YOUR SOURCE OF NEWS IN SELMA AND DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA May 16, 2019 | Volume 4, Issue 16
www.selmasun.com
50 ¢
U.S. Attorney announces $1 million grant to fight crime in Selma BY FRED GUARINO Selma Sun Staff
U.S. Attorney Richard Moore speaks at the announcement Tuesday, with Owen Peak of Peak Insurance and Selma Police Chief Spencer Collier listening.
Selma law enforcement got a major infusion Tuesday with a $1 million federal “emergency grant“ that will fund efforts to tackle increased homicides and gang crimes in the city of Selma and the surrounding area. U.S. Attorney Richard W. Moore announced the grant at a meeting of the Selma Weed and Seed Committee on Tuesday at the Selma-Dallas County YMCA. The grant is from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to fund much needed equipment for law enforcement officers and overtime expenses to perform saturation patrols in high crime areas.
“It's pretty well known that we have a violent crime problem here in Selma,” said Moore, the U.S. attorney for the Southern district of Alabama. “And because of that, we are receiving emergency funding for law enforcement purposes...” what he called “weeding money.” A strategy will be used that has proven successful across the nation in reducing violent crime, he said, identifying “trigger pullers” (violent offenders). “And,” he said, “you get the worst of the worst off the street.” Moore said there are enough violent offenders who “cause a violent crime problem in Selma.” And he said this grant will help get them off the streets. Moore said the grant is “a game changer for Selma,” that will allow them to “take back our streets. We will make Selma safe once again.”
Among those on hand to tout the grant and cooperation between county and city school officials, county and city law enforcement, businesses and the Dallas County Commission were retired Wayne County, Michigan Circuit Judge Maggie Drake Peterson, who was born in Orrville and who serves as director of Selma's Weed and Seed Steering Committee; Dr. Avis Williams, Superintendent of Selma City Schools, who co-chairs the prevention, intervention and treatment subcommittee; James Mitchell, president of Wallace Community College Selma; Owen Peak of Peak Insurance, who serves on the Weed and Seed Board; and Dallas County Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn, who chairs the Dallas County Commission, which will administer the grant. Also on hand were Selma Police Chief Spencer Collier,
Dallas County Chief Deputy John Hatfield on behalf of Dallas County Sheriff Mike Granthum and Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson. “In the last few weeks we managed to get a lot of gunslingers off the street, gang kingpins and drug dealers,” Jackson said. “Moving forward with this million dollars, we're going to take it home. We are going to stamp out violent crime.” In answer to questions, Moore said he was hopeful that some of the funds could be used for school resource officers. Moore also said “We've identified the hot spots mostly ward in Selma, and that's where we're going to concentrate first.” Collier said he planned to ask the Selma City Council through realignment to allow an additional two school resource officers.
Selma High sees more girls fired up about learning trades like welding Education programs are for all students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, including those with limited English proficiency in grades 9-12. Classes included are Air Force JROTC, Agriscience, Animal Systems, Construction, Automotive Service Technology, Business Management & Administration, Drafting Design Technology/ Pre-Engineering, Family Studies & Community Services, Finance, Health Science, Interior Design, Masonry and Welding. Talton has been a welder for 18 years, a welding instructor for eight years, and is in his first year teaching at Selma High. Talton said he enjoys having females in his class. “The girls catch on quicker,” Talton said. “They’ve got steadier hands. They don’t lift weights, and their strength doesn’t change.” And, he said, “Because they are women, they pay attention to everything. They want to make sure it’s done right, and it’s correct.”
Talton said boys and girls learn differently. “When you are talking to boys, they’re looking over here, they’re over there. Their minds are all over the place,’ he said. “It’s easier to teach girls.” Talton knows first-hand that women can be successful as welders. He said his own female first cousin was a welder for GE among all men. “On the pipelines and everywhere, she was a pretty good welder,” Talton said. “She did it for about 10 years, and now she’s retired.” Man or woman, welding is a lucrative business, according to Talton. A welder “can make all the money they want to make and then go where they want to go,” he said. Talton said construction welders can make $22 to $28 per hour. In Selma, one can start off at $10 to $15 per hour as a MIG welder. Pipe welders could make $42 per hour. And with a rig truck, one could make $20,000 a month, according to Talton. He said at his last construction job, he made $12,000 a month after taxes doing stainless steel welding.
Talton said the girls are learning what is called MIG (flux welding) or stick (rod) welding. And if they come back their senior year, he said they can try their hand at TIG (tungsten welding). As ninth graders, Taylor and Tiffany are seeing most of the work in the shop this year. Juniors and seniors at Selma High take classes for two years. Ninth graders can take classes for four years if they like it. Talton said the ninth graders are at the intro level. Tiffany said welding “was hard at first, trying to learn how to strike it and keep the fire going, but it got easier.” Taylor also said it took her a little time to get started. She had to study and watch videos of others doing welding. “And as you keep studying, you’ll learn,” she said. Talton’s welding class is currently helping prepare the Selma City Schools Parent University Bus for service to parents and students in the community. They’re also building tables, benches, tire covers and storage bins.
Taylor Lamar, left, and Tiffany Taylor, two Selma High ninth graders, are making sparks fly as female welding students in the Selma City Schools Career Technical Education Program. Photos by Fred Guarino BY FRED GUARINO Selma Sun Staff
Taylor Lamar and Tiffany Taylor, two Selma High ninth graders, are creating sparks in their choice of a career path. They are learning to become welders in their school’s Career Technical
Education Program as students of welding instructor Timothy Talton. Taylor said her father is a welder, and she is “following in his footsteps,” while Tiffany said she saw her cousin working as a welder and liked it as a career choice. Tiffany said she is attracted to welding “because it is
something different that most people probably don’t do. So, it’s exciting when you do it, and it will probably be a fun job to do.” Taylor said, “You don’t see too many females do it, so it’s different.” According to the Selma City Schools Board of Education, the Career and Technical
Selma High ninth graders Tiffany Taylor and Taylor Lamar join their welding instructor, Timothy Talton, in inspecting work to be done to prepare the Selma City Schools Parent University Bus for service on the road.
Subscribe today at
www.selmasun.com