Martha Cook, longtime director of Rise School in Tuscaloosa, honored for 40 years of service
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 13
For many of the friends and colleagues of former Rise School Executive Director Martha Cook, it’s hard to imagine the preschool that caters to students with disabilities and their normally-developing peers without its longtime leader whose passion for the work was obvious. “She has definitely made the program what it is today,” said Franny Jones, interim director at Rise. “She has been there 40 years. It is what it is because of all her hard work.” Cook retired Dec. 1 from the school, which is located on the campus of the University of Alabama. On Friday, friends Nick and Terry Saban honored Cook for her work at Rise with a lifetime achievement award from their nonprofit Nick’s Kids Foundation. The award was part of a luncheon by the foundation to honor Tuscaloosa-area teachers for their service in and out of the classroom.
Great wall of trees keeps China’s deserts at bay
New Scientist – Dec. 13
CHINA is holding back the desert, for now. The Great Green Wall – a massive belt of trees being planted across China’s arid north in what might be the largest ecological engineering project on the planet – seems to work, according to a new study. “Vegetation has improved and dust storms have decreased significantly in the Great Green Wall region, compared with other areas,” says Minghong Tan of the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resource Research in Beijing. But whether planting trees is a long-term solution remains disputed. David Shankman of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa says it is not clear how permanent the Green Wall would be. “What is the mortality rate of planted trees? What happens when they die? And how do these trees affect grass and shrubs, which in general are more resistant to drought and more effective at erosion control? Tan agrees that the authorities should not just focus on increasing forests. “Grass may be better in most places in north China,” he says.
UA researcher finds that a fire can help relieve stress
WAFF-NBC (Huntsville) – Dec. 16
Could sitting in front of a fire relieve stress? University of Alabama professor of anthropology Chris Linn used more than 300 people to test his theory. The study concluded that people watching fire with sound had a lower blood pressure rate than the other control conditions, which means this holiday season it might not be a bad idea to gather the family around the fire to help reduce some holiday stress.
Made In Alabama’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide
Made In Alabama – Dec. 16
The holiday season is a perfect time to tap into the creativity and innovation of Alabama’s craftsmen and entrepreneurs. With that in mind, Made in Alabama is rolling out its second Holiday Gift Guide showcasing original homegrown products that are ideal for sharing with friends or family members this holiday season. Last year’s list featured items such as the celebrated James Bond pea coat from Florence-based designer Billy Reid, a bamboo bicycle made in Greensboro and the luxurious Mercedes-Benz GL-Class sport utility vehicle assembled in Vance. The memorable Alabama-made creations on this year’s list range from the world’s fastest production motorcycles to a rocking chair fit for a rock star and handmade ink pens that everyone, but particularly whiskey aficionados, will appreciate during the gift-giving season. … The Storm and the Tide After he toured the widespread devastation in Tuscaloosa a week after the April 27, 2011 tornado took the lives of 53 people, former Sports Illustrated writer and University of Alabama professor Lars Anderson knew he wanted to one day turn his initial six-page magazine story into a book. After the Alabama Crimson Tide football team went on to win the National Championship that same year, Anderson felt even more compelled to tell the story of how football was more than just a game, but rather, in this instance, a unifier and healer for not just the Tuscaloosa community, but also the team and its coaching staff.
Alabama Officials Boost Number of Troopers
Officer.com – Dec. 16
Drive too fast on Alabama’s highways this holiday season, and you might get pulled over … by the Marine Police. State officials say Alabama’s State Troopers’ numbers have been boosted this year by officers from other divisions of state law enforcement, putting more officers on the road than the state had last year or the year before. But it’s nowhere near enough to fix Alabama’s long-term shortage of troopers, one observer says. “I’ve been amazed by how low our numbers are, compared to similar states,” said Rick Davis, professor and head of the criminal justice department at Jacksonville State University. According to numbers released Monday by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, 404 sworn state police officers patrolled Alabama’s highways over the Thanksgiving weekend, one of the year’s biggest weekends for traffic. That’s more than last Thanksgiving, when 275 state troopers patrolled the roads, and more than in 2012, when 327 troopers were out on patrol … Alabama’s numbers have historically hovered between 400 and 500 officers, according to reports from various news outlets over the past 25 years. Collier, citing a study by the University of Alabama, said earlier this year that the state needs 870 troopers on the road. The current 290-trooper force is one-third that size.
WAFF 48 (Huntsville) – Dec. 16