Education Budget Cuts
“We have almost two new infections in Alabama every single day. And about half of the new infections are young people,” she says. “I shudder to think what the infection rates are going to go to if we don’t provide this education in the public schools.”
Hiers says public money is down. And the fact that lawmakers are in no hurry to restore the funding for non-state agencies “scares” her.
The East Alabama Child Development Centers is a conglomerate of about 21 non-profit daycares in 17 counties. The cuts mean a net loss of more than 262-thousand dollars for the agencies. WBHM’s Rosemary Pennington spoke with Mary Davis, the Executive Director of the Childcare Resource Network. She says two daycares have already been forced to shut down and she wouldn’t be surprised if more closed their doors.
“The loss of this money just means there are more young children who will not have an opportunity to take advantage of good early childhood education,” she says. “These monies are kind of the make or break thing that can allow many of these programs to stay open where otherwise families don’t have that opportunity for care.”
Davis says the centers serve rural, poor Alabamians. If more daycares close it could force some of these folks to choose between their jobs and staying home with their children. She says there just aren’t many other options out there for them.
Workers at Alabama’s Mercedes plants vote against joining a union
The workers voted 56% against the union, according to tallies released by the National Labor Relations Board, which ran the election.
Taylor Hunnicutt is championing her home state with debut album ‘Alabama Sound’
Alabama offers a diverse symphony of swampy rock, swaggering blues, murky country, and bone-rattling soul. It’s a sound singer-songwriter Taylor Hunnicutt recently reimagined on her debut album, Alabama Sound, which is out now.
UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass
Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.
Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi
Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.
Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties
Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.
The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant
The United Auto Workers is aiming for a key victory at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. More than 5,000 workers at the facility in Vance and nearby battery plant will vote this week on whether to join the UAW.
