Birmingham, Al – The Birmingham Airport Authority Board of Directors briefly met today in a regularly scheduled meeting.
Jeff Hart, project manager with Brasfield&Gorrie/BLOC, updated the board on the project’s construction progress.  To date crews are still on target to finish exterior walls and sheathing by the end of the year.  Exterior wall panel work has started and finish work is scheduled to begin in January.  Tom Wesley, Project Coordinator for the Birmingham Airport Authority, reviewed the project’s financial status to date.  “The budget for the Project remains on track with the projections established at the beginning of the project,” said Wesley.  The status report illustrated a two percent overall increase in the amount of contracts paid over last month.
The board approved to use of Authority contingency funds to purchase X-ray screening equipment required by Customs and Border Protection for operation within the new Federal Inspection Station.  The Rapiscan x-ray equipment will be used to screen large parcels and baggage for inbound international flights to Birmingham.
The $201.6 million Terminal Modernization Project includes a Federal Inspection Station for Customs and Border Protection in the airport.  “As we continue to market for direct international passenger and cargo service to and from Birmingham, it’s important for us to have all the necessary tools in place to be successful,” said Mr. Al Denson, Birmingham Airport Authority President and CEO.

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Despite a tougher test and higher standards that translated into lower passage rates for many nursing programs nationwide, Jacksonville State University’s students scored higher on the NCLEX-RN licensing exam this year than the national average.
JSU’s College of Nursing reports a passage rate of 85.6 percent, which surpassed the average 83 percent pass rate for first-time test takers in the United States between April and June 2013. JSU’s Summer 2013 graduates did even better, scoring a passing rate average of 89 percent. This is a significant increase when compared to pass rates of 83 percent and 86 percent in Spring and Summer 2012, respectively.
In April 2013, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) implemented the revised test plan and change in passing standard for the NCLEX-RN. Due to the higher standards, the NCSBN projected a 3-5 percent decrease in the passing rate for those taking the NCLEX-RN for the first time. As a result, many nursing programs have seen a decrease in their NCLEX-RN passage rates. The national first-time pass rate average decline to 83 percent between April and June 2013 reflects a 9.74 percent decrease from the previous quarter.
The Alabama Board of Nursing reports NCLEX-RN passage rates, based on a three-year rolling average.
In addition to a NCLEX-RN passage rate above the national average without a substantial dip in scores, as many other colleges and universities are experiencing, the JSU CON graduation rate for the Fall 2010 entering cohort was calculated at 96.3 percent.
Dr. Christie Shelton, Dean of the College of Nursing, and Dr. Betsy Gulledge, BSN Program Director, can identify a number of variables that may have contributed to the graduation and NCLEX-RN rate success. Dr. Shelton believes that faculty development and retention of faculty have been significant in this achievement. Dr. Gulledge feels the incorporation of best practices in teaching and maintaining a rigorous, but student-centered program have also contributed to this accomplishment.
“Maintaining an acceptable passage rate in light of an increased passing standard with the NCLEX-RN is very encouraging,” said Dr. Shelton. “Such results indicated that students at JSU CON were prepared better than many across the nation, as evidenced by the increased passage rate. The JSU CON continues to forge ahead with innovative and dynamic teaching methods in order to create a truly student-centered learning environment. In a time of uncertainty in the healthcare environment, the JSU CON is committed to their vision of ‘Empowering exemplary nurses to care for anyone, anytime, anywhere.’”
Jacksonville State University is a public comprehensive university located in Northeast Alabama, mid-way between Birmingham and Atlanta, Ga. JSU offers traditional and online courses to get you ready for success in the 21st Century. Pursue your bachelor’s or master’s degree, earn a graduate certificate or even a doctoral degree in Emergency Management. JSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information and a list of degrees, visit http://www.jsu.edu.
Jacksonville State University’s Lurleen B. Wallace College of Nursing delivers three programs- the traditional BSN, the RN to BSN (STEP), and the MSN. Both the STEP and MSN degrees are available online. A non-degree graduate certificate in nursing education is also offered. JSU’s College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing. For more information, visit http://www.jsu.edu/nursing.

The P.D. Jackson-Olin High School Choir presents “A Winter Extravaganza” on Sunday, December
8, at 5p.m. at Jackson-Olin High School in the Gordon-Crawford Auditorium. This is a fundraiser concert designed to raise enough money to pay for travels associated with various choral festival engagements. There is a $5 or more donation required for admission. Tracey Hooper, Choir Director, promises this event to be exhilarating, powerful and uplifting.
Dr. Janice S. Drake is Principal of P.D. Jackson-Olin High School.

By Jessica Jones

Minor High School returned victorious from the National High Stepping Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
The band has competed in other local competitions, but this was Minor’s first time competing in the National High Stepping Championship. However, this wasn’t Director of Band James Crumb’s first time at the competition. He previously led Carver High School to victory at the National High Stepping Championship in 2003.
Supported by over 50 parents, Minor won their division out of 30 bands, automatically placing them in the finals, and then competed among nine other finalists for the national title.
As if competing at a national level wasn’t enough pressure, the band also had to stay motivated to compete, as the competition came at the end of a long football season that began in July and ended in early November.
“The challenge was motivating them to do this, and motivating them, of course, to do their best because you have no idea of the competition,” Crumb said. “I kept telling them that. These are not bands that you have seen in your immediate surroundings. You know these other bands in the metro area because you’ve played them, or you’ve seen them march before. These are bands that are from all over the country. You just go out there and do what you do and do it the best.”
Crumb’s advice led them to first place, earning them a win that was hard to describe.
“It was a jubilation that words cannot explain,” Crumb said.
That jubilation was not simply because the band won the competition. This was the first competition the school had participated in in three years, Crumb said, because the band had no uniforms. Thanks to the Jefferson County Board of Education, the school was able to purchase uniforms for the competition, and a victory after such a long break only made their success sweeter.
“To see the kids jumping up and down, crying and running on the field and hoisting the trophy up, it was very touching because I do this because of the kids,” Crumb said. “I love doing what I do because I love to see the look on their faces when they accomplish something and this was a very challenging feat that they were able to hang in there and accomplish. So it really was a memorable occasion and it’s something that the staff and the kids and parents will never forget.”
Crumb said he was never doubtful that the students would take home that nationals title.
“I told the kids, ‘I’m really looking at winning this’ and they really did a good job. They were actually 60 points better than second place.”
Crumb talked to the band about winning, but losing wasn’t a topic of discussion. The band competed in the Central Alabama Marching Festival in Selma three weeks before nationals. Crumb used the joy of that win to motivate the students for the high stepping competition.
“We went down there and we won that contest and when we got back I asked the students how did it feel to win, and they said it felt great, winning felt great,” Crumb said. “I told them I want you to remember this feeling because that’s the feeling that we want when we go to nationals. You will not have this feeling if you go over there half stepping. I’ve always told them we’re going to go over here and we’re going to take this and I never talked to them about losing.”
Even though they came home as champions, Crumb said winning doesn’t always mean taking home a trophy.
“I tell my kids that if you put your all into it and lay your best out there on the field, you are always a winner,” Crumb said. “No matter how the outcome is going to be, you’re always the winner, because you have done your best.”

Lipscomb Principal Dr. Orletta Rush beams over her three 5th grade scholars. From left they are Estefany Vitales-Martinez,
Christopher Richardson, and Josias Diaz-Garcia. Students earned the coveted honor by making high grades on a math and reading
test and receiving a recommendation from their school. The three were part of 376 students honored in two separate ceremonies at First Baptist Church November 12 from 30 JefCoEd different schools.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Wells Fargo Foundation has provided a $20,000 grant to support fund development and the continuation of existing program services at the Birmingham Urban League. This grant will help the Urban League continue its direct services to youth and adults through programs and initiatives that promote:

the opportunity to earn – workforce development/job training
the opportunity to own – comprehensive housing counseling services
the opportunity to prosper – financial education seminars

“Wells Fargo’s investment signals to us that our constituents and the areas in which we work are important to this industry leader and align with their corporate goals,” said Elaine S. Jackson, Urban League President & CEO. “Wells Fargo has not only provided financial contributions, but they’ve also given consistent volunteer support through service on our Board of Directors for a number of years.”
“The Urban League does great work in the Birmingham community,” said Richard Busby, senior community development officer for Wells Fargo, and board member of the Urban League. “We are proud to support their efforts to help people across our community succeed in the areas of financial stability, homeownership and
employment.”

Alabama Power helping support restoration of rare species

Ultralight aircraft will lead eight young whooping cranes in a 324-mile journey through Alabama, part of an ongoing effort to bring the rare birds back from the brink of extinction.
The trek through Alabama is just a portion of a 1,101-mile migration spanning seven states for the group of young birds making their first cross-country flight.
Each year, the nonprofit group Operation Migration raises a new set of hatchlings and prepares them for migration as part of the organization’s unique approach to expanding the endangered whooping crane populations in eastern North America.
The cranes are hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. They are shipped to Wisconsin 50 days after hatching where they are taught to follow a specially designed ultralight aircraft. Their training continues from June through September. Eventually, they follow a team of two ultralight aircraft on their first migration.
This year’s group of hatchlings began its first Wisconsin-to-Florida migration on Oct. 2. As of today, the cranes had made it to neighboring Tennessee and could cross the Alabama state line as early as this weekend. Depending on weather conditions, the cranes are scheduled to make stops in Franklin, Walker, Chilton, Lowndes and Pike counties as they make their way across the state.
Since 2008, Alabama Power and its parent company, Southern Company, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), have sponsored the annual crane migration through Southern Company’s Power of Flight initiative. Power of Flight seeks to restore and revive the populations and habitats of southern birds through habitat restoration and environmental education. The program is the largest public/private funding effort for bird conservation in the South.
Alabama Power, in partnership with NFWF and others, also works to restore the South’s important longleaf pine ecosystem through the Longleaf Stewardship Fund and supports watershed conservation through the Five Star Restoration program.
Earlier this year, Southern Company and its operating companies, including Alabama Power, announced a five-year extension of the Power of Flight, Longleaf Stewardship Fund and Five Star Restoration programs during NWF’s 10th Annual Stewardship Partners meeting in Mobile. In Alabama alone, these initiatives have created or improved tens of thousands of acres of longleaf pine habitat; are helping restore more than 100 acres of wetlands; are helping improve water quality through the restoration of Alabama creek banks; and providing vital resources to benefit Alabama wildlife. The initiatives also have provided resources for environmental education within the state.
Learn more about Alabama Power’s conservation and stewardship efforts on its environmental page at www.alabamapower.com.

By Jessica Jones

Bumpus Middle School had its first  session with iCan, program that is targeted toward girls in the sixth to eight grades and encourages girls’ interest in engineering through classroom activities and first-hand observations of engineers working in the field. Hoover High School Engineering Academy students also volunteered and shared advice from their experience in engineering classes.
During the two hour session Alabama Power volunteers facilitate hands-on engineering activities such as how to make an aluminum foil boat filled with pennies stay buoyant.
The program specifically targets middle school girls for a reason according to team leader of regulatory affairs, Natalie Dean.
“We’ve learned through our research that girls at that age start to make decisions about long-term career choices like deciding whether or not to take advance math and science at this age and those decisions they’re making now affect their future,” Dean said. “So one of the things we do is teach them about engineering and about those career choices, and how much fun it is and how they can learn and affect society by being an engineer and encourage them to take those math and science [classes] now so they’ll be prepared when they get to high school and then on to college.”
Societal pressures are often the cause of the lack of interest in the male dominated field, Dean said and girls don’t feel they are suited for a career that requires they take advanced math and science courses.
“Research shows that they think that engineering or those maths and sciences are too hard for them or they’re for boys and not for girls, or boys are better at them than they are and so they just kind of faze out of that,” she said. “It’s easier for them at this age with social pressures and other things to just take what they have to take in order to move on. So one of the things that we’re encouraging them [to do] is just try. You never know until you try, and a lot of times girls do excel in these programs.”
Dean, who graduated from Auburn University with a degree in mechanical engineering, remembers her own struggle when it came time to decide her career path.
“I was in a very similar position as these students,” Dean said. “I didn’t have any one teaching me about engineering, but I loved math and science. When I got to high school I realized engineering really sounded fun to me. I got to work with my hands. I would get to design things, build things, test things. So it was important to me to at least try. What I love about my engineering degree is I’m able to do lots of different things because of it. Engineering opens the door for them and that’s one of the things we want them to learn.”
Despite the overwhelming numbers of male engineers in comparison to female, the number of women in the field is climbing.
“If you look at any engineering school across the country they’re predominantly male,” Dean said. “There’s a small percentage of women that go into the engineering field and we see that’s declining throughout the country. So we feel like it’s important for us to volunteer to teach this next generation how important engineering is not just for them, not just for their family to make a good living, but really for society in general so they can build that next bridge, or they can be a part of that next technology like the iPhone that makes society better.”

 MONTGOMERY – An international awards competition that recognizes outstanding creative achievement by marketing and communications professionals has honored Alabama State University for its “Game.On.” campaign.
 ASU was among the winners in the marketing and promotions category of the 2013 MarCom Awards, which were announced earlier this month.
Featuring striking, gritty, black and white imagery of the Hornets’ football players, the “Game.On.” campaign included a 30-second television commercial, billboards, yard signs and flyers. The television spot, which starred running back and Walter Payton Award nominee Isaiah Crowell, earned particular praise.
There were more than 6,500 entries from throughout the United States, Canada and several other countries in this year’s competition. Of that number, only about 22 percent of entrants won Gold Awards.
Tyrus Sturgis, in his first year as Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications for Alabama State University, oversaw production of the campaign and was pleased with its results. “We are fortunate to have a rich history, as well as strong academic and athletics programs at ASU. I look forward to continuing to help share the University’s story in creative and compelling ways. Winning a MarCom Gold award is an honor, and it shows that we are headed in the right direction.”
Danielle Kennedy, vice president for University Relations, applauded the team effort. “Kudos to our athletics department, coaches and players for being generous with their time and working seamlessly with us to produce an impactful campaign. This is an example of teamwork at its finest, and we look forward to continued success.”
Melvin Hines, Interim Athletic Director, echoed the teamwork to accomplish the campaign and the award. “This is a great honor for our University. Athletics is a rich fiber of the Alabama State University community, and as we continue to work as One ASU, great things are sure to continue.”
MarCom entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers. The competition has grown to perhaps the largest of its kind in the world. A look at the winners shows a range in size from individual communicators to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies.
MarCom Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The international organization consists of several thousand creative professionals. The Association oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and sets standards for excellence. Judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry.
Winners were selected from more than 200 categories in seven forms of media and communication efforts. A complete list of winners can be found on the MarCom Awards website at www.marcomawards.com.