A new study by WalletHub ranked Alabama’s schools 46th in the country. The study also gave Alabama a quality ranking of 44 and a safety ranking of 47. Alabama ranked among the bottom five states in math test scores and in the bottom 10 states for spending, WalletHub’s analysis considered 29 metrics that accounted for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials. Read more.
Birmingham residents will head to the polls on Oct. 8 to vote on the renewal of taxes that go to the city school system, but for citizens of Districts 1, 6 and 7, the election will have even higher stakes. They also will be electing councilors. Read more.
Alabama ranks poorly when it comes to food insecurity among seniors. In Jefferson County alone, more than 129,000 older adults struggle with hunger. A new grocery delivery program through the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama aims to improve seniors’ access to healthy food. Under the program, eligible seniors will receive 30 pounds of dry goods, canned fruits and vegetables, and fresh cheese delivered to their homes each month. The program is aimed at seniors who can’t afford to buy groceries or who live in areas where it’s difficult to find healthy food. Jamie McLynn, director of partnerships at the food bank, says seniors often have to make tough decisions. Read more.
With his job performance under a microscope, the state’s top environmental regulator has responded to criticism of his handling of a large fish kill on Warrior River tributaries and of 3M Company’s pollution of the Tennessee River. In a five-page letter sent this month to the Alabama Environmental Management Commission, which oversees the Department of Environmental Management, ADEM Director Lance LeFleur defended the response to those and other actions. The commission provides oversight for LeFleur’s department and has been taking public comments on his job performance through July. Read more.
When the last of the Jefferson County Commission’s budget hearings were complete Thursday, commissioners decided on a nonbinding, nonpartisan 3-2 vote to support the support budget for 2020, which allots discretionary funds to commissioners as well as money for transit, sewer fee assistance and other programs. Finance Chairman Joe Knight, a Republican, voted with Democratic commissioners Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson in favor of the action. Commission President Jimmie Stephens and Commissioner Steve Ammons voted no. The complete budget will be considered for official approval at the commission’s Aug. 8 meeting. Read more.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House last week passed a bill to set minimal standards for the government's treatment of migrants in its custody. Representatives voted 233 for to 195 against the bill, which now is on its way to the Senate. Alabama’s Republicans voted against the bill and Democratic Rep. Terry Sewell voted for it. The bill would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct medical screenings of migrants within 12 hours of their detention, or three hours for children, the disabled and pregnant women, and provide health care as warranted. Read more.
MONTGOMERY — A law requiring chemical castration for some convicted child sex offenders will go into effect in September but will not apply to many of the worst child sex offenders. Read more.
During the days of segregation, African Americans in Birmingham were restricted on where they could shop, eat, and do business. The historic Fourth Avenue District downtown became the place for the growing African American business community to set up shop. The community thrived with professional offices, barber shops, a bowling alley, motels, theaters and restaurants. Now there’s renewed focus on revitalizing the district. Read more.
With just 15 days before students arrive for their first day of school, the Birmingham Board of Education approved hiring more than 60 teachers. As a result of the approvals, Birmingham City Schools has filled all but 11 of the 150 teacher vacancies that were identified at the end of the 2018-19 school year, school Superintendent Lisa Herring announced during a special called board meeting July 23. Herring said that, in the face of a teacher shortage, successfully filling almost all of the teaching positions was an important moment to acknowledge. “That is extremely significant,” Herring said. “There are teacher shortages across the entire state.” Read more. Read more BirminghamWatch reporting on the teacher shortage: Alabama’s Teacher Shortages Reach ‘Crisis’ Level Behind Teacher Shortage: Fewer New Educators Graduating From Alabama Schools
Members of a House committee peppered former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III with questions about President Donald Trump’s displeasure over the decision by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from oversight of an investigation into Trump and whether Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election. Read more. Read coverage of the hearings: Trump Says ‘We Had a Very Good Day’ After Mueller Hearings End (Washington Post) Report Doesn't Exonerate Trump, Mueller Testifies, and He Could Be Charged After Leaving Office (ABC News) Mueller Offers Terse Answers, Uncertainty in Testimony (Associated Press) Robert Mueller Testifies (CNN)
