Greene County Democrat

Tag: Probate Judge Rolanda Wedgeworth

  • Watoto Children’s Choir comes to Eutaw

    Submitted by Mrs. Miriam Leftwich

    Several months out of the year, Ugandan children travel with staff from the Watoto Ministries to cities around the world to share their stories of resilience. On Friday, January 17, 2025, their audience was residents of Greene and surrounding counties.
    Members of the Watoto Children’s Choir performed Ugandan songs and Christian contemporary music in Eutaw, Alabama at the New Generation Community Life Center. The Choir performed songs from their brand new album, Better Days-There is Hope. They sang, danced and shared their stories of restoration and hope. One child shared how her parents had died but she later found a new life with a community in the Watoto Ministry.
    Adult leaders had testaments as well, both said they too had found a family at Watoto, a ministry based in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala. Through Watoto, they were able to get a quality education. Both have earned their degrees in Management and Engineering.
    The Watoto ministries provides housing, education and health services for children in Uganda who have been abandoned when their parents have died or because of war and poverty. The Ministry has helped thousands of children. The audience was inspired by the stories of how the children have overcome a hurdle of hardships.
    Watoto Children’s Choirs have traveled extensively since 1994. In fact, almost every day of the year the choir is performing somewhere throughout the world. That means thousands of people get to meet some of our future leaders. As people see their smiles and are embraced by their hugs, the children have the privilege of telling people, “ No matter what you’re going through, Jesus is our hope and there are better days ahead. Look at what God has done in my life.”
    The group was invited by United Purposes, a non profit organization, to come and share this one of a kind experience with Eutaw and surrounding counties.
    Thank God for this awesome experience. Special thanks to Pastor Joe Webb for providing the facilities for the Choir’s performance, Deacon Frank Lewis and Lee Smith for their assistance at the center. Lt. Zackary Fluker, Chief Rex Flowers, of the Demopolis Police Department, Sheriff Joe Benison and the GC officers for coordinating escort for the Choir…that was a big deal to them; they were all so excited. Mrs. Phillis Belcher, representing the Industrial Board, was on site to welcome the group and provided snacks. Thanks to Ms. Mildred Gill, Ms. Belvin Thomas, Mrs. Gloria Young, Mrs. Nadeen Chess, and Mrs. Darlene Robinson for your assistance throughout the day; thanks to Ms. Cynthia Crawford for capturing the beautiful smiles, Eutaw Mayor Latasha Johnson, Judy Spree, Mary Leach, Dr. Carol Zippert, Leah Banks and Mr & Mrs. Ron Edwards, thanks for providing food & drink. Thanks to Probate Judge Rolanda Wedgeworth for attending, and to each and every attendee thanks for coming and supporting this program.
    A love offering in the amount of $1,065 was collected and presented to the Watoto Children’s Choir.

  • Local Referendum No.1 for property tax to support the Greene County Hospital and Health System will be on the November 3rd ballot

    Probate Judge Rolanda Wedgeworth confirmed to the Greene County Democrat on Friday, that there will be a Local Referendum No. 1 on the November 3, 2020 ballot to raise ad valorem property tax in Greene County by 4 mills to benefit the Greene County Hospital.
    John Zippert, Chairperson of the Greene County Hospital Board said, “We must pass this tax to support the hospital if we want to keep our hospital open and modernize and improve the services available from the hospital. In times of a global pandemic of coronavirus the need for a local hospital and related health facilities is clear.”
    Dr. Marcia Pugh, GCHS Administrator and CEO said, “Our financial reports show that the Greene County Health System has provided $100,000 a month in uncompensated care for Greene County residents. Funds from electronic bingo have helped to pay part of this but we are still going into debt each month to keep the hospital open.”
    She continued, “Our physical plant was built in 1961, 60 years ago. Since I have been Administrator, we have had to replace physical systems, like our sewage pipes, telephone system, computer systems, laundry machines, and other necessary services. We have upgraded our laboratory, X-ray machine, emergency room area and we are planning to improve our MRI and other imaging services. Some of this new tax money will go to modernize and improve our facilities and medical services.”
    This Local Referendum No.1 and six Statewide Amendments will be on the ballot for November 3, 2020 if you vote absentee or at the polls.
    “A 4 mil increase in taxes amounts to $4.00 per $1,000 of assessed valuation of property in Greene County. This is a small price to pay for a 24/7 emergency room, staffed by physicians, comfortable hospital rooms, laboratory, X-ray, up-to-date imagining, compassionate skilled nursing, and many other services,” said Zippert.
    Based on current valuations of property in Greene County, one mil of property tax will generate $160,000 in revenues, so passage of this referendum would provide $640,000 in needed revenues, each year, for the Greene County Hospital, beginning in 2022.
    Local Referendum No. 1 states: “The Greene County Commission resolved that, pursuant to Constitutional Amendment 76 (Sec.215.02) of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, the issue of a four (4) mil special county tax on each dollar of taxable property in Greene County for the construction, operation, equipping and maintenance of the public or nonprofit hospital facilities of the Greene County Health System shall be submitted to the electors of Greene County, Alabama on the November 3, 2020 General Election. If a majority o0f qualified electors participating in the election shall vote in favor of the referendum, then the said taxes shall be levied and collected and provided to the Greene County Health System.” The Greene County Democrat will include more information on this referendum in future issues. We also welcome your opinions, please write us Letters to the Editor on this tax referendum.

  • Town of Forkland receives $7,000 grant from Tombigbee RC&D for adult education program

    On Monday, April 22, 2019, the Town of Forkland received a $7,000 grant from the Tombigbee Resource, Conservation and Development district located in Tuscaloosa. The grant was to support the town’s adult education program.
    The program is primarily focused on providing seniors with computer training and other useful life skills to keep them involved and active in their community.
    “We have used these funds to provide laptop computers,training modules and screens and an instructor. We are serving over twenty students aged 63 to 83 who want to learn how to use computers and new technologies,” said Mayor Charlie McCalpine of Forkland.

    Mayor McCalpine said that the Town of Forkland appreciated the support and matching funds from Tombigbee RC&D which made the senior learning program possible and successful.
    Ms. Scheree Dasher, the class instructor indicated that, “When our seniors go to the doctor or Social Security office they are handed a computer tablet to sign in and many wanted to be able to handle these situations themselves. Others receive emails and other social media from their children, grandchildren, friends and other relatives which they also wanted to be able to read and answer.”
    The classes are three days a week with computers and on other days, the group does exercises, puzzles, drawing and some classes with a nutritionist and other specialists.
    Presenting the grant award to the Town of Forkland were Don Sherrod, Chair of the Tombigbee RC&D Board, who is also the Mayor of Pickensville and Bailey Sloan and Mckenzie Montgomery from the agency staff. Also attending the check presentation were: Tennyson Smith, Greene County Commission Chair, Probate Judge Rolanda Wedgeworth, Representative A. J. McCampbell, State Senator Bobby Singleton and others. The members of the class are gathered behind a large replica of the grant check.