The Greene County Democrat - September 2, 2026-compressed

Newswire Doug Jones says his first act as governor will be expanding Medicaid By Chance Phillips, Alabama Political Reporter

Gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones hosts a town hall. Photo from the Doug Jones Campaign Speaking with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on an episode of the governor’s podcast, former Senator and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones said his “first act” as governor would be to expand Medicaid eligibility. Alabama is one of just 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid under subsidies first established by the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Expansion would extend eligibility to individuals earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. See Doug Jones, p. 6

Figures requests emergency hearing over Trump’s beef import policy By Mary Claire Wooten, Alabama Political Reporter

Greene County principals report a great start to the school year The Greene County Board of Education met this past Thursday to discuss attendance records, professional development, and upcoming testing after Labor Day. Superintendent Dr. Timothy Thurman welcomed the principals of each Greene County School to provide status reports to the board and attendees. Each principal reported an exciting start to the school year and said they are eager to continue cultivating an environment where students feel loved and teachers are appreciated. The meeting began with the school board’s financial report. Marquita Lennon, CSFO, reported all accounts as reconciled with no fraudulent activity. As of August 27, 2026, the school board’s combined ending funding balance was reported as $9,034,805.25. Local revenue brought in $329,079.18. Mrs. Lennon extended thanks to the Greene County Racing

Principals of Greene County Schools from left to right: Mrs. Perry, Mrs. Smoot-Bryant, Dr. Harris, and Mr. Morton Commission for a quarterly donation of $195,000 to the board’s general fund. Superintendent Dr. Thurman began his report by inviting the principals from each school and the career tech center to address the board and attendees. Testing days from the previous school year are already being used to provide academic intervention for the

county’s students. Administrators have begun professional development sessions to analyze the student data for after school enrichment with talks of providing a Saturday school session. Principal Andrea Perry from Robert Brown Middle School reported that 305 students are currently enrolled. She stated that all

students are being given a fresh start with the school’s theme “Level Up: Unlocking our Potential.” She announced that the main office is giving birthday shout-outs to every student, and congratulated the boys football team on their most recent win. See School Board, p. 2

Greene County

The Democrat Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Vol. 135, No. 34

75¢ Serving West Alabama Like No Other Community Newspaper

Sewell blasts SCOTUS ruling clearing path for mail-in voting reforms U.S. Representative Shomari Figures U.S. Representative Shomari Figures, D-Alabama, is asking Congress to take a closer look at President Donald Trump’s decision to allow 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef into the United States, warning that the policy could hurt Alabama cattle producers and threaten the long-term stability of the domestic beef industry. See Shomari Figures, p. 6

Lawsuit claims woman left in ER lobby at DCH Northport delivered stillborn alone in bathroom By Stephan Dethrage, Tuscaloosa Thread

The Alabama Democrat said Trump’s order would sow confusion weeks before the midterms and vowed to fight new limits on absentee ballots. By Wesley Walter, Alabama Political Reporter U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, spoke out last Tuesday against a U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened a path for mail-in voting restrictions sought by the Trump administration to take effect ahead of the November midterm elections. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Monday that

Terri Sewell speaking before the U.S. House 23 states and the District of curity to create state-byColumbia lacked standing state lists of U.S. citizens to challenge President and directs federal authoriDonald Trump’s executive ties to prioritize investigaorder. The court did not tions and prosecutions rule on the legality of the involving election officials order itself. who provide federal ballots The order directs the De- to people who are not eligipartment of Homeland Se- ble to vote. It also directs

Authorities said a man was killed when three people were shot in Eutaw late Monday night. Investigators said the shooting happened around 10 p.m. at a home on Levi Morrow Senior Court in the Branch Heights community. Authorities say they're investigating a homicide

that also left two others injured in Eutaw. Authorities have been searching for a suspect in the shooting. The crime is being investigated by the Major Crimes Unit in the 17th Judicial Circuit, who has declined for now - to release the names of the victims. Investigators said they are in the early stages with

the U.S. Postal Service to implement new requirements for mail-in ballots, including limiting delivery to voters included on statesubmitted lists. States challenging the order argued that the Constitution gives states and Congress authority over federal elections and that the president’s directives could disrupt election administration. Litigation over the order remains ongoing, and lower-court rulings could still affect whether its provisions take effect before the November election See Congresswoman Terri Sewell, p. 7

A man is dead, and two people are injured after a shooting

A medical malpractice lawsuit filed Friday afternoon in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court alleges that staff at DCH's Northport Medical Center left a young, pregnant woman in the emergency department waiting room for roughly four hours last summer, never checked her baby for a heartbeat and never gave her an exam by a physician before she ultimately delivered her stillborn baby alone in a lobby bathroom. DCH Lawsuit, p. 6

The bill headed to Newsom’s desk that could force corporations to confess their slavery ties By Phenix S Halley, The Root

For generations, the names of companies that profited from slavery have largely remained buried in old records, archives and history books. California lawmakers now want some of those companies to put that history on the record. California lawmakers have passed legislation that would require certain large companies doing business in the state to disclose whether they or their predecessors profited from slavery-era transactions. See Slavery Ties, p. 6

this case and the search is on for the suspect. “It’s being investigated at this time. There haven’t been any arrests made, and that’s our priority right now is to track people down. Hopefully we’ll make some arrest. I think everyone just needs to remain calm and let the Major Crimes Unit do

what we need to do,” said 17th Judicial Circuit district attorney Rachel England. England said there is no reason to believe anyone else is in danger and they don’t believe this was a random attack. See Crime, p. 3

Tigers rally past Choctaw, 22–14, in season opener (1-0) By Joe L Powell and Ke’Undra Cox BUTLER, Ala. — Greene County High School opened its season with a statement Friday night, overcoming an early two-touchdown deficit to defeat Choctaw High School, 22–14, on the road. Choctaw controlled the opening quarter and appeared poised to run away with the game early. With 6:12 remaining in the first, quarterback Roderick Crawford connected with Miles Ray on a 40-yard touchdown pass. The Tigers’ two-point conversion attempt failed, giving Choctaw a 6–0 advantage. The home team struck again with 1:39 left in the quarter when Tracey Poke broke free for an 80-yard touchdown run. Crawford followed with a successful two-point conversion, extending Choctaw’s lead to

14–0. But Greene County refused to fold. The Tigers’ comeback began on special teams with 9:30 remaining in the second quarter. Eric Williams blocked a Choctaw punt, resulting in a safety and putting Greene County on the board.

Greene County’s offense then found its rhythm. With 7:10 remaining before halftime, quarterback Prentice Taylor Jr. kept the ball and raced eight yards for the Tigers’ first touchdown. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful, but Greene County had cut the deficit to 14–8.

Less than a minute later, Taylor struck again—this time through the air. With 6:51 remaining, he connected with Cornelius Hunter for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Another unsuccessful two-point attempt left the game tied at 14. See GCHS Tigers, p. 2

School Board

Page 2, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Carol’s Notes Voting For Life Can it be that we enrich our bloodstream when voting is encased in the body’s arteries The life flow that begins fueling the brain, The heart, all organs and body functions Voting pumps that adrenalin signaling we must Fight to live and let live Can it be that we alert our instincts to survive When voting is embraced as the path to freedom The God-given reasoning that assures our worth, Our purpose, our pursuit of peace and happiness Voting pumps that adrenalin signaling we must Fight to live and let live Can it be that we claim our roles as stewards of the diverse beauty and richness of this Earth When our voting voices secure the natural habitats Of all creatures placed here to live and contribute Voting pumps that adrenalin signaling we must Fight to live and let live Can it be that when we submit to a Higher Power Our voting voices carry the value of Holiness Redeemed through blessings manifested in our Locked spirits yearning for the freedom of a good life Voting pumps that adrenalin signaling we must Fight to live and let live We vote for life

Carol Prejean Zippert

GCHS Tigers The Tigers continued to apply pressure as the quarter progressed. With 4:20 remaining on the clock, Taylor broke loose on a 28yard quarterback keeper, helping set up a one-yard scoring opportunity as Greene County completed its turnaround. After surrendering 14 unanswered points in the opening quarter, Greene County’s defense shut Choctaw out the rest of the way as the Tigers secured the 22–14 victory. Taylor Leads Greene County Offense Taylor turned in a strong performance under center,

completing 14 of 23 passes for 174 yards while also making an impact with his legs. Chance Richardson accounted for 92 receiving yards, Javeon Carpenter added 50 yards and Quentin Walton finished with 28. On the ground, Rodney Banks carried the ball six times for 49 yards, while Walton added 30 yards on two carries. Greene County also made several game-changing plays defensively and on special teams. Cornelius Hunter returned an interception 35 yards, while Roderick Bulock recorded

one solo tackle and seven assists. Lathuren Peebles contributed one solo tackle, six assists and a sack, and Javeon Carpenter added five assists along with a blocked punt. The victory gives Greene County an impressive start to the season,not simply because of the final score, but because of how the Tigers responded after falling behind 14–0. Greene County will return to the road for its next matchup against Dallas County High School, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

Renaissance Theater Presents:

Eutaw Primary’s Principal Dr. Brittany Harris reported that 286 students are currently enrolled with an average of 270 students per day and only 2 no shows. Third grade teachers are analyzing ACAP data and participating in professional development for ireading data. Ready Teachers are using the data for their after school enrichment program that already has 85 sign-ups. Career Tech Center Principal Joann Smoot Bryant reported that 37 students are currently enrolled in welding, cosmetology, and health science access programs. Twelve students will begin CNA clinicals at Greene County Hospital in January. The JAG Program has also begun to provide career readiness support by educating students on how to remain focused and make positive decisions. She also stated that Troy and Miles College will be visiting next month. Principal Alphonzo Morton III of Greene County High reported “positive energy and strong collaboration” throughout the school. On Fridays, students are given shout-outs for supporting their classmates and taking pride in their school environment. Principal Morton also told attendees that the GEAR UP program is returning for the 10th grade students. The district’s after school program begins

September 8th from 3:155:15 Monday-Thursday. Students will receive academic support, enrichment activities, and explore post graduate career paths. Snacks will be provided. The board approved the following action items: Updated Additional Service Salary Schedule FY 2026 Service contract between Greene County Board of Education and Zachary Rutledge to develop and provide a Dual Enrichment (Welding Level I Lab) program for students at a rate of $250 every other Friday at Greene County Career Center, for the 2026 – 2027 school year Quote in the amount of $14,987 from Divot Assets for district-wide inventory services and software renewal Quote in the amount of $30,310 from RTI for the purchase of Chromebooks for GCHS Quote in the amount of $16,990 from PowerUP EDU for ActiveFloor Mobile Max Laser: Power Edition 1 to be installed at RBMS Implementation of two Saturday School sessions per month at Robert Brown Middle School from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Mar-

quita Lennon, CSFO When the floor was opened for public comments, Greene County Park and Recreation (PARA) Director Tyesha Weeks also expressed excitement for the changes to the school system. “I can see the change all the way across the board,” she stated. PARA plans to regularly donate to the student athlete’s hydration station and offer additional support to athletics and other extracurriculars. Coach Wesley and Coach Crawford brought concerns to the board regarding the athletic department. They explained that to truly have success and growth on each team that more coaches are necessary. The few coaches the district has are stretched thin and competing against teams that have upwards of seven coaches. A parent of a student athlete at Robert Brown also raised a concern with feeding students before and after games. The board encourages parents, staff, and supporters to attend all public meetings. The next regular session is scheduled for September 21st. There are also two budget hearings for the 2027 fiscal year on September 8th and September 10th at 4:00 pm. Please visit us online to view the personnel report at greenecodemocrat.com

Community Calendar September 27-St. Paul United Methodist Church will host their Annual Homecoming Program at 2:00 p.m. Pastor Phrelle O. Fowler of Morning Star Church, Holt, AL, along with his Choir and congre-

gation, will be the guest speaker. Pastor LaYonya M. Brown is the church pastor. The public is invited. October 18- Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church

cordially invite you and your church family to join use as we celebrate our 97th Church Anniversary the Rev. Antwon Plott will be the guest speaker, at 2:00 p.m. Rev. Kenneth Gilmore church pastor.

Death of a Fat Man A novel by Senator Hank Sanders Available at The Greene County Democrat $26 plus $4 shipping and handling

Contact:The Greene County Democrat P.O. Box 598, Eutaw, AL 35462

THE HELP

-Wanted-

Friday, September 4 at 6:00 pm FREE ADMISSION 220 Prairie Ave. Eutaw, AL 35462. (205)-723-9821

Carol Zippert’s Poetry Books Available Signed copies of Carol P. Zippert’s second book of poetry are available through the Greene County Democrat Meeting Myself ‘Round The Corner published by New South Books, Montgomery, AL Carol’s first book, I Don’t Want To Be Rich, Just Able is also available through the Democrat Poetry Book Order Form

Please Send ______ Copies of poetry book, Meeting Myself ‘Round The Corner, at $20; plus $5.00 shipping & handling to: ______ Copies of poetry book, I Don’t Want To Be Rich, Just Able at $20; plus $5.00 shipping & handling to: Name________________________________________ Address______________________________________ _______________________________________ Mail to Carol P. Zippert, P.O. Box 82; Eutaw, Alabama 35462

PUBLIC NOTICE Greene County Board of Education will conduct the following budget hearings for Fiscal Year 2027: Budget Hearing #1 Tuesday, September 8, 2026 Beginning at 4:00 p.m. Budget Hearing #2 Thursday, September 10, 2026 Beginning at 4:00 p.m. Both hearings to be held at: Board of Education Central Office 220 Main Street Eutaw, AL 35462 The public is invited.

Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Boligee, Alabama is prayerfully seeking a full-time pastor to lead and grow our membership through preaching, teaching, shepherding and providing overall spiritual leadership. It is required that the chosen male pastor is Holy Ghost-filled and is married to a female wife. Please send resumes and inquiries to: Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church, PO Box 158, Boligee, AL 35443. (Placing this ad is Deacon Detrick Hodges. My phone number is 205-496-9523.)

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Page 3

Abraham Turner Family Reunion held at Boligee Community Center

Children’s Policy Council details local needs assessment and upcoming September conference

Nichole McCants and Judge Osborne The Greene County Children's Policy Council (CPC) met on Monday, August 26th at 10:00 am in the W.M. Branch Courthouse. Members discussed upcoming initiatives for Greene County’s youth and families as well as progress within each committee. Attorney Tonjula Carey, district judge-elect, opened with a meditation for policy council members. The theme cautioned against burnout and reminded attendees to take time to replenish themselves. This can be done by setting boundaries, gently slowing down, and permitting ourselves to clear away what no longer serves us. Program Director of Community Outreach and Engagement from the Alabama Department of Family and Childhood Education, Nichole McCants, informed attendees with updates from the Alabama Children’s Policy Council. She announced that a conference would be held September 21-22, 2026. The event will feature a guest speaker and opportunities for attendees to earn Continuing Education Units approved by the

National Board for Certified Counselors. Judge Lillie Jones Osborne will be awarded the Champion for Children Award at the event for her CPC work: Little Library, Little Outdoor Pantry, and Read Greene Read. Greene County will be featured in the CPC newsletter for these initiatives. McCants also detailed the results of the Greene County needs assessment for the upcoming year. The top three categories are mental health, parental involvement and family engagement, and substance use. She encouraged the council to visit Alabama Family Central online for resources that are curated by county and can upload their own agency. Following Nichole McCants updates, the floor was opened for updates from the council’s committees: early care, education, health, strengthening family, safety, parental involvement, and economic security. Judge Osborne gave updates for early care and education, informing attendees that the council paid for children to attend other camps instead of host-

ing and coordinating their own. She stated that the One Book, One Community reading of Imagine That and The Square Nosed Pig was a huge success. The next reading event will be held in December, and the council is searching for community members to come read their favorite stories. The council also partnered with Eutaw Housing Authority to give all children a school supply-filled backpack to begin the year. They are currently in search of mentors for students at Robert Brown Middle School starting in September. The council hopes to send every student to the Legacy Museum in Montgomery this year as well. Following Judge Osborne’s updates, Mildred Morgan with Strengthening Families reported eight families graduating from their spring session. She stated that to hold a session this fall, the program needs four more volunteers to lead the parent and teen class. Safety Committee leader Jeremey Rancher plans to speak with student athletes about drinking and substance abuse during homecoming weekend, on October 9th. He wants to organize regular sessions throughout the school year during periods when teens will be out of school or out late to deter dangerous behavior. The floor was then yielded to the council’s agencies and supporters. Alabama Department of Public Health representative Janise Norman came to remind the council of her Safe Sleep Initiative. The program includes safe sleeping arrangements for infant families and safe sleep training sessions. She can be reached at (205) 7596166 or Janise.Norman@adph.state. al.us The council is eager for project ideas that meet the needs of children and families in Greene County. The next meeting will be held on October 19th. To learn more about the policy council and its resources, visit: https://www.alcpc.org/

Crime The Greene County Sheriff Department reported the following arrests. 8/27- Jessica Robinson 35, of Eutaw, AL was arrested for assault 3rd degree. Robinson was released on a bond of $2,000. 8/27- Deion Miller 29, of Boligee, AL was arrested for assault 3rd degree.

Miller was released on a bond of $2,000. The Greene County Sheriff Department reported the following incidents. 8/27- Deion Miller reported assault 3rd degree. 8/27- Jessica Robinson reported assault 3rd degree. 8/28- Robert Hughes reported theft of property 2nd degree, Item Stolen:Smith

& Wesson 9MM valued at $400. 8/28- Rosie Mays reported an incident. 8/30- Dav’feshia Simmons reported assault 3rd degree. 8/31- Carolyn King reported fraudulent use of credit/debit card.

Support Our Advertisers

August 28 and 29, 2026 The Abraham held their family reunion celebration at the Boligee Community center friends and family gathered that Friday night for a meet and greet followed by a pinci that Saturday morning. A Banquet Dinner was held that evening with mrs. Ann Abrahma Lindsey served as mistress of ceremony. Mayor Hattie Samuels and County Commissioner of District 5 Roshanda Summerville presented Proclamation. Hounston Byrd recognized all the Abrahm Veterans and Mrs. Ann Abrahm Lndsey thanked

everyone for coming out and celebrating their Family Reunion and time of reflecting and reminiscing was had by all. In the early 1800’s, there were three brothers born in Ethiopia, Africa, who were brought to the United State of America (to Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama, as research indicates). They were sold by their slave masters many times before they settled in Faunsdale, Alabama. Jacob Abraham was the oldest of the the three brothers who were brought as slaves to the United State, from Ethiopia, Africa in 1880, according to the 1880 Hale

County Census Bureau.) Jacob was sold in Georgia and brought to Alabama by his slave master. Years later Jacob (Jake) married Francis Minge Abraham. To the marriage were born 2 daughters, Bessie and Julia and 4 sons, James, Jr., Isiah (Ike) Bill and Peter. James and Isiah became preachers. They are believed to be buried in Boligee, AL. Jacob Abraham was the father of Julia Abraham Turner. Billy (Uncle Billy) Abraham married Celia William Abraham; they had no children, but Celia and Bill raised one child Mary Porter, Jones-Gibson daughter of Matilda PorterAbraham. Isiah (Ike) Abraham,Jr. married Elzetta Abraham, Ike is called Papa Ike. Isiah and Elzetta have 1 son named Peter Timothy Abraham Sr., who raised 8 children. The sponsors of the Abraham Family Reunion are the grandchildren of Peter Timothy Abraham, Sr. Children are deceased Mary Abraham Gibson, Isaac (Buster) Abraham, Elijah Abraham, Peter Abraham, Jr., Lillie B. Abraham Ivory, Lucille B Abraham Ivory, Jessie Lee Scott and Sid Scott Grandchildren Roosevelt Jones, Ann Abraham Lindsey , Ernestine Byrd, Janie Kettrell Williams, Wihelmina Abraham Porter, Matilda Abraham, Vera Brown and Sid Scott, Jr.,

Page 4, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Greene County The Democrat

The debt is high. Who will pay?

The Greene County Democrat newspaper is published each Wednesday by the Greene County Democrat Newspaper Company, Inc., 206 Prairie Avenue, Eutaw, Alabama (USSR 700680). Subscription rate in county is $25 per year; elsewhere in Alabama, $30; and out of state, $35. Publishers: John and Carol Zippert Editor: Maya Quinn Office Manager: Barbara Hunter The Greene County Democrat 206 Prairie Avenue P.O. Box 598 Eutaw, AL 35462 Phone: 205-372-3373 Fax: 205-372-2243 Website:greenecodemocrat.com & facebook

African-American Studies is the foundation of democratic movements and a guide to resistance; it cannot be erased

By Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League (TriceEdneyWire.com) - “A people without the knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” - Marcus Garvey When I graduated high school in New Orleans, America was a different place. Black Americans were all but locked out of economic opportunity because of the color of our skin and the racial caste system that saw us as no more than servants to White Americans; many of whom benefited financially and socially from our enslavement for centuries. Growing up in a city rife with segregation, I channeled my frustrations into my studies. When I enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution that was built in part by enslaved people, my people, I knew the best way to reengineer the system was by understanding how it worked and its connection to the conditions of Black Americans in this country. My double major was in economics and African American Studies. That education prepared me to become a leader who understood that, for America to progress as a nation, it had to provide pathways to financial independence, safety, and sustainability for the people who built it. It was clear to me that at every juncture in this nation’s history where African Americans began to create opportunity for themselves, the efforts were cut off systemically or with physical violence, as we saw in the case of the bombing of Tulsa in 1920. The fallout from these events, and from policies that blocked the ballot box like literacy tests and poll taxes, has shown us that every effort to stifle us leads to cultural disarray and stalls our ability to move forward. Yet, today, we find ourselves once again succumbing to infighting about the same struggles we could have extinguished generations earlier by tackling systemic racism and its impact on our economy, our standing in the world, and our collective understanding of one another. We have an administration that entered a zero-sum game targeting diversity initiatives with executive orders that so thinly veil their racism it's laughable. The result of those orders has been a massive spike in unemployment, creating a ripple effect through our entire economic system. It’s been cuts to university budgets and to schools that are simply trying to uphold our nation’s values of ensuring that all Americans have access to the American dream regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or faith. Those cuts have stifled essential medical breakthroughs, cancer research, clean energy development, and the development of equitable, ethical artificial intelligence. The next victim in the cutting spree is African-American studies. The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Iowa, and the University of Kansas are just a few institutions that are shuddering or consolidating their AfricanAmerican studies programs in this climate. Some are citing low enrollment as a reason for their reductions. But it is impossible to ignore the threats of budget cuts and the evaporation of essential federal dollars from an administration circling diversity programs like a hawk. The restrictions have been so significant that simply mentioning the words “black,” women,” “disabled,” or “inclusion” can risk financial ruin. See Marc Morial, p. 7

By Julianne Malveaux (TriceEdneyWire.com) The national debt has passed $40 trillion—that is $40,000,000,000,000, a number with more zeroes than most of us can comfortably count. The Congressional Budget Office projects a federal deficit of $1.9 trillion this year. We will spend more than $1 trillion simply paying interest on the debt—money that cannot be spent repairing bridges, educating children, housing families, or providing health care. The numbers are sobering. But whenever politicians start hyperventilating about debt, Black folks had better hold on to our wallets. Debt matters. Deficits matter. But they do not seem to matter equally. The deficit hawks are strangely silent when Congress passes tax cuts tilted toward corporations and wealthy people. They misplace their calculators when the Pentagon wants billions for weapons it cannot adequately account for. They rarely ask whether subsidies to profitable corporations are affordable. But mention food assistance, Medicaid, Head Start, or affordable housing, and suddenly the sky is falling. The CBO estimates that the 2025 reconciliation law and related debt-service costs will add $4.7 trillion to projected deficits. Yet some of the lawmakers who supported it now say “tough choices” must be made. Their tough choices almost always require sac-

rifice from somebody else. We ought to ask three questions: Why did we borrow? Who benefited? And who will be forced to pay? The government borrows by selling Treasury bills, notes, and bonds to individuals, banks, pension funds, the Federal Reserve, and domestic and foreign investors. The danger is not that somebody suddenly presents America with a $40 trillion bill, but that refinancing the debt becomes increasingly expensive and interest payments crowd out other priorities. Borrowing is not automatically bad. A government may appropriately borrow during a recession, war, or public health emergency. It may borrow to modernize transportation, strengthen schools, expand broadband, or make investments that increase future productivity. Debt used to build something can generate growth that helps repay it. But borrowing to finance tax giveaways is another matter. Borrowing while refusing to collect taxes already owed is another matter. Borrowing because politically connected corporations treat the Treasury like their private ATM is another matter. Borrowing for this President’s vanity projects is something else again. Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix did not create our $40 trillion debt, but it illustrates the hypocrisy of people who preach austerity while spending public money on spectacle. Corporate sponsors reportedly covered most of the racing bill, but taxpayers will absorb undisclosed costs for policing, emergency services, and traffic control. Downtown workers and commuters also endured weeks of construction, street closures, and transportation changes. Trump rode around the track in the

presidential limousine and waved the green flag; the public will get part of the bill. The federal government is not a household. Unlike you or me, it issues currency and can spread the cost of investments across generations. Still, it cannot borrow without consequence forever. The danger is not simply the size of the debt, but how our nation will respond to it. When Washington embraces austerity, Black people feel the sharp edge first. We are more likely to work in the public sector, where cuts mean layoffs and frozen wages. We are more likely to depend on public schools, public hospitals, public transportation, and Medicaid. We are less likely to have inherited wealth to cushion a job loss, medical emergency, or rent increase. According to the Federal Reserve, only 38 percent of Black adults had enough emergency savings to cover three months of expenses in 2025. The comparable figure for white adults was 61 percent. That gap is not the result of Black people being less disciplined with money. It reflects enslavement, exclusion, discrimination, redlining, unequal pay, and the systematic denial of opportunities to accumulate and transfer wealth. When government withdraws, households fill the hole. A cut in college assistance becomes a student loan. Reduced health coverage becomes a creditcard balance. Inadequate public transportation becomes a high-interest car note. A shortage of affordable housing becomes punishing rent or an unaffordable mortgage. Public austerity becomes private debt. And private debt does not land evenly. Black borrowers are more likely to pay higher interest rates,

face higher fees, and have fewer favorable credit options. Even Black people with solid incomes may carry additional obligations because we are helping relatives whom discriminaexcluded from tion wealth-building opportunities. This is one form of the “Black tax.” The successful Black household too often becomes a miniature social-welfare system because the larger system has failed. The national debt is measured in trillions, but Black families experience its consequences in smaller, more brutal numbers: the minimum creditcard payment, student-loan balance, late fee, overdraft charge, rent increase, and prescription that must wait until payday. We cannot dismiss a $40 trillion national debt. But neither should we allow fiscal responsibility to become a code phrase for racial and economic cruelty. A serious debt-reduction plan would close tax loopholes, fund tax enforcement, curb wasteful military spending, and end unnecessary corporate subsidies. It would invest in jobs, education, infrastructure, and health because a stronger economy generates revenue. Most importantly, it would not balance the budget on the backs of people who received the fewest benefits. The debt is high. Choices must be made. But before Black America is ordered to tighten its belt again, perhaps the people feasting at the federal trough should be asked to leave the table. Fiscal responsibility should begin at the top. And if austerity is required, sacrifice should begin there, too. Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author.

Two Civil Rights men, different parties, one Bill of Rights

By Ben Jealous (TriceEdneyWire.com) Most gun deaths in this country are suicides. We argue about guns as if they were all murders. When I was a boy two brothers lived on our block and we ran together every weekend. Ball in the street, made-up games, War! Then one day they were gone. My buddy said their father had lost his job at the tire factory and taken his own life in the basement, with a gun the family already owned. That was a gun death in America. Quiet street, good schools. In all my years arguing guns, a death like that almost never came up. Our children are back in school, and September is Suicide Prevention Month. Guns, children, and despair are one subject. We rarely treat them so. My friend Lenny McAllister has never made me pick. He is a Black Republican, a voice on Rust Belt radio from WVON in Chicago to KDKA in Pittsburgh. I was the Demo-

cratic nominee for governor of Maryland. We have gone at each other's parties twenty years and stayed friends. What people miss is that we are both civil rights men, and civil rights work is Bill of Rights work. The First Amendment is why we could march. The Fourth is why an officer needs a reason to search you. The Second sits in that same document, and we believe in all of it. Lenny's father was shot on a Rust Belt street and spent nearly a year in the hospital. In 2001 a man broke into Lenny's home and tied him up. He tells it in his new book, "A Venn Diagram of One", an honest book about refusing to be one thing in a country that insists you choose. My cousin was shot and killed at a gas station in Columbia, Maryland, at noon. A cousin I called uncle agreed to testify against a Prince George's County drug dealer, who shot him at his door. He lived. At the hospital they would not let us up to his room, for fear the shooter's friends would come finish the job. When Lenny writes that we can respect the Second Amendment and still use common sense about who buys a gun, I hear no man splitting a difference. I hear a man who has waited on word about his father and lain on his own floor with a gun at his head. Then he writes this.

"There is a right greater than the right to bear arms; it is the right to a libertyfilled life." Now let me tell you what I got wrong. Thirty years ago at Oxford I needed a thesis topic. A headline in the International Herald Tribune stopped me on the sidewalk. Black teen suicides were surging. I was sure I knew why. Handguns were flooding the inner cities. I was wrong. The children dying were not in the cities. They were in the suburbs. Black families moved out there in the late sixties and seventies. Twenty years later their children began killing themselves. Children like me, with the big backyard and the shiny bike. Our mothers gave us what they had been denied in the projects and tenements, and row houses they came up in. Without meaning to, they cost us the one thing those places had, a house full of family who would listen no matter what. One of the strongest predictors of a suicide attempt is isolation. Ask a woman how many people she talks to after her worst day and she names two or three. Ask a man and he names one, or nobody. Her circle grows all her life. His shrinks toward zero. That headline should have said the Black teen suicide rate was catching up to the White one.

Among young Black men it has passed it. About nine in ten suicide attempts with a gun end in death. With most other methods people live, and most who live never die by suicide. In 2024 there were 27,593 gun suicides, well over half of all gun deaths. Money is no shield. A gun in a cul-de-sac is as final as a gun on a corner. The Bill of Rights is not a menu. You do not get to order the Second and send the rest back to the kitchen. None of it means much to a child who does not live to grow into the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So set partisanship aside. Lock your own guns in a safe at home. Keep them away from people in crisis. And build friendships across party lines that bind this nation back together for all our children. Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP. If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat at http://988lifeline.org/. It is free and available around the clock. Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP.

Support Our Advertisers

Angie Nixon will turn you into a Democratic Socialist if Donald Trump hasn’t already

Angie Nixon, Democratic candidate for US Senate in Florida By Emil Amok That means Nixon, 42, Guillermo, Oakland Post believes in universal health care, a/k/a “Medicare for The midterm elections all,” taxing the wealthy, are more important than and a minimum wage of ever as we fight back. $25 an hour. Think back to And we all know “af- that comfort level survey. fordability” is the No. 1 At 40 hours a week, $25 an issue in the U.S. hour is just $1,000 a week So, how are you doing? or $52,000 a year. It’s not A new survey says that, for even half what that survey a single person, being com- said was needed for a sinfortable in California re- gle person to be “comfortquires an income of able” in California. $126,797. Or $302,682 for We’re forced to get 3-4 a family of four. low-wage jobs. Did those numbers make Nixon and the DSA want you uncomfortable? to set the floor, so no one A single person making sinks into oblivion. just $102,794 could be Republicans would simcomfortable in Utah. But ply let us all sink. wouldn’t you rather just Nixon now goes up look at the Mormon Tem- against Republican Sen. ple in Oakland from 580? Ashley Moody in NovemThe survey defined ber. Florida’s Republicans “comfortable” as spending outnumber Dems by 1.5 50% of income on necessi- million voters. And ties, 30% on “like-to- Nixon’s DSA tag makes haves,” and putting 20% in her a clear underdog, savings. maybe even unelectable. Are your percentages But the Dems are stickway out of whack? Like ing with her. Voters seem 100% on necessities? to be turning out for someWhat if the car breaks one who will directly and down? What if the kids boldly address affordabilneed x, y, or z? What if ity. overtime gets cut back? Meanwhile, Trump is What if Social Security turning the Iran War, which goes bankrupt? has caused the oil price Are you a democratic so- run-up and high inflation, cialist yet? into an economic war on That’s not where Blues the world. At the same go Red and turn commu- time, he’s declared a tariff nist. It’s about a govern- war on our good ally, ment that puts people Canada, guaranteed to before profits. And cares raise prices on imports to for all of us. Not just the America. billionaires. That could make Nixon the one in Florida 2026. Angie Nixon And it would move Dems closer to flipping both In last week’s Florida houses of Congress, a vote primary, people around the for super normalcy. Trump country saw Florida legis- is so far down in the polls, lator Angie Nixon win the he’s resorted to election Democratic U.S. Senate disruption and voter supprimary with a stunning pression. upset over Alex Vindman. But the antidote in Vindman was well- Florida at least is Angie funded ($16.3 million to Nixon, a woman worth Nixon’s $975,000), and watching, who’ll turn you well-connected nationally. into a Democratic Socialist But Nixon—an African if Donald Trump hasn’t American with state house done so already. cred, union organizing experience, and a fighter who Emil Amok Guillermo is was arrested protesting a veteran journalist, comGov. Ron DeSantis’ redis- mentator, and comic motricting efforts— proved to nologist. He does a be unbeatable. She’s offi- micro-talk show on cially aligned with the YouTube.com @emilamok1 Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday,September 2, 2026, Page 5

Senate Sketches #2045.....by Hank Sanders

The Only Question Is Whether We Are Mountain Climbers. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. These are truly difficult times in these United States of America. It is not just up high hills, it is up high mountains. To overcome these challenges, we must climb. We cannot just climb high hills; we must climb high mountains. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers now. We the people of the United States of America have seen many difficult times. In each of these difficult times we had to climb not just high hills but high mountains. In each of these difficult times, we the people were indeed mountain climbers. In these very difficult times, the question is whether we can rise to meet the challenges we face from the current high mountains. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. When the 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain, the most powerful country in the world, that was not just up high hills, that was up real high mountains. When Africans in America were caught in chattel slavery for centuries, the most oppressive slavery known to humankind, ending enslavement was not just up high hills, it was up extremely high mountains. When the Union of the United States of America was on the verge of dissolution involving a Civil War that claimed more than 600,000 lives, we had to climb gigantic high mountains. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. When a harsh segregation enveloped the Southern States of these United States of America (and some non-Southern states), that was a very high mountain to climb. When people fought for their dignity and freedom through the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Birmingham Crusades for Public Accommodations, and the Selma Voting Rights Struggles, these were not just up high hills, they were up high mountains. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. We the people are facing great challenges again. The challenges are multiple and varied. There is the destruction of American democracy generally. There is the destruction of institutions and autocracy. There is the destruction of the Voting Rights of African Americans in particular. There is the extreme concentration of wealth. There are the huge sums of unlimited big money in elections. There is the destruction of longstanding positive immigration policies other than control of the border. There is the destruction of the implementation of law and due process. There is the widespread corruption. There are also various other challenges. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. I cannot possibly explore all these challenges in this Sketches. Therefore, I will tackle just one of the many challenges. In many ways, all these challenges connect and impact each other in various and sundry ways. I will not try to delineate these related connections and impacts in this writing. I will just note that the connections make the mountains higher and the climbing even more challenging. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. I want to explore one

challenge that is more immediate and closer to home for me. People of African descent were widely denied the right to vote from the inception of this country. The Voting Rights Act of1965 was a comprehensive effort to end denials of the right to vote for peoples of African descent and other peoples of color. It was a very high mountain to climb but we climbed it. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. It took many years from 1965 to implement the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to a substantial degree. It was never completely implemented because denial of Voting Rights is so systemically embedded, it requires extensive long-term community organizing, widespread litigation, additional legislation, etc. In 2006, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was reauthorized for another 25 years after extended congressional hearings where extensive evidence was presented. The long-standing problems are still rooted in the deep fertile soils of White supremacy. In the House of Representatives, the legislation received 390 Yes votes with just 33 No votes. In the U.S. Senate, the legislation received 98 Yes votes without any votes against. It was signed by President George W. Bush on July 27, 2006. Very high mountains were climbed. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act required preclearance of changes to voting practices in certain states and or specific areas within some states before they could be implemented. This provision was limited in duration and had to be reauthorized on several occasions. Section 4 was directly tied to Section 5. All other provisions in the Voting Rights Act were permanent and applied to the entire country. Section 2 was the most impactful of these permanent provisions. It prohibited discrimination in all voting related matters in the United States of America. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers. In June of 2013, in spite of the evidence presented when the Act was reauthorized for 25 years just a few years earlier in 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act by deactivating Section 4. In 2026, the Court gutted Section 2 of the Act by changing the definition of discrimination in redistricting. There was an immediate mad rush by mostly Southern states to cancel Congressional districts with African Americans majorities. This created additional high mountains to climb by African Americans in particular and Americans in general. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers in this moment. The states with the highest percentage of African Americans are in the Southern area of the United States where chattel slavery was most widespread including the following: Alabama; Arkansas; Florida; Louisiana; Missouri; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; etc. Each of these states cancelled majority Black Congressional districts. Efforts in Georgia, Mississippi, Indiana and South Carolina were ceased before they

came to fruition. These are high mountains that must be climbed. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers in this moment. To defeat the impact of these and other very destructive attacks on Voting Rights requires great political organizing and very high voter turn-out by persons of goodwill in Southern and Northern States. Strong efforts are progressing in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and North Carolina. Meeting the challenges also require high voter participation in various Northern, Eastern and Western States that want to maintain, protect and expand Voting Rights in particular and democracy in general. We still have high mountains to climb. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers in this moment. Now on to the Daily Diary. Saturday, August 22, 2026 – I handled many matters, made remarks at the McRae Learning Center Celebration, traveled to Greene County for the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival and returned to Selma. Among others, I communicated with the following: Faya Rose Toure of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee; Retired Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr; Candice Pettaway of Atlanta, Georgia; McRae Learning Center Director Sadie Moss; Barbara Amerson Hunter of the Greene County Democrat Newspaper; Eutaw Mayor Corey Cockrell; Ginger Buck of Tuscaloosa; and Former Camp Hill Mayor Ezell Smith. Sunday – I hosted the Sunday School Lesson with Dr. Margaret Hardy on Facebook Live and Z105.3 FM 50,000 Watt Radio Station, attended the Tabernacle Baptist Church and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Sharon Wheeler of the Selma to Montgomery March Foundation; Ainka Sanders Jackson of the Selma Center of Nonviolence and Bridge Crossing Jubilee; Amadi Sanders, Zakiya Varner and Dr. Ernest Okeke of Selma; and Former Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier. Monday – I walked, handled many matters, participated in conference calls and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Marilyn Cosby, Karen Jackson, Khadijah Ishaq, Desiree Robinson, K. C. Bailey and Liz Rutledge of Selma; Selma Businessman Raymond Craig; Phalecia Young of the National Voting Rights Museum; Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) Board Chair Emerita Dr. Carol Prejean Zippert; Former ANSC Board Chair Robert Turner, Sr.; ANSC State Coordinator Shelley Fearson; Richard Graham of Jefferson County; and Jim Eaton of Tallahassee, Florida. Tuesday – I chaired a 7:30 a.m. Unity Breakfast Zoom meeting, handled many matters and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Retired College President and Current Chair of the Craig Field Airport Industrial Authority Dr. James Mitchell;

Annie Pearl Avery of the Ancient Africa and Enslavement Museum; John Zipppert of the Greene County Industrial Authority; Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton; Andy Marks of Washington, D.C.; B. Marie Jones of the University of Southern Mississippi; and NAACP General Counsel Kirsten Clarke. Wednesday – I rescheduled a trip to Montgomery, handled many matters, participated in meetings and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Talladega Businessman Roger Sims; Law Professor Kindaka Sanders; Charlene Willliams, Junior Oliver and Lametrius Dillard of Selma; Selma City Councilwoman Nadine Sturdivant; Mac Greaves of Birmingham; and Jennifer Smyly of the Craig Fiel Authority. Thursday – I handled many matters, participated in a conference call, attended a meeting of the Craig Field Authority and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Azali Fortier of Spelman College; Ayiraa Fortier of Wallace Community College Selma; Maya Wiley of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Ollion (Trell) Wright of Alexander City; Greene County School Board President Leo Branch; Lowndes County School Superintendent Samita Jeter; John Vester and Cynthia Carter of Greene County; Craig Field Board Vice Chair Amos Moore; and Dallas County Commissioner Connel Towns. Friday – I arose early, handled various matters, traveled to Tuscaloosa, returned later in the evening and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Greene County Health System CEO Roderick Williams; Thomas Curtis of Selma whose Brother passed; Retired Circuit Judge and Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice John England, Jr; Woodie Dinning of Marengo County; Janie Hipp of Washington, D.C.; and Stephen Carpenter of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Epilogue – In climbing high mountains, not everyone must climb to the peak of every mountain. Not everyone must climb each and every high mountain. Climbers can do relays. Climbers can assist by providing resources to other climbers. Climbers can encourage other climbers with their presence. Climbers can lift and encourage with their voices. Climbers can provide monetary support. Climbers can pray and work. There are so many ways to be mountain climbers. If many do a little, a lot will be done and high mountains will be climbed, saving the hard-won progress forged over 250 years. The only question is whether we are mountain climbers.

Page 6, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, Septrmber 2, 2026

EarthTalk From the Editors of E The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: Is owning a cat or dog bad for the planet? —Missy Teahan, Acton, MA While all cat and dog owners know the financial and time costs of caring for a pet, many do not know about or consider the environmental costs. As almost one-third of all households on Earth own at least one

Owning a pet might be good for the pet, but not necessarily for the environment. Credit: Pexels.com. dog and nearly one-fourth produces 770 kilograms. of all households own at One impactful factor of least one cat, the environ- this phenomenon is pet food mental effects of these pets production. As pets often have become incredibly sig- depend on other animals’ nificant and impactful glob- protein as food to survive, Specifically, an producing pet food requires ally. average-sized cat produces farming animals like cattle around 310 kilograms of and poultry. This produccarbon dioxide annually, tion adds up; in America, while an average-sized dog the production of dog and

DCH Lawsuit

cat food leads to around 390 kilograms of climate pollution annually per animal, a number that is worsened by many pet food companies neglecting sustainable pet food ingredient sourcing. Beyond production, the overall consumption of pet food contributes to climate pollution. In fact, one quarter of the environmental impacts of U.S. meat production are tied to pet food, taking into account the use of land, water, phosphates, pesticides, and fossil fuels, according to UCLA geographer Gregory Okin. While some cat owners have tried to opt for a vegan diet, Alexandra Whittaker, an associate Professor at the School of Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Adelaide, stated, “One challenge that isn’t re-

ally addressed in this paper is how a vegan cat diet should be safely put together. Previous studies have shown cats on vegan diets to have severe deficiency disorders affecting the muscles.” The environmental effects of pets are also exacerbated by the lack of conscious decision-making from pet owners. For instance, many owners do not think twice about purchasing from breeders, as they do not consider how this contributes to overpopulation and can increase the impact of pet food production or animal care costs in animal shelters. Similarly, many of the pet toys that owners purchase are made with toxic dyes, and the pet waste that owners do not pick up can spread deadly

parasites to wildlife. Fortunately, there are various things you can do to mitigate these negative environmental effects. Owners could opt for sustainable food alternatives, such as pet food brands certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council or the Marine Stewardship Council, which indicate that the protein in this food is caught legally and produced responsibly, or insect-based food, which has a smaller carbon footprint. Pet owners should also manage waste responsibly to avoid spreading toxins to wildlife and to reduce plastic pollution by decreasing the number of unnecessary purchases. With these measures, pet owners can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their pets.

The suit names the DCH Health Care Authority, two registered nurses and eight "fictitious" defendants whose identities the plaintiff says are not yet known, which is standard practice. The complaint was filed by D. Leon Ashford of the Birmingham firm Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, the same attorney who sued DCH Regional Medical Center in 2022 over the death of Tuscaloosa Tourism figure Bill Buchanan. The parties agreed to settle and dismiss that lawsuit in 2024. The new case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Daniel Pruet. The complaint, obtained by the Tuscaloosa Thread, is built in part around a federal investigation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reviewed the care provided at Northport, interviewed the providers involved, and examined DCH's own policies, according to the filing, and Ashford cites their report repeatedly. The allegations have not been proven, and DCH has not yet filed a response in court. Four Hours in the Lobby The plaintiff, whom the Thread has chosen not to identify by name in this report, is a woman who was 20 and pregnant with her first child in August of 2025. She had experienced intermittent bleeding throughout the pregnancy, but her prenatal care had been unremarkable, and a heartbeat was routinely found at her clinic visits, according to the lawsuit. Then, in mid-August 2025, she called her clinic reporting pressure and blood-tinged fluid, and her physician told her to go to the emergency room at DCH. The lawsuit claims the young pregnant woman signed in at Northport Medical Center at 5:19 p.m., reporting heavy bleeding and cramping while about 17 weeks pregnant. nurse then assigned her an Emergency Severity Index score of 2, a classification for patients who are not in immediate danger of dying but have a high-risk condition requiring rapid evaluation by a provider. The scale runs from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most severe. Even so, she remained in the lobby and was checked on at about 5:45 p.m., when her vitals were taken. At 6:15 p.m., a second nurse performed an intake triage assessment and confirmed the ESI 2 classification, but the complaint says the plaintiff was still left in the lobby. By then, she had reportedly bled through two pads in the previous hour and rated her pain a 7. According to the lawsuit, CMS found that DCH's triage guidelines required the woman to be placed in a treatment room, but she was either left in or returned to the lobby to wait. Suit claims bed was available The complaint uses the CMS report to dig into what staff told federal investigators about how busy the emergency department was that night. One nurse reportedly told CMS the hospital was "slammed, packed wall to wall, nowhere to sit." But the lawsuit also claims a nurse manager later confirmed to CMS that one bed, 11B, sat unoccupied and available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. while the woman was in the lobby. The complaint also alleges that someone in the emergency department spoke with the woman's family after 7 p.m., heard that her bleeding had increased, and said they would pass it along to the physician, but no entry documenting that conversation appears in the chart.

A Stillbirth in the Lobby Bathroom The complaint says the woman's vital signs were recorded again around 7:30 p.m. for only the second time since her 5:15 arrival, and at no point did anyone check the baby's heartbeat, which the lawsuit says is required by DCH's own protocols. "[The nurses] failed to reassess [the plaintiff's] vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping after the 7:31 p.m. vital signs. Further, they returned her to the lobby to wait rather than taking her to an ED treatment room where fetal heart tones could be obtained," Ashford wrote. "The failure of these nurses to determine the viability of [the plaintiff's] baby is not just a violation of the standard of care, it is beyond the pale of acceptable nursing care." According to the complaint, the young woman was left in the ED waiting room for hours, where her pain increased until she went to the bathroom and delivered the baby, stillborn at 17 weeks. A nurse's note at 9:30 p.m. documented that the woman was brought into a treatment room with the fetus in her arms and the placenta still attached. The fetus showed no signs of life at birth, and the on-call obstetrician arrived shortly afterward and clamped and cut the cord. The Lawsuit Afterward, the woman was described in her records as appearing to be in shock and was given medication for insomnia and grief. A postpartum note documented the potential for post-traumatic stress disorder. She returned to the emergency department a month later with severe abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and other issues. The three-count complaint brings claims under the Alabama Medical Liability Act for medical negligence and wantonness. It alleges DCH and its staff failed to recognize an obstetric emergency, failed to move her out of the lobby, failed to monitor and reassess a high-risk patient, failed to recognize signs of active labor, and failed to train emergency department staff on the hospital's own policies. The lawsuit says DCH "[placed the plaintiff] in a traumatic and degrading medical emergency in which she delivered her baby alone and without appropriate care in a public ED waiting room bathroom." It seeks compensatory damages on one count and punitive damages on the other two. A jury trial has been requested. "The profound shame and mental anguish [she] suffered was caused by a reckless indifference to the severity of her condition on the part of her health care providers in the ED," Ashford wrote. "It is conduct which is impossible to defend or explain away." Ashford declined to comment on the plaintiff's behalf beyond what he wrote in the filing. A DCH spokesperson also said they could not speak about the suit ahead of publication. "We are aware of the lawsuit that has been filed. DCH does not comment on pending litigation," they said. "Providing safe, high-quality care to our patients remains our highest priority." For more on this lawsuit as it develops, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.

If the measure becomes law, California would be the first state to impose such a requirement on major corporations. The bill, known as the Truth in Disclosure Act, would apply to companies with more than $100 million in annual worldwide gross receipts that were in existence, or have predecessors that were in existence, before 1965. Under the legislation, companies would have to search their records for evidence that they or related entities bought or sold enslaved people, used enslaved people as collateral, provided loans to purchase enslaved people, insured enslaved people or slavery-related transactions, or otherwise helped facilitate slavery. And they would not simply be asked to check a box. Companies would have to submit affidavits under penalty of perjury detailing what they find. The disclosures could include the names of enslaved people and slaveholders, evidence of financial transactions and other records documenting a company’s connection to slavery. According to the bill, California would then create a public database containing the disclosures and supporting records. The information would be available to the public indefinitely, creating a searchable record of corporate involvement in slavery. The bill also raises questions about how far corporate accountability should extend and whether documenting wealth attained during the era of chattel slavery is ultimately a first step toward reparations. The effort is part of California’s broader effort to confront the legacy of slavery and examine reparations for Black Californians. But there is an important distinction: The bill does not require companies to pay repa-

rations. Instead, it focuses on forcing corporations to investigate and publicly acknowledge their historical connections to slavery. For Black Americans, the wealth enslavers and the corporations who benefited from the practice did not simply disappear when emancipation ended the institution. Financial institutions, insurance companies, railroads and other businesses were among the industries that gained financially from an economy built on enslaved labor. The legislation would give the public a clearer picture of which companies were connected to that system and how those relationships operated. It also raises a larger question about corporate accountability. If a company discovers that its predecessor profited from enslaved labor more than 150 years ago, what responsibility, if any, does that company have today? That question becomes particularly relevant as California continues debating reparations and other policies aimed at addressing the lasting economic effects of slavery and discrimination. For now, lawmakers are focused on the first step: finding the records. Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill. If he does neither, it becomes law without his signature. The bill would effectively ask some of the country’s largest companies to open their historical books and confront a part of American history that has often remained outside the corporate story. But once those records are public, the harder conversation may begin.

Slavery Ties

Doug Jones

Shomari Figures

States are responsible for a portion of Medicaid costs, but the federal government covers 90 percent of health care costs for people insured through expansion. If Alabama expanded the program, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama estimated in 2022 that it would cost the state $225 million annually. The organization also estimated that the state could realize net savings because expansion would allow Alabama to reduce spending in other areas that could instead be covered through Medicaid. Combining the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama’s findings with Urban Institute estimates on the effects of work requirements, the advocacy organization Families USA recently estimated that Medicaid expansion would provide health insurance to more than 150,000 additional Alabamians. “We’re going to do that,” Jones said. “We got to get with the legislature to help fund it. But the second one right behind it—it’ll be on the desk at the same time—will be that one-year moratorium on data centers so that the state of Alabama can take the time to do it right to make sure that we’re getting the guard rails in place, to get the transparency in place to get the ethics laws in place, to get everything so communities will be comfortable and they can help make those decisions.” “I’m not going to allow Alabama to be the dumping ground for data centers,” Jones continued. “We want to do it right for these communities and the people that are in there.” Beshear also criticized U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, Jones’ opponent in the race for governor, over what Beshear described as Tuberville’s lack of support for stronger federal regulation of artificial intelligence. “There is an opportunity to have real law and regulation that prevents AI from getting out of hand, from it getting out there and stealing your personal ability, from its ability to use deepfake. But Tommy Tuberville won’t do anything about it,” Beshear said. “Why? Because Donald Trump doesn’t want to do anything about it.” Responding to Beshear’s description of Tuberville as “willing to do whatever a president says,” Jones said he chose to run for governor rather than seek his former Senate seat, as former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is doing, because governors are “the ones standing up to all this.” Jones also joked about a story published by The Washington Post, which reported that Tuberville frequently talks to ChatGPT during car rides. “He must be talking about a pretty rogue version to come up with some of the things he says in public,” Jones said.

Figures sent a letter Monday to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson requesting that the committee convene an emergency hearing to examine Trump’s August 26 proclamation authorizing lean beef trimmings to enter the United States over the next three months without otherwise applicable above-quota tariffs. According to the letter, the imported beef could also be sold below market value, creating a disadvantage for American cattle producers. The administration has said the policy is intended to address elevated beef prices and increase the supply of ground beef available to American consumers. Figures, however, questioned whether the move would provide meaningful savings for consumers and whether any short-term benefit could come at the expense of U.S. cattle producers. “The Administration has stated that the action is intended to address elevated beef prices and increase the supply of ground beef for American consumers,” Figures wrote. “However, the decision has raised significant concerns among cattle producers, agricultural organizations, and consumers about what, if any, economic relief this policy will provide.” Figures said industry stakeholders have also warned that the long-term consequences could include higher beef prices and cattle farmers being forced out of business. He argued those potential effects could outweigh temporary and minimal short-term relief for consumers. Figures is asking the Agriculture Committee to examine several issues, including the potential effects of the proclamation on American cattle producers, the nation’s domestic cattle herd and the long-term stability of the beef supply chain. He also wants lawmakers to determine whether the policy is likely to provide meaningful relief to consumers and whether it could further weaken the U.S. cattle industry and domestic beef supply. Figures urged Thompson to schedule the hearing “at the earliest possible opportunity.” “I urge you to convene an emergency hearing at the earliest possible opportunity so that Members of the Committee can conduct appropriate oversight and hear directly from the Administration, stakeholders, and the producers most affected by this decision,” Figures said. Last week, Figures announced plans to introduce legislation to reverse Trump’s decision. Figures said Alabama cattle farmers were already dealing with rising costs, market instability and lower profits. He also pointed to broader economic pressures facing farmers, including the effects of tariffs, and said he had heard directly from producers about the difficulties they are facing. “The Committee has a responsibility to understand the implications of the President’s latest policy for American agriculture,” Figures wrote.

Chance Phillips is a reporter. You can reach him at cphillips@alreporter.com

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Page 7

Congresswoman Terri Sewell used by millions of Americans, including President Trump himself,” Sewell said. “With just weeks left until the midterm elections, this decision will cause chaos and confusion for voters across the nation.”

in a Sewell, Tuesday written statement, argued that the executive order is an attempt by the Trump administration to restrict legal avenues for voting. “President Trump is terrified of losing at the ballot box in November. He knows his policies are raising costs and hurting families, so instead of changing course, he is trying to change the rules to make it harder for Americans to vote,” Sewell said. “It is shameful that the Supreme Court would allow these restrictions to proceed—especially when we know that voting by mail is safe, secure, and

Sewell vowed to continue opposing Trump administration efforts to restrict mail-in voting. “As a daughter of Selma and the top Democrat on the Elections Subcommittee, I will not stand for these attacks on the ballot,” Sewell said. “I will keep fighting to protect the right to vote and ensure every eligible American can make their voice heard.”

Sawyerville, Alabama — Sacred Space, Inc. announces the Black Belt Paddle Festival, a free, family-centered celebration of the Black Warrior River, taking place Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Jennings Ferry Campground. “We are thrilled to introduce activities that deepen youth engagement and celebrate the joy, culture, and community of the Black Belt,” said Stephannie Nixon, Director of Sacred Space, Inc. “The Black Warrior River is a vital part of our region’s identity, and this festival creates a space where families can learn, explore, and connect with the river together.” The festival includes a full schedule of activities: -Youth kayaking race (718) and community kayak launches for beginners and intermediate paddlers, led by Alabama Scenic River Trails (ASRT) -Music and food -Waterside nature walks and nature journaling -Arts and crafts stations featuring watercolor, clay impressions, river rock painting

-River storytelling circle -Competitive paddler demonstrations -Visual marketplace featuring local artisans and food vendors -Community Photo Wall: My River Story -Kayak Giveaway Environmental partners include Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Alabama Scenic River Trail, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alabama Cooperative Extension, and Fisheries, Black Belt Community Foundation. Their stations will offer hands on learning about river ecology, conservation, and outdoor safety. The festival is free and open to the public. Youth participants may register for the kayaking race and kayak giveaway at the Welcome Tent between 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM on festival day. Sacred Space, Inc. invites families, educators, paddlers, artists, storytellers, donors, sponsors, and elected officials to join in celebrating the Black Warrior River and supporting youth access to outdoor recreation and creative expression.

The Supreme Court’s decision does not immediately change voting procedures nationwide. The administration and states remain engaged in litigation over implementation of the executive order, including Postal Service rules governing mail ballots. Another lawsuit was filed by state Attorney Generals and others, immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision, since the U. S. Postal Service has now released its notice of changes in handling mail-in ballots, including their review against lists provided by the Federal

government. The executive order has also drawn opposition from American Postal Workers Union President Jonathan Smith, who has described the administration’s approach as an effort to politicize the Postal Service. In July, a group of Republican attorneys general led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a letter supporting the administration’s proposed Postal Service rules, arguing they would “help states provide Americans with confidence in our system.”

About Sacred Space, Inc. Sacred Space, Inc. is a community based nonprofit in Sawyerville, Alabama dedicated to expanding youth access to arts, outdoor recreation, environmental education, and

cultural storytelling throughout the Black Belt. The organization works to strengthen community connection, creativity, and stewardship of local natural resources.

Black Belt Paddle Festival will be held at Jennings Ferry Campground to Promote Youth Activities, River Education, and Community

Newborn screening identifies babies with serious, potentially life-threatening conditions, helping ensure they receive lifesaving treatments September is recognized as Newborn Screening Awareness Month across the United States. Newborn screening is a state public health program that identifies newborns who may have a genetic, metabolic, or other congenital disorder that may not be apparent at birth. Early screening makes a difference. If left untreated, these conditions may cause serious illness, developmental disability, intellectual impairment, or death. Each year in Alabama, approximately 200 babies

are identified with a condition detected through newborn screening. Screening allows treatment to be initiated within the first few weeks of life, helping prevent many of the complications associated with newborn screening disorders such as sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis. In Alabama, the newborn screening panel includes dried bloodspot (heelstick) testing, hearing screening, and pulse oximetry screening. Pulse oximetry screening helps detect critical congenital

heart disease. The panel covers 35 of the 40 disorders recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Parents need to know that their baby should undergo newborn screening between 24 and 48 hours of age. They should also inform the hospital who their baby's doctor is to ensure timely follow-up if needed. Parents should also ask about the newborn screening results at their baby's first doctor's visit. The Alabama Department of Public Health

(ADPH) Bureau of Clinical Laboratories screens approximately 120,000 specimens annually. Newborn screening continues to expand as more disorders are recommended for the national panel. In addition to screening, ADPH follows up and provides newborn screening awareness and education to improve the lives of Alabama's babies. For more information, go to www.alabamapublichealth.gov/newbornscreening/index.html.

But as Dr. Marcus Garvey stated, “A people without the knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” I’d take it a step further and say that a nation without knowledge of its past, its origins, and its culture is like a tree without roots. African-American studies teaches college students, the young people preparing to lead us into the future, why our country operates the way it does today and provides a blueprint for how to leverage our Democracy and constitutional rights to drive change. African-American history is not only about the challenges that Black

Americans have faced since we arrived in the 13 colonies in bondage; it shows the power of protesting, the endurance of community, and the meaning of community. It’s a field of research that challenges harmful narratives, as Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois did in his 1935 book Black Reconstruction in America, overturning the prevailing racist Dunning School narrative, proving that post-Civil War democratic experiments failed not because of Black incompetence, but because white elites deliberately fractured multi-racial labor solidarity to re-establish control. It was also the focus of

Kevin Roberts's Ph.D. dissertation, the President of the Heritage Foundation. The irony of studying slave communities, kinship networks, and survival strategies in Louisiana during the 18th and 19th centuries, while authoring Project 2025, a document designed to strip Americans of our Constitutional rights, cannot be overlooked. There’s power in these programs and understanding Black history. There is also power to be gained by blocking an increasingly frustrated population’s access to historical practices, thereby demanding more from our leadership and government.

Philosopher George Santayana once said that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We are at a critical juncture in our history, inching toward repeating the worst parts of our past and recreating a system that serves only a few. And the only way we will survive it is by standing together. And we can only stand together by understanding and accepting the flaws of our past to build a better future. We cannot allow a field as precious as AfricanAmerican Studies to die because of political pressure. Not now, not ever. If we do, it will be at our own peril.

Marc Morial

visit us online at greenecodemocrat.com

Page 8, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Childs Family Farm’s 1st Annual Scholarship program

Saturday August 29- The 1st Annual Childs Family Farm Scholarship program was held. President Marvin Childs welcomed the crowd and Vice President Patricia Coleman the recipients: Shondia Jordan andTerremce Fletcher. Jordan is a graduate of Sipsey Valley High School. She attended Shelton State Community College majoring in Business/Office Management- Medical Records. Her parents, Cassandra Jordan of Eutaw. Fletcher is a graduate of Greene County High School who attended Shelton State Community College majoring in Business Management. His parents are Terrance and Lucette Fletcher of Eutaw. Each recipient received a $300 Scholarship. Attorney Tonjula Carey, district judgeelect was present to wish the recipients well by encouraging them with this verse, Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Mavin Childs, stated it is an honor to be able to invest in the future of local scholars.

Eutaw Senior Citizens visit the Legacy Museum

On Friday, August 7, 2026, the day began with a comfortable ride for 33 Eutaw Senior Citizens traveling to visit the Legacy Museum in Montgomery. Participants had an opportunity to learn, reflect and gain new insight on the history and legacy of slavery in the United States. They experienced stories centered on slavery and injustice that offered extensive knowledge on African American history. They gained a newfound respect for their ancestors. The group enjoyed a relaxing lunch of soul food at the Pannie George Restaurant. Afterwards several individuals enjoyed a 15 minute scenic boat ride up the Alabama River followed by a tour of the Freedom Movement Sculpture Park. They wrapped up the afternoon with a tour of the Lynching Memorial. “What a memorable experience!”

Culverhouse School of Accountancy

Delandria Turner receives Scholarship

The Greene County Conservation District is so proud to celebrate Delandria as a State Alabama Conservation District Employees Association Scholarship recipient from right here in Greene County. As a high achiever with a bright future ahead, we know Delandria will continue to make her hometown proud as she furthers her education and pursues her goals. Congratulations, Delandria. We are proud of you and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish!

Lift Free Computer & Phone Tutoring Friday 9:30- 10:45 a.m. Eutaw Housing Authority 9/18, 9/25,10/2,10/9,& 10/16/26 You will be tutored individually by a UA Student. Come by for questions that need to be answered, fun challenges, and fellowship To reserve a tutor, notify Mollie Gaines at 205-372-3926

The Black Belt is on the move Submitted by Johnni Strode-Morning Bright and early Monday morning, August 31st, 2026, members of the Blackbelt Small Farmers Ruminant Association hit the road with a mission: LEARN. CONNECT. GROW. Their destination was Fort Valley, Georgia, where they are attending the Fort Valley State University Livestock and Vegetable Farmers Workshop. This isn’t just a trip; it’s an investment in their farms and the future of agriculture in the Blackbelt. The workshop provides farmers with valuable, research-based information and practical knowledge in areas such as livestock and vegetable production, farm management, marketing, and sustainable farming practices. Just as important, farmers have the opportunity to network with other producers, agricultural professionals, researchers, and industry

Rosa S. Davis Avon for the whole family 26305 County Rd 20 Boligee, AL 35443 205-372-3820 home 205-826-8448 cell If no one answers, please leave messages

experts while sharing experiences and learning new ways to strengthen their operations. From the pasture to the produce field, education matters! When farmers continue to learn and grow, the knowledge they gain can

make a difference not only on their farms, but throughout the communities they serve. We’re proud to see members of the Blackbelt Small Farmers Ruminant Association representing our farming community and taking

advantage of opportunities to grow their agricultural knowledge. They’re not just growing crops and raising livestock; they’re growing knowledge, building connections, and planting seeds for a stronger agricultural future.

Support Our Advertisers

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Page 9

Carolyn’s Tid Bits...by Carolyn Young

Take Time Take Time To Work It is the price of success. Take Time To Think It is the source of power. Take Time To Play It is the secret of

Legal Notice in the Probate Court of Greene County Beverly Prince Spencer Deceased Letter Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Virginia Ann Williams and Roy Beverly Spencer, Personal Representatives , on the 13th day of August, 2026, by Rolonda M. Wedgeworth, Judge of Probate of Greene County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time required by law or same will be barred. Roland M. Wedgeworth Judge of Probate Cockrell, Cockrell, Ritchey & Ritchey, LLP 1409 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, A 35401 3tcg 8/19, 26, 9/2

Legal Notices In the Circuit Court of Greene County, Alabama Estate of Bruce L. Johnson, William Harrison and Micharel L.King Plaintiffs, VS Luke Edwards, et al., Defendents, Case No.: 35 CV-2020-000032 Order This matter came before the Court to Plaintiffs’ Motion to Compel Issuance of Writ of Execution,. After

perpetual youth. Take Time To Read It is the foundation of wisdom. Take Time to be Friendly ‘It is the road to happiness. Take Time To Love and Be Loved It is a God-given privilege. Take Time To Dream It is the music of the soul. Take time To Give It is too short a day to be selfish Take Time To Look Around It is a short cut to unselfishness Take Time To Pray It is the greatest power

on earth. Happy birthday to Jasmine Saxton, Anthony Wilkins Jr., Lynn Lipsey, Luther “Nat” Winn, Betty Allen, Elaine Bizzell, Ollie Bragg, Nicole B. Prewitt, Robert H.Young, Jr., Estin Hill, Wilma Jean Brown, Antonette Amber C. Johnson, Zonja Coleman, Jaxson Joshua Isaac, Kailey Edmonds, Khalix McGuffie, George Brown, William Hunter, Frederick Crawford, Aubry Camille Jackson, Joshua Davis, Tekeisha Mitcheam, Belvin Davis, De’Quan Croxton, Shelia Tillman, Jamari Reeves, Angela

---Legal Notices--

due consideration of all the related pleadings, it is hereby ORDRED, ADJUDGED , and DECREED that the Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Issuance of Writ Execution of of GRANTED. The Court finds the CoDefendant, Apostolic Advancement Association , is the owner of the Subject Property, 1085-1087 County Road 208, Eutaw, AL 35462+ 6.4 acres (PARCELL ID: 18010200000050010, 18010200000050000,1802 0300000060000) The Plaintiffs having properly filed and recorded its Certificate of Judgment against Apostolic Advancement Association, the Subject Property is subject to Writ of Execution filed by the Plaintiffs. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is hereby compelled to issue the Writ of Execution against the Co- Defendant, on the Subject Property, 10851087 County Road 208, Eutaw, AL 35462+6.4 acres and schedule a Sheriffs; Sale wihtin sixty (60) days of this order. Costs are hereby taxed to the defendants. Done and Odered on the 13th of July 2026. DATE OF SALE: September 11, 2026 TIME OF SALE: 12:00 P.M. PLACE OF SALE: GREENE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, EUTAW, ALABAMA 3tcg 8/26, 9. 2, 9 LEGAL NOTICE In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code

of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given that Game Day Athletic Surfaces, Inc., Contractor, has completed the contract for the Re-bid Athletic Improvements to Greene County High School 24-161 for Greene County Board of Education, Owner, and have made request for final settlement of said contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify McKee and Associates, Inc. 631 S Hull St Montgomery, Al 36104. Game Day Athletic Surfaces, Inc., 1509 U.S. 11, Trussville, Al 35173. 3tcg 9/2,7,14

White, Tanisha Robinson, De’Moni M. Robinson, Okwante Bragg, Marisha Snoddy, Gloria Young, Myesha Hoskins, Manuel Smith, Javorius Hunter, Autymn Austin, Esmer Walker, Jr., Joaunka Robinson, Victoria Lewis and Shaunte Twitty Happy Anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Adrain and Keele Isaac. “If you are tempted to lose patience with our fellow man, stop and think how patient God has been with you.”

the provisions of title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975 and must show evidence by clearly displaying current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope on which the proposal is delivered. All BIDS must be plainly marked - ATTENTION: ANNUAL BIDS with BID NUMBER and BID NAME on the outside of the envelope. Greene County Public Works reserve the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informality in bids received. For Bid Specifications, please use the contact information above.

NOTICE OF BID Sealed Bid proposals will be received by Greene County Public Works at the Greene County Engineer’s Office (by mail or hand delivered) until September 15, 2026, 10:00AM at the address indicated above, at which time and place the bids will be publicly opened and read. {Office Hours: Monday – Friday (7AM -3PM)} To receive a bid packet, please contact our office using the contact information indicated above. Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by GCPW. All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under

*This Invitation For Bids Is Condensed for Advertising Purposes. Additional Information/ Requirements for Bidders Can Be Found In The Contract Documents* Greene County Public works is requesting sealed bids for the following: • Treated Bridge Lumber •BBCM Pipe •Polyethylene Pipe •Aggregates •Lightweight Aggregates •Liquid Asphalt •Petroleum Products •Motor-Grader Blades •Hay •Herbicide •Cold Patch Stone and Slag •Hot Asphalt and Plant Mix 2tcg 9/2, 7

Congratulations to the August Scholars of the Month at Eutaw Primry School

Scholars displayed the following character education traits: School Pride, Citizenship, and Self-Control. Continue to keep up the amazing work.

NOTICE

The Greene County Highway Department is seeking:

HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC •Drivers License Required •Repairs Automotive & Heavy Equipment •Performs Maintenance on Automotive & Heavy Equipment

TEMPORARY WORKERS FOR HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT •Driver License is required •Semi-Skilled Work •Operates Light to Heavy Equipment Apply at Greene County Highway Department 521 Prairie Avenue Eutaw, Alabama 35462 (205) 372-3302 Hours of Operation: 7:00 am-3:00 pm Monday –Friday Timeline to Apply: Ongoing Greene County Highway Department Is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Page 10, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, September 2, 2026

JOSHUA J. SWORDS

The Democrat

“Serving West Alabama like no other Community Newspaper”

SUBSCRIPTION Name____________________________________ RATES $25 Greene Address__________________________________ County Residents City________ State______________ Zip________

Attorney at Law Tuscaloosa County Office 600 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd S. Courthouse Plaza, Suite 120 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

JSwords@Swordslaw. com Phone: 205-409-0673 Facsimile: 205-409-0672 Tuscaloosa, Al 35401

email_________________________Phone_____________

$30 Alabama Residents

PHONE : 205-372-3373

$35 Out-of-State Residents

Ala-SCAN Central

FAX: 205-372-2243

Mail to: The Greene County Democrat P.O. Box 598 Eutaw, AL 35462

Ala-Scan

SERVICES

SELLING a RV, Tractor or Golf Cart? ADVERTISE STATEWIDE or by region in over 100 Newspapers, reaching over 1 million readers each week! Run your ad in our Classified Network for just $210 per week! Make one call to this newspaper (participating Ala-SCAN newspaper) or call 1-800-264-7043 to find out how easy it is to advertise statewide! We Buy Houses for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-877-385-7131

BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-877-583-6484 Consumer Cellular - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-844-3585270 HEALTH/BEAUTY ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-833650-7885

FOR SALE No more cleaning out gutters. Guaranteed! LeafFilter is the most advanced gutter protection for your home, backed by a no-clog guarantee and lifetime transferrable warranty. Call today 1-833-683-2005 to schedule a FREE inspection and no obligation estimate. Plus get 20% off! Seniors and military save an additional 10%. Restrictions apply, see representative for warranty and offer details SunSetter. America’s Number One Awning! Instant shade at the touch of a button. Transform your deck or patio into an outdoor oasis. Up to 10-year limited warranty. Call now and SAVE $350 today! 1877-930-3506 DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-8778 1 7 - 4 6 9 7 www.dental50plus.com/alabama #6258

AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-877-5415677 NEED NEW FLOORING? Call today to schedule a FREE in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring. Call Today! 1877-403-4821 AUTOMOTIVE GOT AN UNWANTED CAR??? DONATE IT TO PATRIOTIC HEARTS. Fast free pick up. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 1-833-426-0193 Donate your car, truck, boat, RV and more to support our veterans! Schedule a FAST, FREE vehicle pickup and receive a top tax deduction! Call Veteran Car Donations at 1-877724-3049 today! GOT AN UNWANTED CAR??? DONATE IT TO PATRIOTIC HEARTS. Fast free pick up. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 1-833-426-0193

BOLIGEE ELECTRICAL OVER 16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Huge sale on light bulbs! Lights bulbs .50 Appliances: Washers, Dryers, Refrigerators, Stoves..etc

Copies 15¢

EUTAW ACCENT TIRE & Flower Shop 205-372-5444 207 Boligee Street- Eutaw, Al

APPLIANCE REPAIR: Prompt local service available for appliance repair. Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Stove/Oven and all major appliances. Certified, Insured techs. Satisfaction guaranteed. Call to schedule your appointment now! 1-877-441-0132

WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION: A small amount of water can lead to major damage in your home. Our trusted professionals dry out the wet area and do repairs to protect your family and your home's value! If you have water in your home that needs to be dried, Call 24/7: 1-833879-1371 Have zip code of service location ready when you call!

Greene County Office Oliver Scott House 329 Prairie Ave Eutaw, Al 35462

“CALL US FOR ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL NEEDS”

Store Hours 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Friday RESIDENTIAL * COMMERCIAL * INDUSTRIAL

215 Boligee Street Eutaw, AL 35462 CELL: 205-496-6019 Email : BoligeeElectric@bellsouth.net Reginald Cheatem Proprietor

ACCIDENTS & INJURIES AUTO & TRUCK ACCIDENTS, WRONGFUL DEATH, SLIP & FALL Office-205-933-7533 Cell – 205-901-6129 “I like Big Bucks and I cannot lie” 24 HOUR SERVICE – FREE CONSULTATION OVER 100 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE FRANK S. BUCK P.C. ATTORNEY 2160 14TH Ave South BIRMINGHAM, AL 35255 NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE THAT THE QUALITY OF THE LEGAL SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED IS GREATER THAN THE QUALITY OF LEGAL SERVICES PERFORMED BY OTHER LAWYERS

You can always depend on your complete Tires and Floral Services

Hours:

Mon, Tues- 7 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Wednesday (Closed) Thur. 7 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Fri. 7a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

************ New & Used TiresBatteries, Tire Repairs, Tire Balance /Rotation Daily Floral- Deliver-

Law Office of

Glen McCord, Esq Licensed Engineer Licensed Land Surveyor 311 North Street Livingston, Al 35470

(205) 718-4047 gmccord@glenmccordlaw.com

Disclaimer These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different regardless of what friends, family or other individuals say about what a case is worth. Each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties and the testimony among other factors. Furthermore, No representation that the quality of legal services to be performed are greater than the services performed by other lawyers.