Moundville program to showcase Alabama birds
Tuscaloosa News – May 26
The Saturday in the Park program at the University of Alabama’s Moundville Archaeological Park will explore Alabama’s native bird population with a bird of prey showcase, a birdhouse workshop for children and a birdcall demonstration. “This is a great opportunity for novice birders of all ages to come out and learn more about the birds in their backyard,” said Jordan Bannister, of Moundville Archaeological Park and AmeriCorps VISTA, in a released statement. The program is part of the ongoing 75th anniversary celebrations of the Jones Archaeological Museum this year that include weekend events, public lectures and other activities. The bird-themed program will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Becky Collier of the Coosa County 4-H will showcase some of Alabama’s predatory birds, including a bald eagle, during interactive raptor shows at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m, according to Amanda Morrow, education assistant at Moundville. Children will be able to decorate gourd birdhouses at a craft table in front of the Jones Archaeological Museum while supplies last.
Safety measures amp up as Memorial Day approaches
Anniston Star – May 22
Local and state law enforcement will increase their presence on Alabama roads as Memorial Day, and the inevitability of holiday motorists, approaches. According to data from the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama, 3,580 wrecks were reported for Calhoun County in 2011 — an average of nearly 10 vehicle accidents per day. On a holiday weekend such as Memorial Day, more traffic will mean more wrecks, said State Trooper Sgt. Steve Jarrett, commander of the Public Information/Safety Education Unit in Montgomery. … Nine deaths were reported on Alabama roads during Memorial Day weekend 2010, according to the center, with 10 deaths occurring over the same weekend in 2011. That’s more than twice the number of crash-related deaths in the state during the 2010-2011 Christmas holidays. In Alabama, someone is killed in a traffic accident every 9 hours and 44 minutes, according to the center’s data, and in 2011, Calhoun County reported 15 traffic-related deaths along with 1,189 injuries related to traffic accidents.
Calhoun County cities show three-year population decline
Anniston Star – May 22
Hundreds of residents left Calhoun County cities in the last three years, a new federal report estimates, but some economic experts doubt the exodus will hurt future job growth in the area. U.S. Census data released today shows the populations of Anniston, Oxford, Jacksonville and Piedmont dropped in 2013. The decrease is part of a three-year trend that, while due mainly to job losses, likely won’t deter industries from moving in or expanding in the area, some economic experts say. … Ahmad Ijaz, director of economic forecasting at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, agreed that the drop in local population could be in part due to a decrease in area jobs. However, Ijaz said the population drop will likely have no effect on the county’s future economic growth. “Absolutely not, economic development won’t be impacted,” Ijaz said. “If you look at Jefferson County, for instance, that population there has fallen too, but it has not had much economic impact.”
How Common Core became this year’s chief campaign issue
Anniston Star – May 24
Sen. Dick Brewbaker was one of the first Alabama politicians to sound an alarm against the Common Core State Standards. These days, he has some misgivings. “What I do regret is that it has morphed from an education issue into something else,” said Brewbaker, a Republican from Montgomery. “I don’t see how you get back to the point where you have some kind of rational discussion.” Few Alabamians had even heard of the Common Core, a multi-state set of academic standards designed to put schools across the country on the same page academically, when Brewbaker first came out against them in 2010 … University of Alabama political science professor William Stewart sees AEA as a likely source for the anti-Core money. He also said AEA isn’t talking so much about its real issues with the GOP leadership — disputes about teacher pay, school funding, and the private-school scholarship program Marsh set up, with state school money, last year. “I think it’s hypocritical because it’s another example of the AEA taking up an issue they don’t really support,” he said.
Alabama Governor Pushes Small Business Assistance
CPA Practice Advisor – May 26
A group of small business owners and politicians gathered at the Cullman, Alabama, Area Chamber of Commerce Friday to hear Governor Robert Bentley’s pledge to bring more assistance to locally owned shops. Bentley said he plans to unveil a new website soon to help small business owners and entrepreneurs find valuable information and assistance from the state. “We’ve announced 55,000 to 60,000 new jobs with industry, but we haven’t done a lot for small business,” Bentley told the audience. “There are a lot of good resources but people don’t know where to look.” The governor said he has asked the University of Alabama to put together a comprehensive website for business owners and those looking to start a business. He also said a telephone number would be established for those who prefer to call. “What we will roll out in two or three months is going to be a mode for the country,” Bentley said. The meeting Friday also provided business owners an opportunity to ask the governor questions about laws affecting small business operations.
Literary groups forming Ala. Writers Hall of Fame
Decatur Daily – May 25
Two Alabama literary groups are teaming up to launch an Alabama Writers Hall of Fame expected to be housed at the University of Alabama. The Tuscaloosa News reports (http://bit.ly/1taa5Gt ) the Alabama Center for the Book and the Alabama Writers’ Forum are collaborating on the project aimed at promoting the state’s literary history. Alabama Writers’ Forum Director Jeanie Thompson says the groups have been working on the idea for about two years. The Alabama Writers Hall of Fame is expected to be housed in the University of Alabama’s Gorgas Library. The groups are assembling a list of potential inductees and suggestions from the public are being accepted.