CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia’s largest church group has asked
U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd and the rest of the state’s congressional delegation
to oppose funding a private prison for undocumented immigrants in
Pendleton County near the Virginia border.
The Council of Churches is
one of several groups discussing immigration reform ahead of expected
congressional action on the issue. The Council has asked federal
lawmakers’ help in the effort, arguing private prison operations have
been rife with abuse. GSI Professional Corrections is seeking county
commission approval to build the detention center near Sugar Grove to
house 1,000 nonviolent immigrant detainees awaiting possible deportation.
Rev. Dennis Sparks, the Council’s executive director, complains private
prisons operate outside the mainstream legal
Friends of Valdosta City Schoolds (FVCS) had a table at the 100 Black Men BBQ, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Their No School Consolidation signs now have both a Viking and a Wildcat paw on them, and they have Viking stickers and Wildcat stickers.
FVCS @ 100 Black Men BBQ, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia,
Pictures by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Their consolidating CUEE competition was nowhere to be seen.
“more than 14 million pounds of beef infected with rat feces
processed by inmates were not recalled, in order to avoid drawing
attention to how many products are made by prison labor.”
Workforce development meeting at Wiregrass Tech —G. Norman Bennett @ VLCIA 19 July 2011
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 19 July 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
I already posted another view of this,
by George Rhynes.
But that one was at the end of a video of me talking, and I think
what Norman Bennett had to say is important and deserves its own post.
In case you thought they had gone away,
here’s a video of biomass protesters at the most recent
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) meeting.
I suggested they put up some permanent signs.
Protesters @ VLCIA 19 July 2011
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 19 July 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Valdosta school board member Annie Fisher advocated saying no to school unification
and instead finding out how to desegregate the schools and improve education for everyone.
She already suggested
some things to do.
Put energy into things that are right for all children —Annie Fisher @ FVCS 7 July 2011
No school consolidation,
Press Conference, Friends of Valdosta City Schools (FVCS),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 July 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
I know many of the veterinarians do not want anything to do with the
shelter; for whatever reason. Whoever with the number of feral cats that
come to the shelter each day… the vet would have to come several times
a day just for them; they have no way to house feral cats. And no place
to hold them for long periods (not even hours at that rate), during
puppy an kitten season, sometimes 30 or more cats a day are euthanized.
A McIntosh County water treatment plant is going green and saving hundreds
of dollars in utility bills.
The city of Darien’s wastewater treatment plant outfitted the facility
with solar panels. The city was able to invest more than $1 million
on renovations and upgrades to the wastewater collection system, lift
stations and treatment plant.
The Herald learned that Murfree and Coleman had been invited by Bowers,
who is heading an investigation to determine whether there had been
cheating on the DCSS’s 2009 Criterion-Referenced Competency Test exams.
An investigative panel has recommended that 109 principals, assistant
principals, school-based testing coordinators and teachers face further
scrutiny or sanctions after it found evidence of suspected cheating at
58 Atlanta Public Schools.
Atlanta and Albany have unified school systems, and they have cheating scandals.
Coincidence? I think not.
John Gates, director at the Humane Society of Lowndes County,
noted that county law enforcement doesn’t seem to know much
about animal laws and regulations, in addition to the problems at the
shelter.
This part caused Joe Pritchard’s head to jerk back:
I think our animals in the community deserves the same rights
as my children, myself, or your animals.
If your animal is in the shelter, it should receive the same
courtesy that you would give it at home.
Chairman Paulk clarified:
If you did certify the ACOs,
they’d still have to be attached to an agency, which means they’d
have to be attached to the Sheriff’s office.
I think it’s interesting that he’s listening to the idea.
The Council of Churches is one of several groups discussing immigration reform ahead of expected congressional action on the issue. The Council has asked federal lawmakers’ help in the effort, arguing private prison operations have been rife with abuse. GSI Professional Corrections is seeking county commission approval to build the detention center near Sugar Grove to house 1,000 nonviolent immigrant detainees awaiting possible deportation.
