Alabama Legislature passes reduction in sales tax on groceries; Fails to pass HB 209 to restrict Absentee Voting; and SB 324 for a Constitutional Amendment for electronic horse racing in Greene Co.

The 2023 regular session of the Alabama State Legislature ended yesterday. Among the legislation that passed was a bill to begin to reduce
State sales tax on groceries.

The Legislature failed to pass HB 209 which would have severely restricted absentee voting in Alabama.; and SB 324 which provided for a referendum on a Constitutional Amendment to codify electronic historic horse racing machines in Greene County, while passed by the Alabama Senate died in the House Tourism Committee.

On June 1, the Senate passed a bill, on a vote of 31-0, that would reduce the current tax rate on food in Alabama over the next couple of years.
HB479, sponsored by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, will cut the state tax on specific food items from four percent to three percent beginning on Sept. 1, 2023. On Sept. 1, 2024, the rate will fall to two percent only if the Education Trust Fund (ETF) obtains a three-and-one-half percent rate in growth than the previous fiscal year.
Only foods that qualify under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are eligible for the tax reduction.
The legislation comes after years and decades of attempts to revoke the grocery tax. Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, who carried the Senate version of the bill said converging issues have made this the best time to pass the legislation. Those issues include families trying to overcome rising costs due to inflation and a surplus in the budget.
Garrett added that the bill would align Alabama with most states’ policies regarding taxing food. Alabama is one of 13 states that still tax groceries in the country and one of three that offers no form of relief on that tax.
There is a provision in the legislation that will immediately cap local taxes on food at their current rate when the bill is signed into law. This means that any local governing body would not be able to raise the tax on food higher but could still lower it.
Alabama Arise supported  repealing grocery tax for years
Alabama Arise has consistently supported repealing the grocery tax for years. Robyn Hyden, executive director for Alabama Arise made a statement about how thrilled her organization was that the bill passed and how it will help all Alabamians.
“Reducing the state sales tax on groceries will provide meaningful help for Alabamians who struggle to make ends meet. Alabama Arise is thrilled that legislators listened to the people by voting unanimously for this essential policy change. And we urge Gov. Kay Ivey to sign HB479 into law quickly. Arise members from every corner of our state have advocated relentlessly for decades for Alabama to untax groceries. We cannot thank our members enough for their persistent efforts to make this bill’s passage a reality.
“This grocery tax reduction will benefit every Alabamian. And it is an important step toward righting the wrongs of our state’s upside-down tax system, which forces Alabamians with low and moderate incomes to pay a higher share of their incomes in state and local taxes than the wealthiest households.
“We appreciate Rep. Danny Garrett, Sen. Andrew Jones and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth for guiding HB 479 through the Legislature. We’re thankful for Rep. Penni McClammy and Sen. Merika Coleman for championing legislation on this issue this year. And we’re grateful for former Rep. John Knight, former Sen. Hank Sanders, Reps. Laura Hall and Mary Moore, and so many other legislators whose determined work over so many years laid the groundwork for this moment.
“It will be important to ensure grocery tax elimination doesn’t harm our children’s education in the long term. The state grocery tax brings in more than $600 million a year for the Education Trust Fund. That’s about 7% of this year’s total ETF budget, making it a significant funding source for public schools.
“Revenues are strong enough for now to reduce the grocery tax without causing severe harm to education funding. But history tells us that good economic times won’t last forever. In the coming months, lawmakers should identify and agree to a sustainable solution to end the rest of the state grocery tax.”
HB209 dies in Alabama Senate
HB209 a bill that passed the Alabama House of Representatives, which would have restricted the people, who could help voters to apply for and cast absentee ballots, to closely related family members, died in the Alabama Senate on the last day of the session.
HB209 was presented by Republican sponsors as a way to end what they call “absentee ballot harvesting” in Alabama. It would have limited people, other than close relatives, from helping the sick and homebound, college students and people who work out of town, from applying for and casting an absentee ballot.
Black voting organizations like Alabama New South Coalition, Black Voters Matter and others felt that HB209 was another step in Alabama’s unrelenting campaign to suppress and curtail the voting strength of Black and progressive forces.
Rev. Robert Turner of Bullock County and Chair of the ANSC Board of Directors said, “I am glad that HR209 did not pass in this session. We must remain vigilant. Those who want to stop Black people from voting will continue to bring up these bills, which are designed to suppress our votes and make it harder for the homebound and those in nursing homes to vote.”
SB324 for Greene County gaming, dies in Alabama House
SB324, a bill sponsored by Senator Bobby Singleton, proposing a Constitutional Amendment to codify the operation of electronic historic horse racing machines in Greene County, which passed the Alabama Senate, died in the House Tourism Committee.
The Constitutional Amendment, which details the days on which machines are allowed to operate, taxes to be charged and distribution of funds, was subject to a referendum by Greene County voters. Greenetrack is currently hosting electronic historical horse racing machines, under license with the Greene County Racing Commission, based on prior para-mutuel betting legislation that permitted dog racing and simulcasting of dog and horse racing, in Greene County.
Representative Curtis Travis said, “We tried to pass SB324 in the Alabama House, but I was advised by the leadership that no gambling legislation would be allowed to pass in this legislative session. There were too many other priorities and too many new legislators was the reasoning that I was given. We will try again in the next legislative session.”

Dr. James Douglas Anderson, noted scholar of American education and Stillman College Commencement speaker, is a native son of Greene County

John and Carol Zippert interview Dr. James D. Anderson at the Democrat office

 

 

Exclusive Interview with the Greene County Democrat

By: John Zippert, Dr. Carol P. Zippert and Dr. Monty Thornburg


Dr. James D. Anderson visited his hometown of Eutaw, Alabama on Friday, May 5, 2023, just before presenting the commencement address at his alma mater, Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the next day. The Co-Publishers of the Greene County Democrat and an associate had the honor of interviewing this native son of Greene County on his life and important intellectual view of the changes in Black education in the South over his life time.
Anderson attended Carver School in Eutaw, from 1950 to his graduation in 1962. At that time, the school had grades 1 to 12 and was a segregated school for Black students. “ We had great and dedicated Black teachers, who were genuinely concerned about their students. There was no social promotion and many students were failed and had to repeat grades until they mastered the subjects.”
Anderson lived on Kentuck, a neighborhood north of the Eutaw City Hall. “My mother worked as a cook for the Wilkes Banks family. We lived in a small shack out behind the Banks’ house.

Until my junior year in high school, I walked to school, with my brothers, about two miles. It was an adventure and we learned along the way. But you could not be late because the principal locked the school door at the start of the school day. We did get school buses, like the white children already had, in 1960.”
Anderson recounted a story that speaks to his growing up in poverty in Greene County. “My mother was very upset, this was when I was in high school, when Wilkes Banks told her that her son had a future after school as his ‘yardman’, taking care of mowing his grass. My mother had greater expectations for me and did not want me to aspire as a servant for white people.”


Stillman College

He was a good student and graduated as valedictorian of his class in 1962. Anderson had not made any college applications because he did not have funds to attend college. Herman Hughes, his math teacher at Carver, who was a graduate of Stillman, went to speak with the Dean of Stillman and arranged a full scholarship for him to attend.
“As I was preparing to make my graduation speech at Carver, Mr. Hughes and the principal called me aside and into the office. I was fearful that they were going to tell me that I could not graduate but instead they explained that I had been awarded a full scholarship to attend Stillman.
This was the start of my academic career,” said Anderson.

Mr. Hughes was part of the family of Judge and Alverta Hughes of Mantua community of Greene County. Hughes went on from teaching math in Greene County to get a Ph.D. in Computer Science and became a Professor at Michigan State University. Anderson later reconnected with Hughes, when both served on the Stillman College Board of Trustees. He said that Hughes was a great inspiration to him as a math teacher and peaked his interested in majoring in math at college.
There is a fountain on the Thomas Gilmore Courthouse Square honoring Ms. Alverta Hughes for her contributions to Greene County.Anderson attended Stillman College during the turbulent 1960’s. “ I was among the Stillman students that joined Rev. T. Y. Rogers, civil rights campaign in Tuscaloosa. Rogers was the pastor of First African Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa and a close colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. I was with Rogers on ‘Bloody Tuesday’ when police and deputized white citizens attacked peaceful marchers trying to hold the city to its promise not to have segregated water fountains and restroom facilities in a newly constructed Federal courthouse.
‘Bloody Tuesday’ in Tuscaloosa is often compared with ‘Bloody Sunday’ in Selma as milestones in the civil rights movement in Alabama.
Anderson graduated from Stillman College in 1966. He switched majors from mathematics to sociology. He went on to graduate school in social studies at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. In 1967, he graduated with a teaching certificate and went to teach social studies in Chicago.” I was in a bookstore in Chicago) and purchased a book on the history of Black education. It raised more questions for me than gave answers. I went back to a fellowship at the University of Illinois, to study and answer my questions about the history of Black education. I found my passion. I stumbled into the field where I have made a lifetime contribution.”

Educational Leader and Scholar

Dr. James D. Anderson is the Edward William and Jane Marr Gutsell Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His scholarly career has focused mainly on the history of American education with a specialization in the History of African American education.

His book, ‘The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935’, won the American Education Research Association (AERA) outstanding book award in 1990. The AERA is the largest academic research organization in the nation.
Anderson has also authored hundreds of articles in educational journals about the issues of Black education from Reconstruction to the present day.
Anderson has served as an expert witness in a series of federal desegregation and affirmative education cases, including Jenkins vs Missouri, Knight vs Alabama, Ayers vs Mississippi, Gratz vs Bollinger and Grutter vs Bollinger. He has also served as an advisor to documentaries and PBS television programs on the history of education and African American schools over the past twenty years.
At the interview, Anderson observed, “My book on Black education has
already been banned in Florida by the actions of Governor Ron Desantis and the Florida State Legislature. This is part of an effort by some states to take our nation backwards and to remove the truth about Black history and Black education from our schools and colleges.”
In October of 2014, Dr. James D. Anderson delivered the AERA’s Brown Lecture, an annual commemoration of the Supreme Court’s historic 1954 school desegregation decision. In his lecture, Anderson speaks to the equivalence in work toward equality in education with work toward voting rights in our nation. He suggests that the periods of greatest educational equality were matched with the greatest periods of voting rights and progress for democracy.
He cites the progress during the Reconstruction period, after Emancipation until the turn of the century, when Black people championed public education for all people. This was also a period when Black people were able to vote and did vote, especially in the South, where there were large numbers of Black people. When Reconstruction ended and southern states adopted Jim Crow legislation limiting the Black vote and imposing school segregation, democracy and social change were stifled and reversed.
Anderson specifically laments the failure to adopt the first versions of the 14th amendment which would have guaranteed a right to vote for all men.
“We do not have a Constitutional right to vote, which has made it once again possible to weaken and destroy the Voting Rights Act of 1965, by the Supreme Court in the Shelby vs Holder decision and voter suppression legislation in many states. In many areas, the local politicians are discouraging voters by telling us that our vote doesn’t count or will not be counted. We have to go back to door-to-door organizing to educate and mobilize Black people to vote in every election,” said Anderson.

As the interview ended, so Dr. Anderson could meet with relatives still living in Eutaw, he said that, “The Black teachers that I had at Carver, were truly dedicated and interested in the students. We need more Black teachers in our schools. Some young people go through their whole K to 12 educational experience, without seeing a single Black teacher. We need to change this.

Four remaining bingo facilities distribute $615,868 for month of March

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 the Greene County Sheriff Department issued a listing of the bingo distributions for March, totaling $615,868.58 from four licensed bingo gaming facilities. The bingo facilities regularly distributing through the sheriff include Frontier, River’s Edge, Palace and Bama Bingo.
The recipients of the March distributions from bingo gaming include Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the cities of Eutaw, Forkland, Union, and Boligee, the Greene County Board of Education and the Greene County Hospital (Health System).
Sub charities include Children’s Policy Council, Guadalupan Multicultural Services, Greene County Golf Course, Housing Authority of Greene County (Branch Heights), Department of Human Resources, the Greene County Library, Eutaw Housing Authority, Historical Society, REACH, Inc., Headstart Community Service and This Belong To US.
Bama Bingo gave a total of $117,157.87 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $48,070; City of Eutaw, $9,250; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500, and the Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities, each received $1,034.22 including REACH, Inc. Community Service received $470.10 and This Belong to Us received $94.02.
Frontier (Dream, Inc.) gave a total of $114,995.01 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $48,070; City of Eutaw, $9,250; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500; Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities each received $870.53, including the Historical Society and REACH, Inc. Community Service received $395.69 and This Belong to Us received $79.14.
River’s Edge (Next Level Leaders and Tishabee Community Center Tutorial Program) gave a total of $117,157.06 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $48,070; City of Eutaw, $9,250.; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500; Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities each, $1,034.22, including the Historical Society and REACH, Inc. Community Service received $470.10 and This Belong to Us received $94.02.
Palace (TS Police Support League) gave a total of $266,558.44 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $111,426.26; City of Eutaw, $21,441.50; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $8,982.25; Greene County Board of Education, $24,339, and the Greene County Health System, $28,975. Sub Charities received $2,397.33, including the Historical Society and REACH, Inc. Community Service received $1,089.70 and This Belong to Us received $217.94.
The sheriff’s additional supplement for March from four bingo facilities totaled $81,303.76.

Newswire : State, federal law enforcement raid 14 casinos in Jefferson County

The Alabama AG’s Office obtained temporary restraining orders against the casinos, closing them for at least the near future.

By: Josh Moon, Alabama Political Reporter

State and federal authorities raided and closed 14 electronic bingo halls around Jefferson County this week, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at a press conference on Wednesday.
In a press release, Marshall said that his office obtained temporary restraining orders against all 14 businesses, which will keep them closed pending a court decision within the next two weeks. Law enforcement also confiscated more than 2,400 electronic bingo machines.
“The facilities shut down today were operating in blatant violation of state law, apparently without fear of reprisal,” Marshall said. “Our action this week came in response to numerous complaints about the trouble that illegal gambling has brought into these communities. These citizens deserve better. Allowing criminal enterprises to operate freely, in broad daylight, is offensive to the rule of law and will not be tolerated.”
The raids continue a decades-old argument over the legality of electronic bingo in the state. Numerous counties have passed bingo amendments that they believe give them the right to operate the games. Marshall and the state’s Supreme Court have disagreed, calling the games illegal slot machines.
AG Marshall continues to pursue a lawsuit to close electronic bingo establishments in Greene County, despite Alabama Constitutional Amendment No. 743, which legalized them under the supervision of the Sheriff. A sign posted on the William M. Branch Greene County Courthouse door says the next hearing in the Greene County case is set for May 4, 2023.
The electronic games, which are played at all Poarch Band of Creek Indians casinos, are legal under the federal definition of bingo and several states have also adopted that definition.
The raids this week were conducted by ALEA, the FBI and DEA.

Newswire: 25% of Black women, in survey, say they were denied job interviews because of their hair

Black women with different hair styles

Another quarter of Black women ages 25 to 34 surveyed said they were sent home from work because of their hair.

By Claretta Bellamy, NBC News

A majority of Black women say they feel they have to change their hair just to be taken seriously for job opportunities and in professional settings, according to a survey commissioned by LinkedIn and Dove.  
Approximately 1,000 Black women ages 25 to 64, both part-time and full-time employees, took part in the CROWN Research Study.
Some 66% of them said they had changed their hair for a job interview to lessen the chances of being passed over due to hair discrimination. Twenty-five percent of Black women said they believed they were denied a job interview because of their hair. 
When looking at the data, said Andrew McCaskill, a senior director of global communications and career expert for LinkedIn, workplaces need “to work better” for women in general, but especially Black women. This is particularly pertinent now that more Black women are opting to wear their natural hair instead of straightening their hair with chemical relaxers, which reportedly can increase the risk of developing uterine cancer.
Once they have landed their jobs, Black women with textured hair are twice as likely to experience microaggressions in the workplace compared to Black women with straight hair. And 25% of Black women ages 25 to 34 surveyed said they were sent home from work because of their hair. 
Black women and young Black professionals have shared conversations about their own hair journey through Dove’s #BlackHairIsProfessional campaign which, McCaskill said, provides a safe space to do so. In one LinkedIn post, a Black woman shared a screenshot of a message she received online criticizing her natural hair — saying she needs to “tone it down and make it flat” while also labeling the woman’s hair as “scary.” The woman shared her own selfie wearing her natural hair and said instead, she decided to “TURN IT UP & PUFF IT OUT!”  
Experiencing hair discrimination at an early point in a Black professional’s career can cause an automatic “disconnect of belonging” and a loss of confidence in their skills, McCaskill said. One example he cited is a young Black worker not getting the anticipated reaction for their work because the manager “is focused on something like their hair,” he said.
“What we know is that, as you get more mature in your career, you’re typically also more confident in your skills that you have and what you bring to the table,” McCaskill said. “For younger folks, these types of aggressions and microaggressions can cause real angst for them in terms of even to the point of doubting their skills and saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’”
Efforts to advance legislation have been implemented on a state and national level. The House passed the Crown Act last March to ban hair-related discrimination. California was also the first state to ban hair discrimination in 2019, with a list of other states following suit, including Massachusetts, which passed its anti-hair discrimination law last July. 
Companies can foster belonging among Black employees by “giving people space for their authenticity at work and being intentional about it,” McCaskill said. And most importantly, they need to “believe Black women when they have the bravery and courage to say that they are experiencing microaggressions and or hair discrimination at work.”
LinkedIn, McCaskill said, provides diversity, equity and inclusion courses on topics such as uncovering unconscious bias in recruiting and interviewing. But he also said Black professionals should protect their own identity and expression.
“If your authentic self and your authentic hair are not welcome in that space, that’s probably not a space where you will be able to thrive anyway, he said.” 

Bingo gaming distributes $$616,999.32 for month of January

The  Greene County Sheriff Department issued a listing of the bingo distributions for January, totaling $616,999.32 from four licensed bingo gaming facilities.  The bingo facilities regularly distributing through the sheriff include Frontier, River’s Edge, Palace and Bama Bingo.  The recipients of the January distributions from bingo gaming include Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the cities of Eutaw, Forkland, Union, and Boligee, the Greene County Board of Education and the Greene County Hospital (Health System). 
  Sub charities include Children’s Policy Council, Guadalupan Multicultural Services, Greene County Golf Course, Housing Authority of Greene County (Branch Heights), Department of Human Resources, the Greene County Library, Eutaw Housing Authority, Historical Society, REACH, Inc., Headstart  Community Service and This Belong To US. 
  Bama Bingo gave a total of $117,157.87 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $48,070; City of Eutaw, $9,250; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500, and the Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities, each received $1,034.22 including REACH, Inc.  Community Service received $470.10 and This Belong to Us received $94.02.
Frontier (Dream, Inc.) gave a total of $114,995.01 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $48,070; City of Eutaw, $9,250; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500; Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities each received $870.53, including the Historical Society and REACH, Inc.  Community Service received $470.10 and This Belong to Us received $94.02.
River’s Edge (Next Level Leaders and Tishabee Community Center Tutorial Program) gave a total of  $118,288 to the following:  Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $48,070; City of Eutaw, $12,543; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee  each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500; Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities each, $1,027, including the Historical Society and REACH, Inc.  Community Service received $467 and This Belong to Us received $92.
  Palace (TS Police Support League) gave a total of $266,558.44 to the following:  Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $111,426.26; City of Eutaw, $21,441.50; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $8,982.25; Greene County Board of Education, $24,339, and the Greene County Health System, $28,975. Sub Charities received $2,397.33, including the Historical Society and REACH, Inc. Community Service received $1,089.70 and This Belong to Us received $217.94. The sheriff’s supplement for January from four bingo facilities totaled $79,204.58

 

Newswire: Florida high school students threaten to sue Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis over AP studies ban

Gov. Ron Desantis of Florida

By Zack Linly, NewsOne

Three Florida high school students are threatening to file a lawsuit against the Sunshine State and its (alleged) white nationalist overlord, Gov. Ron DeSantis, over the state’s rejection of an Advanced Placement course on African American history—which, in this writer’s not-so-humble opinion, was rejected because DeSantis and his cohorts identify with the white, conservative and fragile, and that’s all that really matters.

“Certainly there are other advanced placement histories, such as AP European History, AP U.S. History and AP World History, all predominantly generated towards white people,” high school junior Victoria McQueen, one of the three students, said during a press conference, according to HuffPost.

And that’s exactly the truth. There’s nothing inherent about white-centered history that undermines American jingoism or the idea of American exceptionalism, so there’s never any real controversy there. (Unless you ask Black people who object to the romanticized way in which European history and American history tend to be presented at the expense of those who were historically oppressed during that history. But that doesn’t matter because we don’t matter. Our discomfort with white-centered curricula doesn’t matter. Our desire to see non-whitewashed history taught in schools doesn’t matter.)

Florida officials claim they’re only rejecting fringe ideology and indoctrination, as opposed to African American history, but when they’re advocating for unbridled patriotism and fighting anything that stands in the way of that, it’s clear that ideological indoctrination is just fine with them as long as it’s the right (pun absolutely intended) kind of ideological indoctrination

Anyway, the trio of students is being represented by none other than civil attorney Ben Crump.

“If (DeSantis) does not negotiate with the College Board to allow African American studies to be taught in classrooms in the state of Florida, these three young people will be the lead plaintiffs in a historic lawsuit,” Crump said.

Personally, I hope the lawsuit is filed and widely covered in the media. Even if the would-be plaintiffs lose the case, it will highlight the fact that neither DeSantis nor other Florida officials are waging their war against what they define as “wokeness” on behalf of the people—only their people.

Superintendent updates board on school enrollment and student and employee absenteeism

The Greene County Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting Monday, December 12, 2022, one week early due to Christmas holidays. The school system will closed Friday, December 16 and re-open Tuesday, January 3, 2023 for a Professional Development Day. Students return to classes on January 5.
Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones open his report to the board with an update on local school enrollment. As of December 12, Eutaw Primary has 275 scholars enrolled, not including the pre-K class. This is 22 students less than last year at this time. Robert Brown Middle has 340 scholars enrolled, nine more than last year; and Greene County High has 874 scholars enrolled, 16 less than the previous year. Jones noted that there are various factors that account the enrollment numbers, mainly that the county as a whole is losing population.
Dr. Jones then informed the board that the system is currently monitoring absenteeism of students and employees on a weekly basis. He presented this as an additional approach toward accountability. He noted that there are more absentees of students and teachers on a Friday. “I am directing my principals to monitor all attendance on a daily basis and submit weekly reports. We have procedures for monitoring student attendance, including conversations and home visits with parents/guardians by the school system’s Truancy Officer. The principals work directly with teachers regarding attendance issues” he stated. Jones said that the Career Center has the lowest absentee rates of students and employees.
Board member Robert Davis inquired as to student absence following the recent Tornado, which left approximately 15 families homeless. Superintendent Jones responded that excused absences are noted in the record and the school system will be assisting those displaced scholars.
Dr. Jones listed positive news for each of the district schools. Eutaw Primary scholars are currently in the process of completing the Aimsweb Assessment for mid year. Educators will utilize the data to plan whole group and small group instruction.
Robert Brown Middle School Girls Basketball Team is on the road to an undefeated season. So far they have won every game this season.
Greene County High School has 92% of scholars passing the Civics Exam on the first attempt, a requirement for graduation. The remaining scholars will test again on Thursday, Dec. 15. GCHS has exited Comprehensive Support and Improvement School (CSI), which means the high school no longer falls within the bottom 6% of Title I schools within the state’s accountability system.
The board approved the following personnel items recommended by the superintendent.
* School nurses receive payment to service students involved in extracurricular activities for 2022-2023 school year as needed.
* Ms. Dorthea Smith, long-term substitute teacher, 7th/8th grade Science.
FMLA Maternity Leave and Catastrophic leave for Demilia Snyder effective December 13, 2022.
The board the approved the following administrative items recommended by the superintendent.
* Payment of all bills, claims and payroll.
* Bank reconciliations as submitted by Ms. Marquita Lennon, CSFO.
* Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Imagine Learning, for 2022-2023 School term.
* Authorization between Greene County Board of Education and Encourage ACT, for School District.
* Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Triumph Learning.
* Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Nearpod Support License Renewal.
* Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Albireo Energy Service and Support Agreement Renewal.
* Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Sophos Antivirus Software Renewal.
* Extension of contract for Mrs. Evelyn James to consult/assist on an as needed basis until the end of fiscal year 2023.
* Encourage ACT-Resources to connect students with colleges and Universities Nation Wide.

Newswire : Brittney Griner Freed

Brittney Griner
President Biden at White House speaks with Cherrelle Griner , with VP Kamala Harris and SOS Anthony Blinken

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

After 294 days in Russian custody, including the past several weeks in a dreaded and dangerous penal colony, WNBA star Brittney Griner is free.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Griner’s wife at the White House, where they spoke with the basketball player on the telephone.
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She is on her way home,” Biden declared. The Biden administration secured Griner’s release after agreeing to a one-for-one prisoner swap that saw the president commute the 25-year sentence of notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The White House said it would continue efforts to bring home retired U.S. military officer Paul Whelan, who remains in Russian custody. Whelan has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years, and, recently, his family said they hadn’t heard from him. They were told he was transferred to a hospital, but the family doubted that explanation.
The deal to release Griner was consummated a week ago in the United Arab Emirates. Biden said Griner’s expected home in the U. S, at a military base in San Antonio , Texas for a medical review and debriefing.
“It’s a good morning,” the president exclaimed at a news conference where Vice President Kamala Harris and Griner’s wife, Cherelle, stood close. “After months of being unjustly detained and held under intolerable circumstances, she’s coming home,” Biden asserted.
The president said his administration “never stopped pushing for her release.” “It took painstaking and intense negotiations for her release,” Biden stated. He thanked the UAE for helping to facilitate Griner’s release and noted that’s where her plane landed after finally leaving Russia.

Biden noted that the past few months had been “hell” for Griner and her family. He said she’s in good spirits and relieved. “She lost months of her life,” Biden stated.
He said she deserves space, privacy, and time to heal in a not-so-subtle appeal to media members. Biden added that Griner wrote him in July, not asking for special treatment. “She said, please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees,” Biden said.
“We have not forgotten about Brittney and Paul Whelan. Biden emphasized that the one-for-one swap wasn’t America’s choice. He said he wished to bring Whelan and any other wrongly detained American home. “We have not yet secured Paul’s release. But we have not given up, and we will never give up,” Biden insisted.
“We’ll keep negotiating for Paul’s release in good faith. I urge Russia to do the same. My administration has brought home dozens of wrongly detained Americans and many who were detained before I took office,” Biden continued.
“Reunited Americans with their loved ones remain a priority. We will continue to work to bring home every American who endures such injustice.”
Cherelle Griner called Brittney’s plight one of the darkest moments of her life.
“Over the last nine months, you all have been privy to one of the darkest moments of my life. I’m overwhelmed with emotion but sincere gratitude to President Biden and his administration,” Cherelle Griner stated.
“Today, my family is whole. As you are aware, there are so many families who are not whole. BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, who remains in our hearts.”
As expected, civil rights activists, many in the sports world, and politicians applauded Griner’s release.
“This is long overdue,” Rev. Jesse Jackson declared. “This is a cause for global celebration and could be a step toward peace. Releasing prisoners and prisoner swaps as opposed to more bombing and killing is good news,” Jackson stated.
And fellow Democratic Texas Rep. Colin Allred called Griner’s release a relief.“Brittney Griner is coming home. This is a huge relief for Brittney and her family after months of uncertainty,” Allred said.
“I commend President Biden, Secretary [Antony] Blinken, the State Department, and all those who made this happen. We remain committed to getting every American detained abroad back home.”
The Black Press of America also saluted the Biden administration’s efforts in bringing Griner home. “The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) profoundly welcomes the release of Brittney Griner from a Russian prison,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. stated.
The NNPA is the trade association of more than 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies in the United States. “Brittney Griner was a political prisoner,” continued Chavis, the leader of the famed Wilmington 10, also political prisoners. “Thanks to the effective leadership of President Joe Biden, our beloved sister is now free,” Chavis declare

Newswire:Dusty Baker relishes first World Series title with Houston Astros, despite no Black players on either team

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Dusty Baker, Manager Houston Astros

One week after lamenting that there were no Black American players on either the Philadelphia Phillies or his Houston Astros in the World Series, Dusty Baker became only the third African American manager to lead a Major League Baseball team to a World Series title.
Cito Gaston of the Toronto Blue Jays, who won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, and Dave Roberts, who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the championship in 2020, are the only other Black managers to capture the Fall Classic.
Baker’s Astros dispatched the Philadelphia Phillies in six games, sending the city of Houston into a frenzy just five years after the team’s tainted World Series victory in 2017 under manager A.J. Hinch.
“I’m tired of hearing it,” Baker proclaimed after the Astros series clinching a 4-1 victory in Houston on November 5. “[Critics said] ‘He doesn’t do this; he doesn’t do that.’ All I heard about what I can’t do,” Baker stated. “But my mom and dad taught me perseverance. And you gotta persevere, you gotta believe in yourself.”
Born in 1949, Baker broke into the big leagues as a 19-year-old when he joined the Atlanta Braves in 1968. In a stellar career that spanned three decades, Baker was as feared a hitter as anyone. He earned two All-Star nods, won the Silver Slugger Award for best hitter at his position twice, and finished in the top 10 in the MVP race twice. Baker also won a Gold Glove and was part of the 1981 Dodgers team that defeated the New York Yankees in six games to win the World Series.
He managed the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, and Washington Nationals. Each team improved under his leadership.
Before winning the World Series, Baker noticed that the 2022 Fall Classic stood out as the first since 1950 that didn’t have an African American on either team.
“Nah, don’t tell me that,” Baker lamented.
“That’s terrible for the state of the game. Wow! Terrible. I’m ashamed of the game. Quote me. I am ashamed of the game,” reaffirmed Baker, an African American.
While Black players made up about 18 percent of all MLB rosters when researchers from TIDES first began assessing the league’s demographic data in 1991, Black players represented only 7.2 percent of all MLB players at the start of the 2022 season.
Researchers at TIDES – The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports – reported that the percentage of Black players “has been a serious concern for many years.”
TIDES reported that 38 percent of all players on Opening Day 2022 were players of color – approximately 28.5 percent Hispanic or Latino, 1.9 percent Asian, and less than 1 percent Hawaiian/Pacific Islander or Native American.
“Well, I don’t think that’s something that baseball should really be proud of,” Baker said. “It looks bad. It lets people know that it didn’t take a year, or even a decade, to get to this point.”
A baseball lifer, Baker has done all he could to make the sport look good.
Now enjoying his first World Series victory as a manager, Baker, 73, said he’d not only like to win a second before he retires, but he’ll continue to work to ensure more diversity in future Fall Classic games.
“I’m just grateful, really, for the trials and tribulations you go through to get to this and just grateful for my mom and dad for being tough on me,” Baker said.
“Also grateful for some of the enemies that helped motivate me to get to this point, you know what I mean? But, you know, with no malice or anything because that doesn’t do any good.”