Greene County Democrat

Category: Newswire

  • CBC Chair G. K. Butterfield and Rep. Robin Kelly condemn discriminatory housing practices of Facebook advertising

     

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     Congressman G. K. Butterfield

           WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) condemn Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg for its use of “Ethnic Affinities” advertising that allows users to exclude groups based on race and ethnicity in clear violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

    “We have witnessed exclusion and discriminatory practices among popular social media platforms once before,” said Chairman Butterfield. “Racism and discrimination in any form should never be tolerated. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are outraged and challenge Facebook and all social media platforms to take the issue of discrimination seriously and implement innovative solutions that aim to prevent ill-treatment of its customers and discrimination on its platform.”

    “As a representative of Chicago, the origin city of Hansberry v. Lee which helped strike down restrictive housing covenants, I feel a particular obligation to see to it that discriminatory housing practices are not allowed to endure,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “While I don’t believe that Facebook intentionally sought to promote housing discrimination, I do feel they now have a responsibility to right this wrong. Technology shouldn’t be used to divide communities, and episodes like this are preventable. This conversation isn’t limited to Facebook, and unfortunately there have been a number of recent reports about technology being misused to divide communities. Without a doubt the tech sector can benefit from having a more diverse, robust and inclusive design and vetting process as they continue innovating.”

    Reps. Butterfield, Kelly, Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) addressed their concerns with Facebook in a letter, and has called upon the company to swiftly address and remedy the discriminatory practice in a manner that continues to allow and support innovation, as well as promotes inclusion and diversity among its workforce and throughout the tech sector.

    Since its establishment in 1971, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have joined together to empower America’s neglected citizens and address their legislative concerns. For more than 40 years, the CBC has consistently been the voice for people of color and vulnerable communities in Congress and has been committed to utilizing the full Constitutional power and statutory authority of the United States government to ensure that all U.S. citizens have an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. To learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus, visit http://cbc-butterfield.house.gov.

  • After surprise election upset, Africans assess a changed U. S. landscape

    92318613_afp_kibera_20151680-750x400 South Africans study U. S. election polls and results

        Nov. 25, 2016 (GIN) – Africans were tweeting and messaging about the surprise outcome of U.S. elections last week that left many in the developing world worried for the future.

    Kenyan-American and distinguished professor Makau Mutua was “quarterbacking” as a “day after” couch potato who second guesses why his team lost.

    “Hillary Clinton was defeated by “white-lash”, as opposed to “white backlash”, he wrote, an opinion shared with CNN reporter Van Jones.

    “A large segment of white American males has been angry ever since Barack Obama, a Kenyan-American, was elected the first black President of the United States in 2008,” he wrote                   in the Kenyan news Standard… “Trump’s campaign was founded on a textbook definition of racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and islamophobia.”

    Speaking to the Voice of America, Ghanaian social activist Sara Asafu-Adjaye called it a missed opportunity for a first female U.S. president.

    “Not only is it that she is a woman. She’s a competent woman,” said Asafu-Adjaye. “And that over 48 percent of Americans believe she’s not the better person for the job, scares me.”

    Charles Eboune, an international relations expert in Cameroon, was dismayed that Clinton’s decades of experience in Washington couldn’t carry her to victory. “[The] majority is not always right,” Eboune told VOA.

    While students and youth shared disappointment in the voting outcome, the African ruling elite was jubilant.

    “(Trump’s) received congratulations from many African leaders, including those they call the sit-tight leaders, the overstayers, the dictators, the despots, the tyrants,” commented NPR reporter Ofeibia Quist-Arcton in Senegal.

    “Some of Africa’s leaders, especially those who aren’t popular in their own home countries, are, if not rejoicing and jubilating that they’ve got President Obama and Hillary Clinton off their backs, are certainly saying ‘those who have been hectoring us about human rights, about gay rights, about all sorts of things are no longer going to be in Washington, so phew,’” she said.

    As of this writing, eight African presidents have officially sent congratulations via their official twitter handles, starting with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, followed by Ghana’s John Dramani Mahama, who himself heads to the polls in December this year.

    Zimbabwe’s information officer, Chris Mushowe, said the country was looking forward to Trump’s inauguration to rebuild relations.

    Last but not least, Daily Show host Noah Trevor of South Africa riffed on the parallels between the end of apartheid and the historic election of President Barack Obama.

    “Freedom is actually the beginning of the journey,” he told his audience at the Chicago Humanities Festival this week. “The hard work really begins when you achieve your goal.”

     

  • Gwen Ifill, ‘PBS NewsHour’ Co-Anchor, dies at 61

    Ashley Alman Politics Social Media Editor, The Huffington Post

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    Gwen Ifill

    Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week” and co-anchor of “PBS NewsHour,” has died. She was 61 years old.

    WETA President and CEO Sharon Percy Rockefeller confirmed the news to staff in a Monday email, saying Ifill died of cancer.

    “I am very sad to tell you that our dear friend and beloved colleague Gwen Ifill passed away today in hospice care in Washington,” she wrote. “I spent an hour with her this morning and she was resting comfortably, surrounded by loving family and friends.”

    A veteran journalist, Ifill moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential debates. She was set to receive the 2016 John Chancellor Award from Columbia University for “her unflinching pursuit of the truth, healthy skepticism of those in power and her commitment to fairness.” The award ceremony, scheduled for Nov. 16, was recently postponed.                  X

    Prior to her career at PBS, Ifill worked at The Washington Post, The New York Times and NBC News. She joined PBS in 1999, and in 2013, Ifill and her “PBS NewsHour” co-host Judy Woodruff became the first women to co-host a nightly news program.

    “Gwen was one of America’s leading lights in journalism and a fundamental reason public media is considered a trusted window on the world by audiences across the nation,” PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement.

    Sara Just, “PBS NewsHour” executive producer, praised Ifill as a “journalist’s journalist.”

    “Gwen was a standard bearer for courage, fairness and integrity in an industry going through seismic change. She was a mentor to so many across the industry and her professionalism was respected across the political spectrum,” Just said in a statement.

    NBC News correspondent Pete Williams fought back tears as he reported on the death of his “dear friend, a former NBC colleague.” “Gwen would want me to get this together,” he said. “She had so many rewards and awards in her office you could barely see out the window. … She was one of the most successful women in journalism.”

    Politicians, journalists and celebrities paid tribute to Ifill on Twitter following the news of her death.

     

  • All 14 Amendments approved statewide Hillary Clinton sweeps Greene County 4,006 to Trump’s 838

    Hillary Clinton polled 4,006 votes to 838 for Trump in a heavy turnout in Greene County, although Donald Trump won the electoral vote nationwide, in yesterday’s November 8 General Election.
    Clinton received 82.2% of the vote in Greene County, which included 3,543 straight Democratic votes, to 17.2% for Trump; Gary Johnson received 13, Jill Stein 5 and there were 11 write-ins for President of the United States.
    In the race for U. S. Senate in Greene County, Democrat Ron Crumpton received 3,829 (80.6%) to 918 (19.3%) for incumbent Republican Richard Shelby of Tuscaloosa. Shelby was re-elected statewide in Alabama by a large margin.
    Congresswoman Terri Sewell was running unopposed for re-election. She won easily with 4,200 votes (99%) in Greene County.
    In local races, Carol P. Zippert was running unopposed for District 1 on the Greene County School Board. She received 811 votes with 9 write-ins against her. Kashaya Cockrell was elected to District 2 on the Greene County School Board with 661 votes and 116 write-ins against her. These are the unofficial returns. When all the votes are tabulated and counted on November 15, the specific names of the write-ins will be available.
    Greene County supported 10 of the 14 statewide amendments voted on yesterday. Greene County voters approved all of the amendment but 7,8,9 and 10. Statewide all amendments were approved, 12 by strong majorities and Amendment 9 for Pickens County and Amendment 12 for Baldwin County were approved by 51% of the statewide vote, based on unofficial returns.
    Statewide voters approved adding members to diversify Auburn’s Board of Trustees (Amendment 1), support the budget of Alabama State Parks (Amendment 2), make procedural changes in the Alabama Constitution to give more power to County Commissions (Amendments 3, 4, and 5), place “Right-to-Work” provisions in the Constitution (Amendment 8), insure the legality of local legislation passed over the past thirty years (Amendment 14) and a variety of Amendments that applied to specific counties and localities in the state.

  • Donald Trump projected to be the next president of the United States

     

    Associated Press

     

    Donald Trump is projected to win the electoral votes necessary to become the next president of the United States, according to the Associated Press.

    The billionaire businessman bested Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a stunning upset after entering Election Day as the underdog.

    Clinton conceded to Trump over the phone shortly before his early morning victory speech, less than an hour after campaign chairman John Podesta addressed her supporters the Javits Center in Manhattan saying they were not ready to give up on the race.

    In a notably humble tone, Trump congratulated Clinton for running a tough campaign in his victory speech, saying, “We owe [Clinton] a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.”

    Trump also thanked members of his campaign, giving shoutouts to Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, Jeff Sessions, Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee. Trump called Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, “a very special person who believed me” and “an unbelievable star.”

    Despite repeatedly receiving criticism throughout his campaign for taking what some described as a devisive tone, Trump took a graceful and concilllatory tone in his address to the nation. “While the campaign is over, our work on this movement is really just beginning,” he said to the cheering crowd of supporters.

    Trump pledged to bring the country together following the historically contentious campaign. “I pledge to be a president for all Americans,” said Trump. “Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and renewing the American dream.”

    Trump defied nearly all polls by flipping multiple states President Obama won in both of his presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 including Ohio, Florida and Iowa. He also carried North Carolina, a state Obama won in 2008 but lost to Mitt Romney in 2012.

    Trump jumped out to an early lead, picking up victories in Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and South Carolina. Vermont was the first state to go to Clinton. The GOP nominee quickly pulled further ahead after capturing must-win Republican stronghold states like Texas, Kansas, Louisiana and Nebraska. Trust in the polling leading up to Election Day took a hit early when Virginia, a state many polls comfortably placed in the winning column for Clinton, turned out to be far closer than previously projected.

    Trump entered Election Day with only a 28.6 percent chance of winning according to FiveThirtyEight. As the night progressed, and Trump continued to rack up Electoral College votes, election forecasts from The New York Times and FiveThirtyEight started to sharply lean toward a Trump victory. Clinton led nationally 46.6 percent to Trump’s 43.3 percent in Real Clear Politics’ polling average before Election Day.

    The financial markets reacted quickly as Trump’s victory became more apparent, with S&P futures ESc1 down more than 4 percent and Dow Industrials futures falling more than 700 points.

    1. 1.Mexico’s peso plunged to its lowest-ever levels as Trump’s chances of winning the presidency increased. Concerns of a Trump victory have weighed heavily on the peso for months because of his threats to rip up a free trade agreement with Mexico and tax money sent home by migrants to finance building a wall on the southern U.S. border.

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  • ‘Loving’ star Ruth Negga on why interracial couples aren’t a statement “They just wanted to be in love.”

     

    Zeba BlayVoices Culture Writer, The Huffington Post

     

    The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a Virginia law banning marriage between African Americans and Caucasians was unconstitutional, thus nullifying similar statues in 15 other states. The decision came in a case involving Richard Perry Loving, a white construction worker and his African American wife, Mildred. The couple married in the District of Columbia in 1958 and were arrested upon their return to their native Caroline County, Virginia. They were given one year suspended sentences on condition that they stay out of the state for 25 years. The Lovings decided in 1963 to return home and fight banishment, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union.
    This image released by Focus Features shows Ruth Negga, right, and Joel Edgerton in a scene from, “Loving.” (Focus Features via AP)

    Joel Edgertgon and Ruth Negga as Richard and Mildred Loving in “Loving.”

     

    She isn’t flashy or overemotional, but rather ignites the screen with a quiet gravitas. She plays the soft-spoken Mildred Loving, a Black and Native American woman who took on the state of Virginia in 1967 for the right to stay married to her husband Richard Loving, who was white. The couple had been sentenced to a year in prison for violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924. At the time of the case, a total of 16 states had similar laws, known as “anti-miscegenation” laws.

    Because of the Lovings and their landmark case, Loving vs. Virginia, the laws banning interracial marriage across the South were struck down, deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. And yet, despite a 1996 TV movie and a stellar 2011 documentary by Nancy Buirski, the Lovings and their story are still widely unknown.  The real Mildred and Richard Loving, after the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a Virginia law banning marriage between African Americans and Caucasians was unconstitutional.

    That’s all about to change with “Loving,” written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Negga opposite Joel Edgerton as Richard Loving. The film has been building up steady buzz since it premiered at Cannes in May, and various outlets have described it as “Oscar bait.” But it is so much more than that.

    At its heart is Ruth Negga, an Ethiopian-Irish actress known for small roles in films like “World War Z” and “The Samaritan” and a current role on AMCs “Preacher.” Negga is poised for superstardom and accolades thanks to her performance in the film, out Friday, but the 35-year-old actress is far more concerned with making sure the Lovings’ legacy is recognized.

    In a conversation with Negga earlier this week, the actress expounded upon the power of the Loving story, the absurdity of racism, and making space for other actresses of color:

    It’s wild that the Lovings made such an impact on so many lives with their case, and yet very few people are aware of their story. Did you know about the Lovings prior to joining this film?

    I knew about the Supreme Court case, but I didn’t know about the couple behind it until I came upon Mildred’s obituary [a few years ago], which I found deeply emotional. When I auditioned for Jeff he gave me the documentary by Nancy Buirski, and I watched it and I just fell in love with this couple.

    I’ve known about the history [of anti-miscegenation laws], but it’s still quite shocking to watch old footage and hear people give reasons for that racism as if they’re being totally logical. It made me so angry. None of it made sense. None of it. I remember thinking, what’s so terrifying about us? That these laws were made? I thought, “This is a story that really needs to be told.”

    Were you at all daunted by the idea of playing someone like Mildred Loving? Someone so important, but so little known? Did you feel an added responsibility to “get it right?”

    I was daunted, but I wasn’t daunted to the point where I didn’t want to do it. I think I was really propelled by my own need to see people like that on a screen. My own need to see a story like this being told. My own personal need to see people like me on the screen. That became stronger than my fear, which I’m glad about. I felt like I was the right age, had the right spirit. I felt a confidence that I hadn’t felt before. And it wasn’t that I had this huge super ego about it. It was that I felt this was the right story at the right time and I knew I would work hard. I knew I’d have the graft to do her justice.

    What’s so powerful about this story is how ordinary the Lovings were, despite the huge impact that they made. But there’s this idea that interracial relationships are somehow always about making some sort of statement, or that just by virtue of being in an interracial relationship a couple has “solved” racism. What do you think of that? 

    We deify most leaders of any movement because they’re super charismatic and they have this sort of glow, they’re really good orators. This couple wasn’t. And yet they were equally as charismatic and compelling, in a very quiet way. They weren’t making a statement, they just wanted to be in love.

    I think it’s kind of uncomfortable that anyone would accuse a relationship of being a maneuver. I find it very difficult that we still ask people in these relationships to explain themselves, constantly.

    This couple wasn’t giving an “F U” to the establishment. This wasn’t an act of defiance. It was about, “I want to raise my family where I want to. I want to legitimize the rights of my children.” But I do think that the deeper involved they got in this movement, Mildred realized the deep unfairness of this, and that it wasn’t just going to effect her it was going to effect other couples. She felt that that was a good thing if that was the fall out of their struggle. It’s such a complex situation.

    The Lovings have both passed, but they have one surviving daughter: Peggy Loving Fortune. Were you able to connect with her at all? 

    Yeah she was on set with us quite often. We had talks. It’s private. I don’t really want to share our chats because she’s quite a private woman as well. Maybe I should have asked her more questions, maybe I could have asked her more questions, but I don’t really like asking questions that are unnecessary for the sake of asking questions. It’s showing that you’re being a good student rather than doing the work. The thing with Peggy is that, of course we wanted her a approval. But I think we would have known if she was not happy. I do believe that. Because she’s not a pushover. This is her family. And I think that she wanted to be a true legacy.

     

  • Shocking reports of rape by Government soldiers of Boko Haram victims

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     Nigerian President. M. Buhari and rescued girls

    Oct. 31, 2016 (GIN) – Dozens of young girls, rescued from Boko Haram kidnappers, were made victims again by the Nigerian soldiers and policemen assigned to protect them, according to accounts documented by investigators for Human Rights Watch.

    The New York-based rights group found forty-three cases of “sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation.” Four victims told HRW they were drugged and raped. Thirty-seven said they had been coerced into sex through false marriage promises and material and financial assistance.  “It is bad enough that these women and girls are not getting much-needed support for the horrific trauma they suffered at the hands of Boko Haram,” said Mausi Segun, senior Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It is disgraceful and outrageous that people who should protect these women and girls are attacking and abusing them.”

    Victims of rape and sexual exploitation may be less likely to seek health care, including psychological counseling, due to the shame they feel, said HRW. Fewer than five of the 43 women and girls reported receiving any formal counseling after they were sexually abused.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, upon learning of the girls’ allegations, said he was “worried and shocked” and ordered police to “immediately commence investigations into the issue”.

    “The welfare of these most vulnerable of Nigerian citizens has been a priority of his government,” presidency spokesman Garba Shehu said, adding that the allegations raised by the HRW “are not being taken lightly”.

     

    Human Rights Watch said it wrote to several Nigerian authorities in August requesting comment on the research findings. The minister of women affairs, Aisha Jumai Alhassan, promised in a meeting with Human Rights Watch to investigate the allegations and then respond.   Last month, hundreds of people displaced by Boko Haram militants held a protest in Maiduguri, accusing officials of stealing food rations after photos were seen on social media showing food with aid agency logos being sold in shops. A spokesman for the governor disputed the charges, saying “it is radically difficult to divert food.”    In a separate matter, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) announced they have secured the release of 876 children held by Nigeria’s army and security forces.

     

    The army routinely detains civilians who have been living in areas once ruled by the insurgents on suspicion they might be linked to militant activities. However, rights groups say there is no proper legal process for children, since they do not get formally charged and some end up in so-called rehabilitation centers, which the groups say are like prisons.

     

    The United Nations says children should not be detained.

     

  • Barack Obama just cut the sentences of 98 drug offenders.

    Obama’s clemency total now stands at 872.

    president-barack-obama

    By; Ryan J. Reilly Senior Justice Reporter, The Huffington Post

    WASHINGTON ― President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 98 federal prisoners on Thursday, meaning he has shortened the sentences of 872 individuals over the course of his presidency.

    The individuals granted clemency on Thursday were imprisoned for drug crimes. Dozens of them had been sentenced to life imprisonment, meaning they would have died behind bars without Obama’s intervention.

    The president reduced the sentences of 102 inmates earlier this month, which brought his total clemency number to 774. He had granted clemency to 214 federal prisoners in early August and another 111 inmates in late August, shortening the sentences of 325 people in a single month. With Thursday’s announcement, he has now commuted 200 sentences in the month of October.

    Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said Thursday’s announcement was “part of our ongoing commitment to bring fairness” to the criminal justice system.

    “These grants reflect the Department’s accelerated progress in prioritizing and reviewing petitions that fit the President’s Clemency Initiative. As we’ve said before, the Department of Justice remains committed to reviewing and providing a recommendation on every petition submitted by August 31 of this year that involves a drug crime. And we will continue to prioritize the review any drug related petitions that have been submitted since that time,” Yates said.

    Jessica Jackson Sloan, national director of #cut50, a criminal justice reform initiative that seeks to reduce the incarcerated population in the U.S. by 50 percent over a decade, applauded Obama’s announcement but said it was “imperative” that he keep the promise he made to those “serving unjust and overly harsh sentences” for drug offenses.

    “While today’s announcement means some families will be made whole, many more petitioners were denied ― the vast majority denied with no explanation,” Sloan said. “The clemency process is sorely lacking in transparency ― with little regard for the emotional impact these decisions have on individuals and their families. For those who were neither denied, nor granted mercy, time is running out. Each passing day brings heightened desperation and anxiety. Some are beginning to lose hope as the clock continues to tick.”

    As The Huffington Post has reported, the Obama administration’s clemency initiative has fallen short of expectations:

                While the number of commutations granted during the Obama administration are historic, many advocates had hoped that thousands of individuals would be granted clemency under the initiative, which is aimed at shortening lengthy drug sentences that were often a result of federal mandatory minimums. Former Attorney General Eric Holder has said he expected as many as 10,000 prisoners to be granted clemency. Rachel Barkow, a New York University professor, told The Huffington Post that around 1,500 federal prisoners met the criteria that the Obama administration laid out for the initiative. 

  • NEARLY 90% OF BLACK VOTERS FAVOR CLINTON OVER TRUMP IN NEW HU/NNPA NATIONAL BLACK VOTER POLL

    blackvoterpoll_nnpahu_graphic_web120-1280x640WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Howard University, announced the results of the 2016 Howard University/NNPA National Black Voter Poll. Nearly 90 percent of Black voters plan to cast ballots for Hillary Clinton and two percent plan to vote for Donald Trump, according to the poll.

    The HU/NNPA national polling center, located on the campus of Howard University, made over 21,200 telephone calls across the United States from October 23, 2016 to October 30, 2016.

    The HU/NNPA National Black Voter Poll revealed that the top issues influencing Black voters included the economy and jobs, income inequality, race and race relations, college affordability and high quality education in pre-kindergarten.

    Howard University faculty and students from multiple departments and disciplines including economics, political science, sociology, communications and media studies, were represented in the coordinated effort.

    “This multi-disciplinary team has drawn on its expertise to develop a comprehensive polling instrument designed to assess the opinions of Black Americans on the presidential candidates and other important issues facing the Black community and the nation,” said Terri Adams-Fuller, the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.

    Highlights from the HU/NNPA National Black Voter Poll:
    • 94% of those polled plan to vote in the upcoming election
    Of those who plan to vote:
    • 89.8% for Clinton
    • 2% for Trump
    • 0% for Johnson
    • 0% for Stein
    • 7.2% for another candidate
    The respondents also identified their party affiliations:
    • 82 % Identify as Democrat
    • 2% Identify as Republican
    • 9% Identify as Independent (67% normally vote for Democrats, 5% normally vote             Republican, 28% normally don’t vote for either major party)
    • 7% Identify as Other

    “As a result of this poll, candidates and those who will be successful in occupying the White House and controlling Congress will know the prioritized issues and nuanced concerns of the Black community,” said Rubin Patterson, the chairman of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Howard. “We hope that these findings will shape their policy and legislative agendas starting next year.”

    Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA said that the NNPA-HU National Black Voter Poll is timely and very significant for Black America.

    “The fact that 94 percent of Black Americans polled indicated that they intend to vote on November 8, or have already voted during the early voting period is indicative of the importance of the right to vote in Black America at a time when there has been inaccurate speculation about how Blacks in United States view the 2016 national elections,” said Chavis.
    Chavis added: “This poll provides clarity on the national issues and the candidates for President of the United States. The poll verifies that Hillary Clinton is the overwhelming favorite of Black American voters over Donald Trump.”

  • Joe Lee Powell, Alphonzo Morton Jr, LaJeffrey Carpenter absent Mayor Edwards last City of Eutaw Council meeting not held due to lack of quorum

    The regular Eutaw City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 25, 2016, at 6:00 PM was not held due to a lack of a quorum. The Mayor and three council-members must be present to have an official meeting. This was to be Ms. Edwards last regular meeting before the newly elected city officials take office on November 7, 2016.
    “The three City Council members – Joe Lee Powell, Alphonzo Morton Jr. and LaJeffrey Carpenter – did not inform me that they were going to be absent. Ms. Shelia Smith was present and Reginald Spencer called and said he would be late.
    “ I feel those three council-members deliberately skipped the meeting to delay progress on the improvements to our water system. They knew the important business that was on the agenda for the meeting,” said Mayor Hattie Edwards.
    Mayor Edwards advised that she was planning to continue with firing the three police officers: Lonnie Glenn, Robert Clayton and Rodriquez Jones, who she deemed to be insubordinate and unwilling to abide by city policies. The police had a closed hearing with the City Council on October 18. Edwards said, “ I am moving ahead with these firings because it is my duty and responsibility to do so. If the next Mayor and Council wants to reinstate those police officers that is up to them. It is my responsibility to act when city employees do not abide by our policies and treat the Mayor disrespectfully.”
    When reached by the Democrat, Alphonzo Morton Jr. said, “I did not go to the City Council meeting because I support the police and I did not want to go.” Councilman Joe Lee Powell said, “ I had another obligation and could not attend.” When asked if he had informed the Mayor of his absence, he said that he had not but he was familiar with other times that other members of the Council had been absent without reporting to the Mayor.Efforts to reach LaJeffrey Carpenter were unsuccessful.
    Mayor Hattie Edwards said that the $3.1 million loan and grant with USDA Rural Development was being held up because the City Council had not agreed and accepted an offer of interim financing from Co-Bank, which was willing to provide these funds, at a favorable interest rate.
    “I have done everything to put this project in place and I am sad to see that things will be delayed because we were unable to have a quorum for our meeting. I have asked Councilwomen Smith to poll the Council to see if they are willing to hold a special meeting to approve this interim financing agreement before our terms have ended,” said Edwards.
    Mayor Edwards also provided the Democrat with a copy of a procedures report from Principal & Associates CPA firm on the financial status of the City of Eutaw, as of September 30, 2016. The report shows the bank balances in 19 bank accounts maintained by the City of Eutaw showing $895,861.68 as of that date.
    The CPA report indicates that the City of Eutaw has paid all outstanding bonds and warrants. The City has no outstanding long-term debt as of September 30, 2016. There is one major outstanding bill of $15,667 owed to Waste Management for garbage collection at the end of the fiscal year, which the report calls a normal obligation.
    Employee tax returns to IRS were reviewed and found to be over paid. The City has requested a refund from IRS.
    The billing for the City Water Department is three months behind (August-October 2016) with an estimate of $147,176 in uncollected revenues. The CPA firm recommends hiring additional staff to read the water meters because those readings are needed to process up-to-date billings for water and other city services.