Greene County Democrat

Category: School

Greene County BOE makes moves to develop family partnerships for increased student success
by Maya Quinn
Managing Editor

The Greene County Board of Education (BOE) met to discuss the progress of newly implemented programs and proposed contracts. Superintendent Dr. Timothy Thurman, President Leo Branch, Vice President Robert Davis, Veronica Richardson, Carrie Dancy, and Brandon Meriwether were present for the meeting.

The Greene County school system is responsible for educating the next generation of adults to live and prosper in Greene County. However, the school cannot accomplish the imperative task alone. Successful school systems maintain optimal structure through a “three-legged stool” model: dedicated teachers, involved parents, and resilient students. Without positive guidance and partnerships with parents, the stool cannot stand.

Meeting Summary

In a unanimous vote, all action items (detailed after this summary) proposed by Superintendent Dr. Thurman received approval at the meeting. All payments, bills, claims, and payroll were reconciled by Chief Financial Officer Marquita Lennon, leaving the school board’s account with $157,105.76 from local revenue. The board allocated a considerable amount of funds to procure new buses for the school system.

Dr. Thurman, Superintendent, gave a formal report of ongoing activities. He began by detailing the importance of PTA meetings at Robert Brown Middle School and Eutaw High School, noting that increased parent involvement is “critical for the school system to move forward.” He then eagerly updated attendees on the parent volunteering initiative’s training progress with parent involvement facilitator, Deborah Waiters. Any parents interested in receiving training are encouraged to call the board.

He also announced programs for rising kindergarteners and a scholarship with Huntington College. The fully funded Judge Jumpstart Program will host 4-K students over the summer to prepare them for the upcoming school year. The “Grow Your Own” Scholarship and partnership with Huntington is to help students earn degrees to teach in rural areas. These programs are game-changers, providing resources upon entering and exiting the school system. “We’re trying to be as transparent as possible,” Dr. Thurman reminded, “we need parent participation to move forward.”

At the conclusion of the superintendent’s report, board member and parent Veronica Richardson wanted to ensure that parents receive letters about upcoming Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) and ACT testing. After spring break, testing will resume the week of April 6th.
Approved Action Items

Garry Rice will attend the Southern Regional Education Board Conference in Nashville, TN, July 14 – 17, 2026

Tomora Hill and two students will attend the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, GA, April 25-29, 2026

Shamyra Jones and four students will attend the Jobs for Alabama’s Graduates (JAG) National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 30 – May 2, 2026

The Greene County Board of Education will contract Marshanda Daniels to serve as technical support for the district for one year.

An E-Rate Mini Bid with Uniti Fiber for internet access points licenses, equipment, and installation in the amount of $111,816.82 (district pays 15% of the total quote).

Following the approval of the action items, the board members entered an executive session to discuss the personnel action report. Board members did not disclose approved items in the report during the meeting. However, the local school accountant, LaTanya Cockrell-Fowler, informed The Democrat via email of Sarah Crawford’s resignation as the 2nd-grade teacher at Eutaw Primary School.
Public Comments

Understanding family relationships is a critical factor in student success. Whether it be test scores or mental health, having a sustained partnership between educators and families is essential for the school system to learn what is best for the children of Greene County. Knowledge of a student’s culture provides important information for the school system to secure the resources necessary to support students at any stage of their learning.

Brandi Jones was the only parent not on staff or the board present. She politely introduced herself and asked a series of questions about the superintendent selection process and the need to consult external sources on strategic planning within the district. Jones considers herself a parent advocate, religiously showing up for PTA and board meetings.

“Parents don’t realize the power that they have.” Jones commented, “There is no perfect school system. We have to work together to solve issues.” Jones is passionate about creating a parent alliance to “meet parents where they are” and ensure Greene County schools can retain their students.

The next board meeting will be on Monday, April 20th, at 4:30 pm.

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March 18, 2026
Greene County Health Systems launches Career Tech Program

by Maya Quinn
Managing Editor

Lakisha Gill, Nicole Henley, and Rodgerick Williams standing in the nursing home waiting area

Thursday, March 5th, Greene County Hospital launched its career tech program for Eutaw High School students with the induction of seven students. Hospital Administrator Rodgerick Williams welcomed students, along with Chief Nursing Officer Lakisha Gill and Nicole Henley, director of nursing at the Greene County Nursing Home. The goal of the program is to prepare students for employment opportunities and address the ongoing rural healthcare crisis in the community.

Retention of students is essential to reshaping the culture of Greene County Health Systems. Each summer, students may experience a phenomenon known as “brain drain”: a lack of academic stimulation that leads to learning loss. Greene County Health Systems aims to combat that with the career tech program. Henley stated that the program aims to provide students with invaluable work experience to equip them for positions here in Greene County. Students practiced completing applications, drafting resumes, and handling other daily tasks for introductory positions across disciplines. The program’s staff and teachers are bridging a gap by ensuring that students have the necessary soft skills to be employed in college or immediately after graduation.

hospital staff showing career tech students a CT scan machine

Lakisha Gill highlighted the importance of programs like these in preparing students for clinical and professional schools. Alongside patient care tech training, students are developing key employability skills, including communication, self-management, digital literacy, teamwork, and problem-solving. The program will partner with Wallace Community College’s LPN (licensed practical nurse) program and Workforce Alabama to procure stipends for students. “These kids need to be involved in something,” Gill stated, “we need to give back as a unit to the students here.” Upon completion of CNA (certified nursing assistant) training, students will be offered CNA positions in the Greene County Health System.

UAB Alabama Rural Health Collaborative team with Rodgerick Williams

Williams is also working closely with the UAB Alabama Rural Health Collaborative to decrease rural hospital bypass, the tendency of residents to seek care beyond their closest hospital. The collaborative will help the hospital procure funds for new imaging equipment and a surgery suite. Williams asserted that these improvements are imperative to serve Greene County’s residents better. A study from the University of North Carolina’s Rural Health Research Program found that traveling beyond the local hospital for care in rural areas is associated with higher inpatient mortality rates. In emergencies such as sepsis, rural hospital bypass can lead to patients missing a critical period of care that means the difference between life and death.

Rural bypass behaviors result in a significant loss of revenue for the hospital. Revenue loss leads to a detrimental cascading effect, leaving hospitals understaffed. Understaffing means the hospital will lack key services such as critical illness care and obstetrics. Greene County Health Systems is not a for-profit institution and relies on county members to keep its doors open. Williams urges community members to use the hospital for all their care needs and not just emergencies, “to make sure that in this rural environment they can get service in their golden hour of need.”

March 13, 2026
Newswire : On 61st Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, worries about the future of voting rights and calls to action

People crossing the Edmund Pettus bridge on Sunday and Spiver Gordon, Greene County civil rights veteran and foot soldier next to Congresswoman Sewell on bridge

By Kim Chandler, Associated Press and other sources

SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Sixty-one years after state troopers attacked Civil Rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, thousands gathered in the Alabama city this weekend amid new concerns about the future of the Voting Rights Act.
The March 7, 1965, violence that became known as Bloody Sunday shocked the nation and helped spur passage of the landmark legislation that dismantled barriers to voting for Black Americans in the Jim Crow South.
The anniversary was celebrated in this city that served as crucible for the voting rights movement, with events through the weekend ending with a commemorative march across the bridge Sunday. But the commemoration came as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a provision of the Voting Rights Act that has helped ensure some congressional and local districts are drawn so minority voters have a chance to elect their candidate of choice.
“I’m concerned that all of the advances that we made for the last 61 years are going to be eradicated,” said Charles Mauldin, 78, one of the marchers beaten on Bloody Sunday.
Former and current Democratic officeholders, civil rights leaders and tourists descended on Selma to pay homage to the pivotal moment of the Civil Rights Movement and to issue calls to action. Speakers warned of the looming court decision and criticized the Trump administration’s actions on immigration and efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Standing at the pulpit of the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, said that like the marchers on Bloody Sunday, they must press forward.
“Years after Bloody Sunday, the progress that stemmed from that sacrifice is now being rolled back right in our faces,” the governor said. Moore is the nation’s only Black governor currently in office.
“We are choosing this fight because those who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge deserve better than us cowering while the freedoms that we inherited and they fought for, are being ripped away,” Moore said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, speaking at a rally at the foot of the bridge, said racism is on the rise in America and “Trump’s Supreme Court is gutting the Voting Rights Act.”
“Let’s march forward today with the knowledge that we are the inheritors of the faith that brought marchers to the bridge 61 years ago. It is now on us to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice,” Pritzker said.
The annual commemoration in Selma is a mix of a civil rights remembrances, church services and a street festival filled with vendors and food trucks. It is also part political rally with an eye on November’s midterm elections and a longer view to the 2028 presidential race.
The commemoration included a tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate who regularly attended the annual Selma march. He died on Feb. 17 at age 84.
Yusef Jackson said his father’s legacy will be carried forward. “In November, we will go back to the polls and take our government back, setting our country on the right path,” Jackson said.
The looming court decision cast a shadow over the festivities. Justices are expected to rule soon on a Louisiana case , Calais vs Louisiana, about the role of race in drawing congressional districts. A ruling prohibiting or limiting that role could have sweeping consequences, potentially opening the door for Republican-controlled states to redistrict and roll back majority Black and Latino districts that tend to favor Democrats.
U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures won election in 2024 to an Alabama district that was redrawn by a federal court to give Black voters a greater voice. His district will likely be targeted if the state gets the opportunity to redraw lines. He said what happened in Selma and the subsequent passage of the Voting Rights Act “was monumental in shaping what America looks like and how America is represented in Congress.”
In 1965, the Bloody Sunday marchers led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams walked in pairs across the Selma bridge headed toward the state capital of Montgomery. Mauldin, then 17, was part of the third pair behind Williams and Lewis.
At the apex of the bridge, they could see the sea of law enforcement officers, including some on horseback, waiting for them. But they kept going.
“It wasn’t that we didn’t have fear, it’s that we chose courage over fear,” Mauldin recalled.
Spiver Gordon, Greene County civil rights leader said this anniversary was a little bitter-sweet, since three close friends, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Joanne Bland and Rev. Bernard Lafayette, had all passed in the three weeks leading up to this 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
A crowd of several thousand filed behind elected officials on this Sunday for the march across the bridge, this time protected by state law enforcement officers.

March 13, 2026
Newswire : Meet Roxanne Brown, the first African American and the first woman President of the United Steelworkers

Roxanne Brown

By Black Press USA

In a significant moment for the labor movement, Roxanne Brown, set to become the first African American woman elected as President of the United Steelworkers (USW), North America’s largest industrial union, joins Make It Plain with Rev. Mark Thompson. With the official transition happening in March, Brown’s ascent is more than just a personal achievement; it represents a shift in the labor movement’s leadership reflecting the demographics of today’s workforce.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she moved to New York at the age of two and was raised by what she affectionately refers to as “the Amazons”—a family of strong, single women who were deeply involved in healthcare and unions. Her first exposure to the labor movement came through the nurses union and AFSCME’s CSEA in New York. This early influence clearly set the stage for what would be a lifelong commitment to labor rights and leadership.

Reflecting on her path to this esteemed position, Brown shared, “I cut my teeth in our policy shop, and I had to learn about our core issues and our core values. I literally spent my entire career fighting on behalf of our members across so many sectors.”

The USW under Brown’s leadership will be setting the tone with what she believes is a much-needed representation change. Brown emphasized, “We are the most diverse union in North America…we’re cradle to grave and have everything in between.”

With a membership boasting varied backgrounds, Brown’s leadership is a reflection of this diversity, as the board she is set to lead will be its most diverse in the union’s history.

Leading a predominantly male union presents its unique set of challenges. Brown noted, “When people think about our union, there’s an image that comes to mind that does not look like me. But…we are the most diverse union in North America, in terms of our sectors and membership.”
She recognizes the importance of transcending stereotypes and advocated for a more inclusive image representing the diversity within the union.

Amidst the intricate challenges of tariffs and economic pressures, uncertainty remains a theme. Brown explains, “This current environment of tariffs is not strategic and creates uncertainty…not just for sectors but for our ability to use the tools we’ve relied on for survival.”

Brown is poised to take on these challenges head-on with strategies rooted in education, engagement, and advocacy at all governmental levels. She affirmed the union’s commitment by saying, “Engage, engage, engage—because we are charged to do that on behalf of our membership.”
In discussing the broader significance of her leadership and that of fellow African American union leaders, Brown reflects, “Leadership should always reflect who is being led…I’m opening the door so that others know what is possible.”

“It is not about us alone; it is about what we represent and showing what is possible to our members who look like us,” she said.
Brown listed some of the products USW members produce:
• Goodyear, Bridgestone Firestone, and Michelin tires
• Libby glassware
• Starbucks cups
• Paper towels
• Amazon boxes
• Wine bottles and beer cans
• Bourbon bottles
• Car components, including glass and steel
• Glass on iPhones and Android devices
• Fiber optic cables used for 5G systems
• Oil for powering vehicles
• Cement used in construction
• Various pharmaceutical products, including some COVID-19 drugs
• School buses and taxi services in certain areas
• Baskerville coffins and caskets

February 11, 2026
Newswire : Philadelphia sues after slavery exhibits were taken down from President’s House site

Staff dismantling slavery exhibit in Philadelphia

The lawsuit says the National Park Service removed the displays referring to slavery “presumably pursuant to the mandate” of an executive order from President Donald Trump.

By Joe Kottke and Phil Helsel NBC News

The city of Philadelphia sued the Department of the Interior and the acting director of the National Park Service on Thursday over reports that slavery exhibits were being dismantled in the city’s historic district.
The suit, filed in federal court, seeks a preliminary injunction to restore the exhibits at the President’s House Site, part of Independence National Historical Park.
The lawsuit says that “the National Park Service has removed artwork and informational displays at the President’s House site referencing slavery, presumably pursuant to the mandate” of Executive Order No. 14253, which President Donald Trump signed in March. 2025.
The city said in the suit that it learned Thursday that the educational panels that referred to slavery had been removed.
“Removing the exhibits is an effort to whitewash American history,” Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said in a statement Thursday. “History cannot be erased simply because it is uncomfortable. Removing items from the President’s House merely changes the landscape, not the historical record.”
NBC Philadelphia aired video Thursday that shows people with crowbars taking down panels, one of which reads “The Dirty Business of Slavery.”
The suit says the city was given no notice about the change to the President’s House.
It calls the removal of the displays “arbitrary and capricious.”
“Defendants have provided no explanation at all for their removal of the historical, educational displays at the President’s House site, let alone a reasoned one,” the lawsuit says.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump “continues to fulfill his promise to restore truth and common sense to the United States and its institutions.”
“President Trump is ensuring that we are honoring the fullness of the American story instead of distorting it in the name of left-wing ideology,” Ingle said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, said “all federal agencies are to review interpretive materials to ensure accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values” while it implements Trump’s executive order.
“Following completion of the required review, the National Park Service is now taking appropriate action in accordance with the Order,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment late Thursday.
Trump’s executive order directs the Department of the Interior in its materials not to include “descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times).”
It instructs the department to “instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people or, with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape.”
The order, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” has been criticized.
The American Historical Association said it “egregiously misrepresents the work of the Smithsonian Institution,” which the executive order criticized by name.
“Historians explore the past to understand how our nation has evolved. We draw on a wide range of sources, which helps us to understand history from different angles of vision,” the group said March 31.
“Our goal is neither criticism nor celebration,” it said. “It is to understand — to increase our knowledge of — the past in ways that can help Americans to shape the future.”
The President’s House is a site where President George Washington resided in Philadelphia, and he brought slaves who were in the home, according to the lawsuit and the National Park Service’s webpage about the site. President John Adams also lived there.
A spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association said the dismantling of the exhibit is “an insult to the memory of the enslaved people who lived there and to their descendants.” and “sets a dangerous precedent of prioritizing nostalgia over the truth.”
The House of Representatives urged the National Park Service in 2003 to recognize the slaves there. The agency and the city entered into a cooperative agreement in 2006 to establish an exhibit about the site, the suit says.
A memorial and panels about slavery at the President’s House have been up since it opened in 2010, according to the suit.
The Black Journey, a group that conducts walking tours in Philadelphia about Black history, said removing the panels can’t erase the past.
“The Black Journey is outraged and deeply disappointed by the removal of this important and irreplaceable piece of American history,” Raina Yancey, president and CEO of The Black Journey, said in a statement.
Yancey said the group will continue to lead weekly tours and pursue its mission “to tell the full and truthful history of our ancestors,” saying “no political action will silence this history.”
She added that since the removal occurred, she has heard from fellow tour guides and individuals who have taken tours.
“Their messages make it clear: the public will not accept the erasure of history, and neither will we,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., whose district includes part of Philadelphia and the President’s House, also condemned the removal.
“Philadelphia and the entire country deserve an honest accounting of our history, and this effort to hide it is wrong,” he said in a statement.
CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Ahmet Tekelioglu said the civil rights organization “stands in solidarity with the City of Philadelphia, advocacy groups, civil rights leaders, and historians.”
Tekelioglu said the exhibit’s removal “has drawn widespread condemnation from community leaders, historians, and elected officials who argue that understanding the full scope of American history — including the brutal reality of slavery — is critical to our collective progress.”
During the Trump administration, the National Park Service has made other changes that have backtracked on previous information.
In February, before the executive order, the National Park Service website for Stonewall National Monument’s web page was changed to erase references to transgender and queer people.
The Stonewall Inn is the site of a milestone in the fight for gay rights, recognition and the fight to end persecution by authorities.

January 28, 2026
Newswire : New Trump Tax Law locks in gains for the rich, leaves Black households behind

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

President Donald Trump’s new tax law is now in force, and as the 2026 filing season begins, economists say the damage is not theoretical. It is already written into the tax code. The legislation locks in and expands Trump’s 2017 overhaul while layering on new provisions that funnel wealth upward, raise taxes on millions of low-income Americans, and deepen racial inequities that have defined the U.S. economy for generations.

“This massive tax-and-spending package does more to transfer wealth upward than any other single piece of legislation in decades while penalizing lower-income Americans and cutting public benefits,” the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy said in its analysis of the law.

According to ITEP, the poorest 40 percent of Americans will pay more in taxes under the new law, while the middle fifth receives only marginal relief. The richest 1 percent, however, will take home more benefits than the bottom 80 percent combined in 2026. The racial divide is stark. High-income households are disproportionately white, while Black and Latino families are far more likely to be concentrated in income groups that lose ground.

At the center of the imbalance is the expanded pass-through business deduction, increased from 20 percent to 23 percent. Treasury Department data show that nearly all of the $1 trillion in tax cuts generated by this provision over the next decade will flow to the top 1 percent. Hispanic taxpayers, who account for 15 percent of the population, receive about 5 percent of the benefit. Black taxpayers, 11 percent of the population, receive roughly 2 percent.

The law also sharply weakens the estate tax by permanently raising the exemption to $15 million for individuals and $30 million for married couples, indexed to inflation. Economists say the change all but eliminates the tax for ultra-wealthy families while locking in racial disparities tied to inherited wealth. White families are about three times as likely as Black families to receive an inheritance, and the median inheritance for White families is roughly 25 percent higher.

Supporters of the law point to larger tax refunds expected this year as proof that working Americans are benefiting. The Tax Foundation estimates individual income taxes were reduced by $129 billion for 2025, with as much as $100 billion likely to be paid out through higher refunds during the 2026 filing season. Average refunds could rise by several hundred dollars, and in some cases close to $1,000.

But analysts say those refunds are largely the result of delayed withholding adjustments, not sustained gains in wages or financial security. Many low-income filers, particularly those with little or no tax liability, receive little to nothing. ITEP said provisions marketed as help for working families continue to bypass the poorest households, many of them Black.

The child tax credit was raised to $2,200 per child, yet it remains only partially refundable and far below its 2021 level. Millions of very low-income families are still excluded. Census data show that nearly one in five Black and American Indian people lived below the poverty line in 2024, placing them among those least likely to see any benefit.

The law offsets tax cuts at the top by reducing funding for health care, food assistance, and other programs relied upon by working families. Economists warn that the long-term costs will fall heaviest on younger Americans. Millennials and Gen Z, the most racially diverse generations in U.S. history, will inherit higher deficits and fewer public resources.
The Internal Revenue Service began accepting 2025 returns on Jan. 26 and expects to process roughly 164 million filings this year.

New deductions for overtime, tips, auto loan interest, and seniors are now available, though many phase out well before reaching higher income levels. Analysts note that administrative readiness does not change who ultimately wins and loses under the law.

ITEP said Congress had options that would have protected working families without deepening inequality, including limiting tax extensions to households earning under $400,000 and restoring the expanded child tax credit. That approach would have delivered larger tax cuts to the bottom 60 percent of Americans at a fraction of the cost.

“This law harms the economic well-being of poor and working families of all races, especially people of color,” ITEP said. “The new tax and spending law doesn’t meet the basic test of fairness, and it falls tremendously short.”

January 28, 2026
Newswire : Trump Administration scrambles to blame Alex Pretti for his own death; Undermining 2nd Amendment in the process

Makeshift memorial to Alex Pretti, at the site of his death in Minneapolis, Minnesota

By Zack Linly, NewsOneInsert

It’s quite possible that the Trump administration has finally flown too close to the sun, regarding its latest narrative of observably false propaganda against the latest victim of a killing by immigration cops in Minnesota.
When 37-year-old Alex Pretti was gunned down by ICE agents while trying to protect a woman an agent had pushed to the ground and started pepper-spraying for no discernible reason, the Trump administration began its usual routine of trying its best to get ahead of the media by smearing the victim and claiming the agents were in imminent danger and in fear of their lives.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who has falsely claimed that immigration agents have“immunity” from prosecution, called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and an “assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents” in a tweet that was re-tweeted by Vice President JD Vance, according to CNN.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters Saturday that Pretti “impeded the law enforcement officers and attacked them,” and that he “had a weapon on him, and multiple dozens of rounds of ammunition; wishing to inflict harm on these officers, coming, brandishing like that.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara refuted Noem’s claim about Pretti “brandishing” his gun — which he carried legally, and which video clearly shows that he never even touched, let alone brandished — saying, “I don’t have any evidence that I’ve seen that suggests that the weapon was brandished.” Noem also said in a Fox News interview Sunday that Pretti was “laying hands on law enforcement,” which video footage also shows is simply untrue.
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino — who has been at the center of clashes between immigration cops and protesters almost everywhere agents have been deployed, and has been ripped to shreds multiple times by federal judges for violating their orders restricting certain uses of force and for lying about protest violence to justify it — claimed it “looks like” Pretti “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” He also claimed Pretti “assaulted federal officers” during an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, but when asked where in the viral video footage that happened, Bovino had no answers.
Make no mistake, they lied on Renee Nicole Good the same way, expecting us to ignore video footage that showed her attempting to drive away from ICE agents before she was shot and killed by one, in favor of nonsense about her attempting to weaponize her vehicle against ICE, which is the same lie DHS told after agents shot Marimar Martinez as she sat in her vehicle, and after agents shot Richard LA, the TikTok influencer who documents ICE activities, in Los Angeles. In both cases, criminal charges against the victims were dropped because evidence proved the government was lying.
This time, the Trump administration has gotten so desperate to smear Pretti the same way that it’s even going against conservative America’s sacred pro-Second Amendment doctrine by essentially claiming Pretti had no right to be armed.
Perhaps this is why even Republican senators are calling for a fuller investigation into Pretti’s death.
Meanwhile, Democratic senators are now vowing to oppose funding for homeland security over federal violence in Minnesota, threatening to cause yet another government shutdown on President Donald Trump’s watch.
Has any administration ever been the cause of all of its own issues the way this one has? It just keeps shooting itself in the foot and blaming everyone else.

January 28, 2026
Applications starting January 20 to February 6, 2026 Black Belt Community Foundation announces Arts and Community Grants Cycle

SELMA, AL (January 8, 2026) – The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) announces the opening of its 2026 Arts and Community Grants Cycle, with applications opening January 20, 2026, and closing February 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM (CST).
Through this annual grant cycle, BBCF will award Arts Grants ranging from $500 to $3,500 and Community Grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to support community-led projects across the foundation’s 12-county service area: Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, and Wilcox counties in Alabama’s Black Belt region.
These grants support projects that strengthen, uplift, and empower communities across Alabama’s Black Belt. Eligible nonprofit and community-based organizations are encouraged to apply.
New organizations that have not previously applied for BBCF arts or community grants are required to attend a Grantseekers Workshop prior to submitting an application. Returning grantees may apply directly through the online grants portal. These Zoom sessions are scheduled for January 20 and 22, 2026, with both days offering the convenience of an early afternoon session at 12pm and an evening session at 7pm
“These grants are a key part of how we support community-led work across the Black Belt,” said Chris Spencer, President and CEO of the Black Belt Community Foundation. “Opening the cycle early gives organizations the time and flexibility they need to plan thoughtfully and put resources to work in ways that reflect local priorities.”
Applications will be submitted online through BBCF’s website here: https://blackbeltfound.org/grants/ , by clicking the “Apply Now” tab, once applications open on January 20, 2026.
Following the application deadline, proposals will undergo a review process, with final funding decisions approved by the BBCF Board in early spring. All applicants will be notified once decisions are finalized.
The 2026 grant cycle will conclude with an Arts and Community Grants Awards Ceremony on April 25, 2026, in Selma.

January 28, 2026
Greene County Board of Education celebrates ‘School Board Recognition Month’

Board members receive recognition from schools and Central Office

The Greene County Board of Education held its regular meeting on January 20, 2026, in the Central Office auditorium. All five school board members were present.
It was National School Board Recognition Month, so each of the Board member was honored with gifts from the schools and Central Office staff. This included a healthy edible bouquet of flowers, composed of fruits, from Acting Superintendent Darryl Aikerson, a globe and other gifts.
In addition to the gifts, the Board also heard reports from the acting Superintendent, CFO on finances and other staff on curriculum and programmatic matters. The Board also approved minutes of its recent meetings on December 15, 18, 30 and January 5, which involved selecting a new Superintendent.
Ms. Martin, Curriculum Coordinator reported on the Alabama Numeracy Act which requires that all students from K to 5th grade learn basic math skills and are able to do and solve basic math problems. The act, which is similar to the Alabama Literacy Act, requires students to have basic math skills and understanding by 5th. Grade. The act provides math coaches and summer math camps for students who need additional assistance and support in math. There are math coaches assigned to Eutaw Primary School and Robert Brown Middle School, with financing from the State of Alabama, under the Numeracy Act to assist students in Greene County meet these requirements.
The Board held an Executive Session to discuss personnel and legal matters. The Board made the following Personnel changes:
• EMPLOYMENTS (CLASSIFIED)  Williams, Shirleria RBMS CNP  
• RESIGNATION(S)  Eubanks, Brandi RBMS Teacher Elementary
 • VOLUNTARY TRANSFER  Davis, Linda RBMS to GCHS CNP Cook
 • RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION STIPENDS (RTI)  McGee, Pamela EPS Teacher PK-3   Durrett, Carla EPS ARI Reading Coach.

The Board also approved these Administrative Service items, as recommended by the Acting Superintendent:
Quote from RJ Young (Sophos Antivirus License Renewal) $45,356.68

Quote from Renaissance for Nearpod, Flocabulary and services (Learning License, 1 year) $19,530.00

Renewal of Service and Support Agreement with Albireo Energy to continue maintenance and support of the Building Management System (BMS) and access control systems, including cameras and HVAC, at Greene County High School (GCHS) and Greene County Career Center (GCCC)

Proposal from Bailey Group to provide Instructional coaching (ELA English Language Arts) at Robert Brown Middle for 5th & 6th grade in the amount of $15,000

Proposal from Bailey Group to provide Instructional coaching (Math) at Robert Brown Middle for 5th & 6th grade in the amount of $15,000

Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll

Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO

The Board received a financial report from CFO, Marquita Lennon, on the months of November and December 2025. For December 2025, she summarized the results saying:
*General Fund Bank Balance $5,841,722.47
reconciles to the Summary Cash Report
* Accounts Payable Check Register $231,756.27
* Payroll Register $929,427.21*Total gross pay, to include employer match items
* Combined Ending Fund Balance: $7,414,733.33

Leo Branch, Board Chair announced that the Board Committee had met with Dr. Timothy Thurmond and worked out the details of his contract to be the new Superintendent beginning February 1, 2026.

January 28, 2026
Newswire : Claudette Colvin, who refused to move before the nation was ready, dies at 86

Claudette Colvin

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

History often remembers movements by their most recognizable moments. It less often remembers the teenagers who moved first.
Claudette Colvin, whose refusal to surrender her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus came months before the moment that would enter textbooks, died Tuesday at 86. Her death was confirmed by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation, which said she died of natural causes in Texas.
On March 2, 1955, Colvin was 15 years old and riding home from school when the bus driver ordered Black passengers to give up their seats to white riders. Three students stood. Colvin did not. Police arrested her, charged her under segregation laws, and placed her on probation. She later said she was thinking about the Constitution and the rights she believed belonged to her.
Colvin’s arrest came at a time when Montgomery’s Black community was already pressing against the daily restraints of Jim Crow. Her stand did not ignite a boycott that day, but it did register. It landed in conversations, church meetings, and legal strategy sessions that would soon follow.
“This nation lost a civil rights giant today,” Tafeni English-Relf, Alabama state director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said. “Claudette Colvin’s courage lit the fire for a movement that would free all Alabamians and Americans from the woes of southern segregation.”
Unlike others whose names became shorthand for the era, Colvin paid a quieter price. She was young and outspoken and was later judged by standards that did not apply to older leaders. She was never elevated as the public face of the movement. Her life unfolded mostly outside the spotlight she helped create.
Yet Colvin’s role proved decisive.
She became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the federal lawsuit that reached the Supreme Court and ended bus segregation in Montgomery and across Alabama. The case dismantled the legal framework that made her arrest possible.
“At age 15, Ms. Colvin was arrested on March 2, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, for violating bus segregation ordinances, nine months before Rosa Parks,” Phillip Ensler wrote. “In 2021, it was the privilege of a lifetime to serve on the legal team that helped Ms. Colvin clear her record from the conviction.”
“As we worked on the court motion, I had the honor of spending time with Ms. Colvin to hear her story and get to know her,” Ensler wrote.
“Today we lost an unsung yet significant hero of the civil rights movement,” Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock said. “Her courage paved the way for Rosa Parks’ decision and the launching of a movement that would end segregation.”
“History did not always give Claudette Colvin the credit she deserved, but her impact is undeniable,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
“Her life reminds us that progress is shaped not only by moments, but by sustained courage and truth,” Bernice King said.

January 22, 2026

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