Legislative Report State Senator Rodger Smitherman District 18

As we pass the midway point of the 2014 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature, Birmingham lawmakers continue efforts to protect one of our regions’ most valuable assets from the attempts of  others who want to rob control of our future.
The Birmingham Water Works serves more than 600,000 customers and operates more than 4,000 miles of pipeline. It is no secret that he who controls the water, shapes the destiny of a people. For this reason, I have stood firm during debate in the Alabama Senate over bills that would alter the composition of the Birmingham Water Works Board. Unfortunately this bill made it out of the Senate on Tuesday, March 11. My colleagues in the House will continue the fight to protect our Birmingham Water Works.
Here are just a few of the many reasons we should protect control of the Birmingham Water Works:
It provides untreated water to several major businesses and industries, contributing to the economic growth of the Birmingham area.
It provides free water for fire protection in over 33 municipalities and fire departments.
The Birmingham Water Works has consistently achieved the rating of the number five water system in the country for water quality.
The Birmingham Water Works Board spends more than 75 million dollars annually for capital improvements to maintain and meet state and federal standards.
The Senate Majority Leader first proposed a bill that would take control of the Water Works Board and give it to those who do not live in Jefferson County. During sessions in the week of March 3, this same senator offered what he called a “compromise” that would still take away control. Those proposed changes were not received favorably by my constituents, so I have worked with other area lawmakers of like mind to defeat this senator’s proposals to dismantle this institution. This is just another attempt to take away institutions that are controlled by Birmingham.
It’s unfair to give board seats to outside counties that have fewer customers and were only added to the system under a “Good Samaritan” action to provide service to hard-to-reach areas in Blount and Walker counties. This is really not right. There’s nothing right about what’s being asked to be done.
I have no problem with changes such as board pay reductions, but that should be handled locally. I do have a problem with touching the board, the makeup and the appointing authority.
My commitment to the residents of Senate District 18 and the people of Birmingham is that I will work every day on their behalf. I want to defeat any proposal that would strip away the authority of Birmingham leaders to operate a utility that has been bought and built with OUR hard-earned dollars.
While the fight to maintain Birmingham control of the Water Works has demanded much of my attention so far this session, I remain vigilant on several other issues affecting the residents of District 18 including raises for teachers, the expansion of Medicaid and passage of state budgets that offer the best for all of Alabama.

   The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Birmingham awarded its first Lifetime Achievement Award to retired Alabama Power President and CEO Charles McCrary at its annual Masked Ball. The event was held at the Sheraton Hotel Ballroom Saturday, March 8.
The prestigious honor recognizes a leader who has blazed trails in areas of educational advancement, minority advocacy and community development. “The best way to ensure success for tomorrow is to invest in our children today,” McCrary said.
Walvid King Sr., UNCF area development director, said the award honors McCrary’s visionary leadership at Alabama Power. “His record and advocacy concerning African-Americans in this community show he was a true trailblazer and change agent where and when needed.”
The UNCF Birmingham Masked Ball is one of the Magic City’s premier social occasions and leading black-tie fundraisers of the year. Additional event features included a masked auction and presentation, reception and elegant dining. Birmingham Water Works Board Vice President Sherry Lewis served as chairwoman and Mayor William A. Bell Sr. was the honorary chairman.
UNCF leadership set a 2014 event fundraising goal of $500,000. King announced at the event that $470,000 of that goal had been reached. There was also a call that night for audience members to donate to UNCF. “These proceeds will allow UNCF to extend thousands of dollars in support of students from Alabama, helping them to pursue a college education,” King said.
The R&B group The O’Jays – consisting of Eddie Levert Sr., Walter Williams Sr. and Eric Nolan Grant – performed some of their hit records after the program ended. The singers performed songs such as “Stairway to Heaven,” “Family Reunion,” “Love Train” and “For the Love of Money.” Levert, one of the original founding members, reminded the audience that he has an Alabama connection. He was born in Bessemer, a community about 20 miles from Birmingham.
As the nation’s oldest and most successful minority education assistance organization, UNCF’s mission is to increase minority degree attainment by providing financial support to 37 member institutions. Find out more at www.uncf.org.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham Urban League will hold its bi-monthly homebuyer education seminar to provide homebuyer education and financial literacy training for individuals seeking to become homeowners. This FREE workshop provides participants an opportunity to address the overwhelming misconceptions surrounding the homeownership process. Participants learn how to realistically prepare to purchase a home.

Adjustable Rate vs. Fixed Rate, which is better?

Are foreclosed properties a good investment?

Why is my credit score important?

Find answers to these questions and more…

When:        Saturday, April 5
9 a. m. – 5 p. m.

Where:        1229 Third Avenue North
Birmingham, Alabama 35203

Urban League housing counselors and industry professionals cover topics that include residential loan applications; closing documents; home insurance, inspections, maintenance; neighborhood safety, fair housing and CreditSmart® – a curriculum to help consumers understand, build and maintain better credit.
To reserve your seat, contact Kimberly Callines at (205) 326-0162.

Birmingham Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Manufacturing and Selling Synthetic Marijuana

BIRMINGHAM — A federal judge today sentenced a Birmingham man to five years and three months in prison for manufacturing synthetic marijuana and distributing it across the country from his apartment in Birmingham’s Southside community, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and U.S. Postal Inspector Frank Dyer.

U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced ROBERT JAMES PRESSLER, 28, one count of conspiracy to manufacture with intent to distribute the controlled chemical substance XLR11, or “Spice.” Pressler pleaded guilty to the charge in December. Judge Kallon ordered Pressler to forfeit $238,428 to the government as proceeds of illegal activity. Pressler must report to prison May 16.

Pressler used his apartment as a laboratory for mixing dried plants and herbs with the XLR11, and used the U.S. Postal Service to ship the synthetic marijuana across the country – cash on delivery, according to court records. He used websites, including “bobsbud” and “bobswackytobacky,” to take orders for the substance and conducted the transactions under the business name, Ninja Foot LLC, which had a Birmingham post office box.

Although Pressler’s websites noted that the product was not for human consumption, the government introduced e-mails during Wednesday’s hearing that showed he knowingly sold the Spice for smoking as synthetic marijuana.

On the websites, Pressler presented the synthetic marijuana as “herbal incense” and also advertised and sold 5FUR144 — the XLR11 controlled substance — in bulk as a “research chemical,” according to his plea agreement with the government. Prices for 5FUR144 were listed on one site in a range from $50 for five grams to more than $5,000 per kilogram.

Among mail Pressler received at his apartment in 2012 and 2013 were several large packages from China with shipping labels indicating they contained various chemicals, and some listed weights of at least three kilograms, or nearly seven pounds, according to his plea agreement. The agreement also noted that China is a known source for purchase of chemicals used in the production of synthetic marijuana.

Postal inspectors found COD records for Pressler and Ninja Foot between December 2012 and June 2013 that totaled more than $100,000, according to court records.

A second Birmingham man, Seth Alexander Batten, 30, also pleaded guilty in December to the conspiracy to manufacture and distribute XLR11. Batten worked with Pressler to manufacture and ship synthetic marijuana, according to Pressler’s plea agreement. Batten is scheduled for sentencing April 23.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with the Alabama Alcohol Beverage Control Board’s state narcotics team, and the Birmingham Police Department, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Felton is prosecuting.

Former Childersburg City Councilwoman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

BIRMINGHAM — A federal judge has sentenced a former Childersburg City Councilwoman to nearly three years in prison for bank fraud and laundering nearly $1 million from SouthFirst Bank, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Craig Caldwell, and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot.
U.S. District Judge Inge P. Johnson sentenced Bonny Jean Carter, 61, to two years and nine months in prison and ordered her to repay $37,200 to SouthFirst Bank, and $949,287 to its insurance company, Zurich Financial and Security. Carter pleaded guilty in December to one count each of bank fraud and money laundering. She is to report to prison May 13.
“This defendant used her position of trust with the bank she worked for to steal nearly $1 million from the bank over 10 years,” Vance said. “Stealing from a financial institution will not go unpunished, and the prison sentence Ms. Carter received today is justice finally being served.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously pursue corporate officers who violate the public trust,” Hyman-Pillot said. “We are committed to investigating complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the true source of their money. This sentence should serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent actions.”
Carter had worked as an account clerk at the Sylacauga branch of SouthFirst Bank. In that position, between June 2004 and March 2013, she embezzled from the bank by converting money to personal savings accounts. Carter recorded journal entries to transfer money from various SouthFirst Bank general ledger accounts into personal accounts held in her daughter’s name. She also skimmed amounts from checks made payable to SouthFirst Bank by depositing the funds into those personal accounts. Additionally, Carter issued debit transactions from SouthFirst Bank’s operating expense account to pay personal debts she owed.
The U.S. Secret Service and Internal Revenue Service investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Beardsley Mark prosecuted.

Birmingham City Council Meeting Cancelled Due to Lack of Quorum

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham City Council’s regularly scheduled Tuesday morning meeting was cancelled today due to a lack of quorum. All agenda items scheduled to be discussed this week, will be addressed next week, Tuesday March 18, at 9:30 a.m.
Many Councilors are in Washington D.C. this week attending Congressional workshops and seminars at National League of Cities.
For more information please contact Birmingham City Council Assistant Public Information Officer Chiara Morrow, 205-908-7392 or chiara.morrow@birminghamal.gov.

Cash For Crooks Div. of Refuge In Trouble Times (RITT) Community Development, Inc., PO Box 28083, Birmingham, Ala.  35228.

Chance Silver, age 23 on August 23, 2013, was found shot around 4 a.m. by his roommate. Neighbors reported they had heard a gunshot at the apartment around 1 a.m.
If you have any information about this or any of our Cash For Crooks cases, call Crimestoppers at 205-254-7777. If your tip leads to an arrest/conviction of the person(s) responsible for his or any of our Cash For Crooks cases (NO NICK NAMES PLEASE) you will be eligible for a cash reward of $5,000 plus YOU WILL REMAIN ANONYMOUS.  RITT is cracking down on this and other cases. Will you help by making the call?
If there’s an unsolved case you’d like aired once more, e-mail us at odussasplace@yahoo.com or call Minister Ward at 205-240-9910.  Always remember Don’t wait til it happens to you before you get involved.  Thank you.

Homicide Investigations
The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives are conducting a homicide investigation. The incident occurred on Sunday, March 9, 2014 in the 6100 Block of Blocton Avenue.
The victim has been identified as:
Darius Moore, B/M, 23, of Birmingham, Alabama.
West Precinct Officers responded to the incident location at 9:44 p.m. to investigate a shots fired call. Upon arrival, Officers found the victim inside a black Ford Explorer suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was treated at the scene by Birmingham Fire and Rescue and transported to UAB Hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Investigators learned the victim was shot by an unknown Black male who left the scene on foot. There have been no arrests or charges filed in this case.
If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit at 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 254-7777.

Detectives are conducting a  second homicide investigation. The incident occurred Sunday in the 900 Block of 17th Street SW.
The victim has been identified as:
Timothy Austin, B/M, 23, of Birmingham, Alabama
West Precinct officers responded to the incident location at 11:21 a.m. to investigate a person shot. Upon arrival, officers observed the victim lying on his back in the park suffering from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds to the head area. Birmingham Fire and Rescue responded and pronounced the victim deceased on the scene.
It is believed the victim was shot by an unknown Black male (6 feet, 150 lbs.) who was also in the park. The suspect was wearing black jogging pants with a white T-shirt and black skull cap with a ball on top. The suspect left the park on foot and later got into a Silver 90s model Chevy Malibu with a busted driver’s side passenger window that was covered with tape.
There have been no arrests or charges filed in the case. If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit at 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 254-7777.

The BJCTA and the City of Birmingham host a ground breaking for the new $30 million Intermodal Facility
By: Elle Petties

On Friday March 7th at 2 o’clock p.m., the City of Birmingham, the Birmingham-Jefferson-County Transit Authority (BJCTA), and the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) hosted a ceremonial ground breaking for Birmingham’s new $30 million intermodal facility.
The new facility will house MAX transit, Amtrak Passenger Rail and the Greyhound bus service, expanding a whopping three-block area along Morris Avenue between 16th and 19th streets.
Although some details on the new facility are still under debate, Mayor Bell stated that, “the proof is in the pudding,” and that “[Friday’s] ground breaking symbolizes the end of a long journey to clear major hurdles blocking progress.”
In regards to the cost of the new intermodal facility, George Thomson, deputy regional administrator for the FTA said, “How can you afford not to build it? The City could save $750 thousand a year if each bus rider got seven or nine people to ride the bus. With Federal funds covering 80 percent of the cost of construction, the new facility’s benefits are well worth its cost.”
The facility is due for completion sometime in mid-2015. Construction is set for mid-summer and Modular buildings will go up on the lot of 17th Street and Morris Avenue as a temporary home for MAX Transit’s Central Station.

Booker T. Washington K-8 School, in Birmingham City Schools District, had several students to participate in the 2013 National Career Development Association’s Poetry and Poem Contest. The state participants from Booker T. Washington included: Tamara Caldwell (2nd) who placed 1st in the district for primary; Rachel Robinson (2nd) who placed 2nd in the district for primary; Anthony Roland (2nd) who placed 3rd in the district for primary; Cha’Diamond Robinson (5th) who placed 2nd in the district for intermediate; Destiny Underwood (5th) who placed 3rd in the district for intermediate; and Amauri Pettaway (8th) who placed 2nd in the district for middle. State participant, Tamara Caldwell, placed 2nd in the poetry primary division for the state.
All state level winners were entered in the National contest. The winners will be announced in April of this year on the NCDA’s website.
On behalf of principal, Damita J. Pitts and school counselor, Sandra Rudolph, we want to wish Tamara Caldwell, as well as the other students in our district, good luck in the national contest.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— Thanks to a club begun by Holy Family Cristo Rey history teacher Joe May, students are learning how to invest in the stock market, and getting valuable advice from Birmingham businessmen Keith Carter and Etchridge Means.
Carter, a vice president of Securities Capital Corp., and Means, an entrepreneur and owner of EMC Enterprises, help May teach the students basic principles of investing and money management.
The Holy Family Cristo Rey Investment Club began with a conversation May, Carter, and Means had last fall about how to address the generational poverty and social depression that many urban families face in Birmingham.
“We decided we should combine our collective talents and abilities, and equip our students with the skills and wherewithal to be fiscally responsible,” May said.
Sidney Moore, principal at Holy Family and a veteran educator in Birmingham, said he was thrilled when May approached him with the idea for the investment club. Many students aren’t taught the importance of saving or investing for the future through stocks, he said.
“Unfortunately, in today’s society, many of our kids and adults are consumers, not savers,” Moore said. “My hope is that some great entrepreneurs will come out of this investment club.”
The Holy Family Cristo Rey Investment Club is participating in The Stock Market Game, a program of the Alabama Council on Economic Education, which provides economic and financial training programs for teachers and students in grades K-12. This is Holy Family Cristo Rey’s first time participating.
The Stock Market Game is played online, and features groups of 3 to 5 students. Each group is given $100,000 to invest in stocks and mutual funds, and must make investment decisions based on their own research. The investors compete against students across the nation.
“It is as real as it gets,” May said. “The kids are taking it seriously and learning a lot. They even have an app they can download on their phones to keep up with their stocks.”
May said his parents, a lawyer and former Bessemer mayor and a schoolteacher, taught their kids the importance of making sound financial decisions. May hopes the investment club will impart the same lessons to Holy Family Cristo Rey students.
“Our overall objective is to teach our students the benefits of short and long-term investing, and to combat the effects of generational poverty,” May said.
With his student teams comprised mostly of sophomores, May is focused on learning, rather than winning.  “Our focus now is on changing the mind-set of our students when it comes to investing and spending their money,” May said. “The Stock Market Game is one of many ways Holy Family prepares students for the future.”
Holy Family Cristo Rey’s unique work-study program allows students aged 14 and up to offset much of their tuition by working in more than 85 businesses across metro Birmingham one day a week. Since affiliating with the Chicago-based Cristo Rey Network in 2007, 100 percent of the school’s seniors have graduated and been accepted into college.
Located at 2001 19th Street Ensley, Holy Family Cristo Rey is currently accepting applications for the 2014-15 school year. The application deadline is Friday, March 21, 2014. For details, call Beverly Dixon, Director of Admissions, at (205) 263-0133, email bdixon@hfcristorey.org, or go to www.hfcristorey.org. Follow the school on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube

BIRMINGHAM, AL – Renasant Bank  announced the formation of its Equipment Financing Division.  The new division will be based in Birmingham, and it will provide financing to a wide variety of industries throughout Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi.  Renasant Equipment Financing will offer financial structures for a range of commercial equipment types including vehicles, utility equipment, cranes, medical equipment, construction equipment, industrial equipment, machine tools and telecommunications.

The division will be led by Patti Reid, Senior Vice President and Manager of Equipment Finance.  Joining Reid are

Montise Waldrep, Senior Vice President and Operations Manager and Jimmy Snider, Vice President and Commercial Relationship Manager.

Reid has 33 years of experience in the banking and equipment finance industry.  In addition to managing the leasing and finance department for RBC (USA), Reid has

worked at First American, AmSouth and SouthTrust Bank.  Most recently, Reid practiced law with the Marks & Weinberg, PC, law firm, engaging in transactional work concentrated in equipment leasing, contract negotiation and documentation.

Waldrep brings more than three decades of experience managing the operational aspects of bank leasing companies. Prior to joining Renasant, Waldrep worked for a private leasing company, as well several large regional banks, managing accounting, asset-based lending, credit and equipment finance departments.

Snider has worked in banking and the equipment finance and leasing industry for more than 30 years. Prior to joining Renasant Bank, he held senior management positions with both regional and community banks.