a special edition of CBC’s ‘What Did Trump Do?’ rapid response documents and includes actions across issues areas such as education, healthcare, and justice,” says a statement. “The list is part of the CBC’s effort to listen, involve, and mobilize young leaders during the 115th Congress, an effort that began a few weeks ago with the launch of CBC’s tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, #CBCOnTheYard.”
    The phrase #StayWoke or “stay awake” is often used by African-Americans in the social media arena to “remind themselves and those around them to stay focused on what’s really being said and done to their community. As a result of the election of President Trump, the phrase has taken on new meaning; people of all ages and races are using it to remind themselves and those around them to stay focused on the programs and policies being implemented by this Administration.”
    The following are among the items on the list:

    “After meeting with 70 HBCU presidents and the White House stating that he wanted to give HBCUs “the proper respect,” President Trump has proposed in his budget to give these institutions the same amount of money they received last year even though their operational costs are increasing. President Trump has also proposed to cut programs that support students served by HBCUs including federal work study, Pell, and campus-based aid.”
    “President Trump has said many hurtful things about President Obama, including accusing the first Black president of a felony. On March 4, President Trump tweeted that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election. President Trump has provided no evidence that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower even though he could easily provide it. In addition, on March 20, FBI Director James Comey told the House Intelligence Committee during a public hearing that the agency has ‘no information’ about the alleged wiretaps.”
    “After several sexual assault allegations and related legal settlements came to light about former veteran Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly, President Trump defended the journalist. “I think he’s a person I know well — he is a good person,” said President Trump on April 5 during an interview with the New York Times in the Oval Office. “I think he shouldn’t have settled; personally I think he shouldn’t have settled. Because you should have taken it all the way. I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.” Days later Fox News canceled O’Reilly’s show and announced that he would not be returning to the network.”
    “President Trump’s proposed budget would eliminate the Minority Business Development Agency, “which funds a nationwide network of business centers to help minority-owned business stay competitive and create jobs.”
    “During a White House press conference on April 11, Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested that the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, is guilty of war crimes that are worse than those committed by Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler during the Holocaust. Spicer said that Hitler did not use chemical weapons like al-Assad even though gas chambers were regularly used to kill Jews and others at concentration camps during the Holocaust.”
    “President Trump appointed Candice E. Jackson as acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education. Ms. Jackson once said affirmative action ‘promotes racial discrimination,’ and claimed she was discriminated against for being white.”
    “On February 27, after meeting with more than 70 HBCU presidents, Secretary DeVos called Historically Black Colleges and Universities “pioneers” for school choice even though these institutions were founded because white colleges and university refused to admit Black students.”
    “President Trump’s proposed budget for the Department of Education hurts low-income students from pre-k through college by undermining public education through the elimination of after school and teacher support programs and diverting federal funds to private school vouchers, eliminating supports for college students, gutting federal-work study, and slashing critical funding for Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Pell Grants. All of these cuts would have severe consequences for our nation’s African-American students.”
    “President Trump’s proposed budget would cut Environmental Protection Agency grant programs that help states monitor public water systems, even though Flint, Michigan. is still dealing with a water crisis.”
    “President Trump’s proposed budget would eliminate programs that help limit children’s exposure to lead paint. According to the CDC, African-American children are three times more likely to have elevated blood-lead levels.”
    “The FBI is investigating whether President Trump and his campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.”
    “One of President Trump’s first actions was to appoint White House Adviser Steve Bannon to the National Security Council (NSC). Many politicians and pundits, including the CBC, called for Bannon to be removed not only from the NSC but from the White House entirely because of his white nationalist views. Bannon is the former chairman of the white nationalist news organization Breitbart News.”
    “President Trump has said little on the threat of domestic terrorism even though religious institutions and people of color have been targeted here at home in the wake of the 2016 election. For example, in Wellsville, N.Y., someone painted “Make America White Again” on a dugout wall, a statement based on President Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again”. Source In addition, Jewish community centers and cemeteries have received threats or been vandalized. In short, the threat of domestic terrorism is real but it is not prioritized by this Administration”
    “President Trump has proposed to eliminate funding for the African Development Foundation, which funds grassroots development projects in 30 African countries.”
    “More than 20 million people are facing famine in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Yemen and President Trump’s budget proposal would make the situation worse by cutting funding for humanitarian food aid and United Nations peacekeeping.”
    “On January 25, the White House announced that it would launch a major investigation into voter fraud event though it is essentially a non-issue. The White House decided to launch the investigation in response to President Trump’s false claims that 3 to 5 million illegal voters cost him the popular vote.”
    “On February 27, the Department of Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General Sessions, withdrew its longstanding claim that Texas enacted its 2011 voter ID law with the intent to discriminate. A few months later a federal judge ruled that the law was enacted with the intent to discriminate against Black and Latino voters.”

    The full list of actions can be found here: https://cbc.house.gov/uploadedfiles/stay_woke_list.pdf.
    According to a CBC release the following committee and congressional offices led by CBC members contributed to the CBC list: House Committee on the Judiciary (Office of Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr.), House Committee on Financial Services (Office of Ranking Member Maxine Waters), House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Office of Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson), House Committee on Education and the Workforce (Office of Ranking Member Bobby Scott), House Committee on Homeland Security (Office of Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson), House Committee on Oversight (Ranking Member Elijah Cummings), and Office of Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).

  • Alabama Is 2017’s ‘Worst State for Working Moms’, according to WalletHub Study

    By: Diana Pope
    With Mother’s Day around the corner and more than 70 percent of moms with young children working today, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2017’s Best & Worst States for Working Moms.

    In order to help ease the burden on “Women Who Work,” particularly moms, WalletHub’s analysts compared the attractiveness of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to a working mother based on 13 key metrics. The data set ranges from median women’s salary to female unemployment rate to day-care quality.

    Life as a Working Mom in Alabama (1=Best; 25=Avg.)

    47th – Day-Care Quality
    28th – Pediatricians per Capita
    48th – Gender Pay Gap (Women’s Earnings as % of Men’s)
    48th – Ratio of Female Executives to Male Executives
    33rd – Median Women’s Salary (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
    43rd – Female Unemployment Rate
    40th – Parental-Leave Policy Score
    30th – Avg. Length of Woman’s Workday (in Hours)
    48th – % of Single-Mom Families in Poverty

    For the full report, please visit:
    https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-working-moms/3565/

  • Barack Obama urges Congress to find courage to defend his healthcare reforms

    Former president avoids mentioning Donald Trump as he implores Republicans to ‘speak the truth’ even against their own party

    By Sarah Betancourt, The Guardian
    08OBAMA-master768.jpg

     Former President Obama receives ‘Profiles in Courage Award’ from Caroline Kennedy

    For the first time since leaving office, Barack Obama addressed his landmark healthcare legislation in a speech, reminding supporters of the courage and integrity of junior congressmen that it took to pass the bill.
    Speaking at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on Sunday night, where he was given the Profiles of Courage award, he said: “Because of that vote, 20 million people got healthcare who didn’t have it before.
    “And most of [the congressmen who voted for it] did lose their seats. But they were true to what President Kennedy defined in his book – desire to maintain the integrity that is stronger than the desire to maintain office – the faith that the right course will be vindicated. Personal sacrifice.”
    “It is my fervent hope and the hope of millions … such courage is still possible, that today’s members of Congress regardless of party are willing to look at the facts and speak the truth, even when it contradicts party positions.”
    Obama spoke of what is at stake for the millions of Americans who stand to lose coverage if a repeal passes, without naming Donald Trump specifically.
    And he implored members of Congress to demonstrate political courage even if it goes against their party’s positions.
    The former president focused much of his address on the legacy of Kennedy, as the library prepared to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth later this month. Obama noted the Kennedys had long advocated for healthcare reform, and in particular the late Senator Edward Kennedy, who died of brain cancer before the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
    Obama’s comments come a few days after the House squeaked through a partial repeal and replacement of Obamacare with a 217-213 vote, a long-promised goal of Republicans who have decried the bill since its passing.
    The former president was awarded the award by JFK’s daughter Caroline Kennedy, a former ambassador to Japan, and her son Jack Schlossberg.
    Schlossberg, 24, introduced Obama to the crowd of 700 people in a rare public speech. He said: “My life changed in 2008 because a young candidate was fired up and ready to go, and he told me, ‘Yes we can.’ Without Barack Obama, I might still be sitting on my couch, eating Doritos and watching baseball games.” He cited Obama’s policy choices on healthcare reform, nuclear disarmament and gun control as the reasons for why he deserves the award.
    The John F Kennedy Library Foundation, a nonprofit organization, created the Profile in Courage award in 1989 to honor President Kennedy’s commitment to public service. The award is named for Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer prize-winning book Profiles in Courage, which recounts the stories of US senators he believed risked their careers by taking principled stands for unpopular positions. This year’s event marks the 100th anniversary of Kennedy’s birth, on 29 May 1917.
    Previous recipients include former presidents Gerald Ford and George HW Bush, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and US Senator John McCain.

  • Black Belt Community Foundation Has Awarded $80,000 in Arts Grants to 27 Organizations Across 12 Black Belt Counties

    BBCF
    Twenty-seven nonprofit organizations from across the Black Belt region of Alabama were celebrated and received a helping hand this Saturday, April 29, 2017 in Selma, Alabama at the Black Belt Community Foundation’s (BBCF) 12th Black Belt Arts Initiative (BBAI) Grants Ceremony. The awards ceremony was heldat at the Selma-Dallas County Library, Selma, Alabama. In total, $80,000 was awarded to variety of area museums, community theatres, festivals, and youth organizations offering concentrated arts programs.
    Included below is a detailed list across of all grant awardees across the 12 counties.
    BBCF President Felecia Lucky stated:
    “Through these individual projects, it is anticipated that nearly 22,000 Black Belt residents will be inspired, affected, or touched in some way – whether by taking a local art class, by viewing a musical or theatrical performance, or by visiting a local folk arts festival. Seeing these folks come together, representing all 12 counties and celebrating their impactful, hard work while we honor them and help them to continue to be able to do it, is very inspiring on so many levels!”
    BBCF was established in 2004 to support community efforts in the Black Belt that contribute to the strength, innovation, and success of all the region’s people and communities. A partnership formed in 2006 with BBCF, the Youth & Cultural Committee of the Black Belt Action Commission, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA), which established the Black Belt Arts Initiative. The goals of this project are to work in partnership with local community based organizations to forge collaborations with local schools to advance arts education, to document and promote the region’s artistic assets, to assist arts organizations in becoming more efficient and effective and to Provide opportunities for citizens of the Black Belt region to be exposed to and participate in the arts
    Since 2006, $1,320,671 has been awarded through BBAI Arts Grants to support various arts activities across BBCF’s twelve-county service area. In total, BBCF has invested over $3.7 million from BBAI Arts, Community and other grants into regional nonprofits, based in and serving Alabama’s Black Belt.
    For more information on the Black Belt Arts Initiative, please visit http://www.blackbeltfound.org, or contact BBCF at (334) 874-1126 or HYPERLINK “mailto:info@blackbeltfound.org” info@blackbeltfound.org. All Media inquiries can be directed to DK Harris at 256.592.9153 or HYPERLINK “mailto:dharris887@aol.com” dharris887@aol.com.
    The Black Belt Arts Initiative has been made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment on the Arts.
    Bullock- Bullock County Black Belt Community Associates Festival- $3,000 – To support the Bullock County Black Belt Festival which brings performing and visual arts to the citizens of Bullock County
    Bullock County Social Justice Foundation – $3,000 – To support the expansion of Chilly’s Ice Cool Band by adding more instruments and equipment to accommodate the students who are on the waiting list for the band

    Choctaw – Choctaw County Public Library – $1,500 – To expand the arts education programming to include music and add more visual arts programming to the summer arts programs
    Dallas- ArtsRevive CDC – $2,950 – To support the fifth annual Tale Tellin’ in the Schools 2017 by placing storytellers in schools in Selma and Dallas County from October 23-27, 2017
    Black Belt African American Genealogical and Historical Society – $2,696 – To create a video presentation of the Pauline Dinkins Anderson Historical Photography Collection for Black History Month 2018.
    Orrville Volunteer Fire Department– $1,200 – To support the children’s art making activities and to help with stipends for demonstrating artists at the 15th West Dallas Antique Tractor, Car, Gas Engine and Craft Show

    Greene – Bottoms Up Diaper Bank – $1,655 – To support introducing art and literature through the use of picture books to help parents better engage with their children
    Greene County Children’s Policy Council – $3,000 – To support the “This is Myne” summer art camp which will provide four art classes in the visual arts to the mentoring programs of the Children’s Policy Council
    Imagine Me – $1,500 – To support the program “Imagine Me & You with Paint and Glue” which is a year-long project in the visual arts for the youth of Greene County sponsored by the Foster and Adoptive Parents Association.
    Society of Folk Arts and Culture – $3,000 – To support the artists who will be performing at the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival 2017

    Hale – Sawyerville Day Camp – $1,500 – To cover the cost of John Scalici’s drumming workshops, art instructors and art supplies for the Sawyerville Day Camp in Greensboro, Alabama

    Lowndes – Okra Festival – $3,000 – To support the annual Okra Festival that incorporates the arts, crafts, music and food, focusing on the vegetable okra

    Macon – George Washington Carver Commemorative Festival – $1,500 – To support stipends for the performing artists at the GW Carver Commemorative Festival 2017
    Too Good For Drugs – $3,000 – To support the To Good for Drugs Photo-Journalism program which teaches photography skills, creative writing and news coverage skills

    Marengo – Friends of Gaineswood – $1,500 -To support the traditional arts and crafts demonstrators at Heritage Day 2018
    The Sport and Art Society – $1,500 – To support the visual arts section of the S & A Community Initiative. The initiative will serve underprivileged individuals by providing and merging sports and visual arts opportunities

    Perry – Marion Perry County Library Association – $3,000 – To provide and promote educational training and enrichment and the perpetuation of traditional arts and crafts and performing arts during the Marion Perry County Public Library’s Camp Doodle

    Pickens County – Creative Minds Performing Arts – $3,000 – To support a year-long performing arts/theatre program for the students of Pickens County

    Sumter County– Coleman Center for the Arts – $3,000 – To support a one-week, all day interdisciplinary arts program for 25 kids between the ages of 8-18.
    Sumter County Fine Arts Council – $2,000 – To subsidize the cost of bringing a chamber ensemble of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra for six daytime educational concerts and one evening chamber event to the residents of Sumter and the surrounding counties.
    Voices of Triumph – $3,000 – To support a five-day intergenerational visual arts camp that will create awareness and expose the participants of all ages to the many different visual arts mediums and styles

    Wilcox County – BAMA Kids – $3,000 – To support the arts and cultural activities during the BAMA Kids summer enrichment program
    Camden Community Youth Development Center – $3,000 – To support a six-week summer art camp consisting of music, drama and visual arts for at-risk youth
    Lily Baptist Community Center and Youth Development- $1,500 – To support a six-week summer arts program for Pre-K through 12th grade in the performing arts and the visual arts for the youth of Red Creek Community
    National Council of Negro Women – Wilcox Section – $3,000 -To support an African and Caribbean film festival that will showcase innovative African films by upcoming African filmmakers. This will be a partnership with AframSouth, Inc. to expand the Tuscaloosa African Film Festival to Wilcox County

    Arts Education Grants-
    Tuskegee Repertory Theatre – Macon County – $10,000 – To fund rehearsal and production two theatre pieces during the summer 2017 and the winter 2018 time period for audiences young and old.
    Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area – Sumter County- $10,000 – To fund the Children’s Patchwork History Project in Sumter County schools. The project integrates Black Belt cultural history and arts with math, science, and storytelling.
    The Black Belt Community Foundation’s mission is to forge a collective stream of giving that transforms a 12-county region and connecting those interested in having an impact in our area with the nonprofits that are making a difference today. Founded in 2005 with the idea that those living and working in the Black Belt best knew the area’s challenges and opportunities, the Black Belt Community Foundation actively puts needed resources into the region to make a lasting impact.

  • Charges dismissed against former Mayor Hattie Edwards Eutaw City Council debates National Guard Armory rental policies and local legislation to change appointments to Housing Authority

    Hattie EdwardsFormer Mayor Hattie Edwards (center in purple skirt) surrounded by supporters at the end of hearing dismissing charges against her. L to R are supporters: Debbie Duncan, Spiver Gordon, Wade McFarland, Sheila H. Smith and Lorenzo French.

     

    At a special session of the Eutaw City Court, Judge William “Nick” Underwood dismissed all charges against former Mayor Hattie Edwards of Eutaw. Edwards was charged with “interfering in the activities of the police” during the last municipal election. Edwards asserted that she was just doing her job as Mayor and supervisor of all city employees including the police.
    Attorney Nathan Watkins Jr. of Livingston, who was serving as City Prosecutor, moved to dismiss the charges against Edwards. This was based on an agreement with Hank Sanders, attorney for Edwards, that the charges were not valid. City Judge Underwood then dismissed the charges against Edwards and also the charges that she had made against police officers for harassing her.

    “ I am pleased that this is over and I was completely relieved of any charges for just doing my job as Mayor.” Said Edwards.

    City Council report

    At their regular meeting on April 25, 2017, the Eutaw City Council reviewed and agreed upon amended policies for use of the National Guard Armory and City Park for organizations and fundraising activities. There will be a $250 fee for use of the National Guard Armory for all organizations that are not non-profit, and do not have a valid IRS 501 c.3 tax exempt designation.
    There will be a $125 fee for organizations with the proper designation and paperwork certifying that they are IRS 501 c.3. The IRS 501 c.3 letter must be attached to the organization’s rental agreement application to receive the reduced rental rate. No non-profit organization is allowed to use another organization’s IRS 501 c.3 designation letter to hold an event at reduced charge. Families using the facility for a funeral repast will not be charged a fee.
    All functions must have bonded security or off duty police officers. The City Chief of Police will verify the legality of the security being provided. Teen dances will be allowed to go until 12:30 AM on Friday and Saturday nights, however, they must follow the same security procedures as other organizations.
    Roebuck Landing personal were present at the meeting requesting use of the City Park on May 13, 2017 for a crawfish boil. City Councilperson LaTasha Johnson requested a $1,000 fee for use of the park, which was reduced to $500 by vote of the City Council. Tickets to the event will be sold at $20.
    Council Joe Lee Powell said, “We are setting these policies so we can generate income to maintain and repair city properties, like the Armory, for comfortable use by our citizens for many years to come.”
    The City Council approved publication of a ‘Bill to be Entitled to increase the number of Commissioners on the Eutaw Housing Authority and provide for their terms of office and vacancies.” This proposed local legislation is currently running in the Legal Notices section of the Greene County Democrat for the four weeks required. This bill will be presented to our legislators for passage in the current session of the Alabama Legislature.
    The proposal, introduced by Councilwoman Latasha Johnson would increase the number of Commissioners on the Eutaw Housing Authority from five to seven. Five members would be appointed, one by each Council member, and two at-large members appointed by the Mayor. Currently the Mayor appoints all five Commissioners, subject to approval by the City Council.
    Mayor Raymond Steele opposed this proposal saying it would challenge and restrict his legal power to appoint members of the Eutaw Housing Authority. The Council at the meeting on April 11, 2017 supported the proposal 4 to 2. Mayor Steele refused to sign the certificate of publication of this local bill in the newspapers. The City Council authorized Mayor Pro Tem, Sheila H. Smith, to sign the certification to allow the newspapers to publish the proposal.
    This action comes in the midst of a dispute between the Mayor and the City Council about appointments in the Eutaw Housing Authority and an effort to merge the City and Greene County Housing Authorities.

  • Lawmakers to fight U. S. foreign aid cuts to Somalia

    Somali child
       Impoverished Somali child
    Apr. 24, 2017 (GIN) – Plans to slash foreign aid to Somalia now at the brink of famine would hurt humanitarian relief efforts and programs to curb terrorism, say local lawmakers from Minnesota.

    Speaking in Minneapolis at a forum on the drought situation in the Horn of Africa, U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota) decried the administration’s proposed 31-percent cut in foreign aid. “Terrorist groups like al-Shabab have demonstrated a history of capitalizing on this type of crisis and we can’t allow that to be the case today,” he said.

    Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) said the U.S. needs to help drought and famine victims in their own country, before they are forced to flee. “We have so many people here from Somalia that have relatives and friends, and when you don’t help people in their own country it kind ends up on your shores anyway,” she said.

    A recent review by General Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command, acknowledged a rise in piracy off the Somali coast partially fueled by drought and famine. At least half a dozen attacks have occurred in the last month, he said.

    US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also expressed concerns about the resurgence of Somali piracy during his recent visit to the American military base in Djibouti. Last month, an oil tanker was hijacked by suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, the first such hijacking in the region in five years.

    At the same time, some 40 U.S. troops are being readied for travel to Somalia to play a support role training the Somali National Army to create efficient logistics networks to supply their troops. “This is part of a routine deployment that has been really in the works for quite some time,” Gen. Waldhauser said.

    Somalia and its international partners are working to train a 28,000-person national army after more than two decades of civil war and turmoil. The insurgent group al-Shabab still controls an estimated 10 percent of the country and conducts regular attacks against military and civilian targets. Somalia relies largely on the 22,000-person African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for its security.

    About three million Somalis face food insecurity and a national disaster was declared last month.

  • Fox News hit with class action lawsuit charging racial discrimination

    By: CBS News and Associated Press

    Attorney Douglas Wigdor addresses the media with Fox News host Kelly Wright regarding a race discrimination class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of former and current Fox News employees, in New York
    Attorney Douglas Wigdor addresses the media with Fox News host Kelly Wright (L) regarding a race discrimination class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of former and current Fox News employees, in New York, on April 26, 2017.
    An expanded lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Fox News Channel of racial discrimination “that appears more akin to Plantation-style management than a modern-day work environment.”
    The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, adds eight former and current Fox employees to a case involving three former Fox workers and their accusations against a since-fired Fox financial executive. It also expands the case to include Dianne Brandi, Fox’s chief counsel.
    Speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning, Kelly Wright, an on-air Fox News personality and a plaintiff in the case, said he was joining the lawsuit because of “indefensible and inexcusable” alleged discrimination across departments at the network. “We have a culture of systemic and institutional racial bias,” Wright said. “I can no longer sit in silence.”
    Wright is the only on-air black anchor at the network, according to his attorney Douglas Wigdor. Wigdor said he expects additional plaintiffs to join the lawsuit.
    Fox News said it vehemently denies the allegations, calling them “copycat complaints.” It said Brandi denies the claims against her. “The allegations — and we must remember they’re allegations — show a systemic, pervasive problem in Fox News culture, ”CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman said on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday, adding the class-action lawsuit “has incredible potential to really hurt Fox News’ bottom line.”
    The original lawsuit was filed in late March by two black women, who worked in the network’s payroll department, and a third colleague later joined it. The expanded lawsuit, incorporating the other employees, seeks unspecified compensatory damages and an elimination of unlawful employment practices at Fox.
    The workers allege that their complaints about the actions of Judith Slater, the fired former comptroller, went unanswered for years. They say Brandi told them it was because Slater “knew too much” about former Fox Chairman Roger Ailes and top-rated host Bill O’Reilly, who have been ousted over the past year because of sexual-harassment accusations.
    A lawyer for Slater, Catherine Foti, said the actions against Slater are meritless and frivolous. She said “all claims of racial discrimination against Ms. Slater are completely false.”
    Wright said he’d been effectively sidelined and asked to perform the role of a Jim Crow, an insulting slang term to refer to a black man, according to the lawsuit. Wright said O’Reilly, who’s white, refused to show a piece Wright had prepared after racial protests in Ferguson, Missouri, because they showed blacks in too positive a light.
    A former employee, Musfiq Rahman, a dark-skinned Bangladeshi, said he was punished after mistakenly walking into Ailes’ office by no longer being allowed on Ailes’ floor without an escort.
    Mark LeGrier, a former financial employee who’s black, said he was subjected to retaliation when he complained to Brandi about Slater’s behavior.
    “When it comes to racial discrimination, 21st Century Fox has been operating as if it should be called 18th Century Fox,” said Wigdor, the attorney for Wright.
    Meanwhile, Nielsen company ratings showed that Tucker Carlson moved into O’Reilly’s old time slot at Fox News on Monday night and took over his status as the most-watched host in cable news — at least for a night.
    O’Reilly, who hosted “The O’Reilly Factor,” was fired by Fox last week following news about Fox settling sexual-harassment cases involving him for millions of dollars. He has denied the allegations.
    Nielsen said Carlson’s first night at 8 p.m. attracted 3.17 million viewers, beating the combined audience of MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, who reached 1.52 million viewers, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who reached 1 million.