Governor Robert Bentley’s prison building plan isn’t a done deal just yet. The eight hundred million dollar proposal is undergoing length debate in the State House. Supporters say the building project would solve safety and financial problems, while critics say it will make matters worse. Bentley wants to build three new mega-prisons for men that would hold four thousand inmates each. There would also be a new prison for women. Lawmakers’ complaints include the economic impact of counties that lose prisons.
Welfare recipients in Alabama will now have to work for their benefits after the expiration of a federal waiver. Able-bodied adults without children must show proof they are employed in order to continue to receive food stamps. The change involves people who receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. More than 32,000 people in Alabama have been notified about their benefits. Alabama Department of Human Resources Public Information Manager Barry Spear says the new requirements go back to before the recession..
“What we’re doing actually is going back to the way the rules were prior to 2009, which requires able-bodied adults without dependents to work a minimum of 80 hours a week or be in some type of work efforts.”
Those who are physically or mentally disabled, pregnant, part-time students are excluded from the program. Also, trainees and those caring for an incapacitated person are excluded. ?
There was talk of two former members of the Alabama Crimson Tide being picked in round one of the NFL draft. When the dust settled, there was just one. The Indianapolis Colts picked center Ryan Kelly and that was it. Linebacker Reggie Ragland was a favorite for a round one selection. But, that was apparently sidelined by medical reports of an enlarged aorta. Ragland says he’s fine. Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry was also passed over for a round one pick.
NASCAR will be returning to Alabama this weekend when the Talladega Superspeedway hosts the Geico 500. The race is projected to attract up to one hundred thousand people into the city this week. Patrick Bryant is the City Manager for the city of Talladega. He says the race is important not to just to his town, but to the surrounding cites as well.
“It’s not just an economic impact to us, but it’s a significant economic impact to the region itself and of course any benefit to the region is great because we feed off of each other. We understand that folks coming into Lincoln or folks coming into Oxford-Anniston is going to be good for Talladega.”
Bryant says one more thing for race fans to see is the Talladega Walk of Fame, which the city of Talladega recently acquired from Texaco. ?
