CLASS
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department will be holding the first part of a Citizen’s Firearms Class tonight at the sheriff’s office. The two-day class is free to residents wanting to learn about gun laws and gun safety, with tonight’s 6 o’clock segment being classroom-style seminar in the multipurpose room at the Sheriff’s complex in Anniston. The Calhoun County Deputy Sheriff’s Association will hold the second half of the Firearms Class at their firing range in Jacksonville on Saturday morning, when participants from tonight’s class will receive more in-depth instruction on a controlled firing range. The sheriff’s office holds the Citizen’s Firearms Class four times per year. A staff member with the department said by phone Wednesday she has seen a surge in concealed carry licenses issued in Calhoun County and expects a larger turnout with this week’s class. Staff at the sheriff’s office say tonight’s 6 o’clock class will not require participants to bring firearms.
MEDICAID
A commission established last fall will be making recommendations to Governor Robert Bentley on how to transform the state’s medicaid system. Governor Bentley established the Alabama Medicaid Advisory Commission last fall and tasked them with evaluating the state’s Medicaid Agency to establish long-term sustainability. Since the Commission’s first meeting on November 1, 32 commission members have met several times to hear review other state Medicaid systems and review current practices. Commission Chairman Dr. Don Williamson said in a statement Wednesday that “This is the next step in the transformation of Medicaid. This represents an opportunity to fundamentally change the funding and delivery system for the better.” The commission will make their recommendations to Governor Bentley before the new Congress in Montgomery convenes in early February.
BUMP
Alabama Medicaid Agency employees are prepared to comply with another major provision of the national health care reform law that requires state Medicaid programs to increase payments to certain physicians. The projected $40 million increase for the state was a major provision of the Affordable Care Act and was originally designed to attract new physicians to Medicaid to meet the health care needs of an expanded pool of Medicaid eligibles. According to a release from Montgomery on Wednesday, the increased payments are funded entirely by the federal government for 2013 and 2014. By 2015 the responsibility of maintaining the higher fees will fall to the state. To prepare for the change, Alabama Medicaid staff began work last May when the proposed rule was first issued. According to a release from the Alabama Medicaid Agency on Wednesday, they will have to establish a new process to register and verify providers and to make significant updates to the Agency’s claims processing system. According to Sharon Moore-Grimes, Associate Director, Medical Services, one of the biggest challenges was the need to plan and prepare for the fee increase before the final rules were released by the federal government on November 1. She is quoted as saying “The final rule helped clarify many details but prior to that time we had to prepare for several potential scenarios.”
ROGERS
Representative Mike Rogers issued a release late yesterday with his thoughts on the deal to avert the “fiscal cliff” in Washington DC earlier this week. Representative Rogers said he is “disappointed” that the agreement does not significantly help reduce Federal spending and therefore did not support Tuesday’s measure. Rogers firmly believes a growing fiscal crisis is rooted in Washington’s spending problem, and he hopes that will be the focus of debate in the coming weeks.
SHOOTING
A former professor who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting three colleagues during a staff meeting has been notified by the Alabama Criminal Court of Appeals that her appellant’s brief is due by Jan. 28. WAFF-TV reports Amy Bishop Anderson, formerly of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, is appealing her conviction and life sentence for capital murder. Bishop fatally shot three colleagues and wounded three others during a biology department staff meeting in February of 2010. The Harvard-educated biologist pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder and capital murder, and is currently being held in the Tutwiler Women’s Prison in Wetumpka.
CARNIVAL
Authorities say a 30-year-old traveling carnival worker from Georgia has been indicted on charges of sexually abusing a child under the age of 12. AL.com reports George Michael Smith, of Eatonton, was indicted by a grand jury on charges stemming from alleged sexual abuse that occurred on July 17 in Gadsden, Alabama It is unclear when Smith was arrested. Officials say the carnival Smith worked for moved frequently and the U.S. Marshals helped find him. Authorities say Smith knew his victim, but additional details on the nature of their relationship have not been disclosed. Smith is being held in the Etowah County Detention Center on $10,000 cash bond. It was unclear Wednesday if Smith had a lawyer.
RECOVERY
Mobile Mayor Sam Jones says federal support in the aftermath of two tornadoes that struck the city within the same week might be tough to come by. Al.com reports that Jones made the comments to Mobile’s city council on Wednesday. The city on Thursday will submit a request including a damage assessment to the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency, which will in turn submit it to the state. Jones said that as of last week, state officials did not think Mobile met the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s threshold for assistance. Pike County emergency management director Jeanna Barnes tells WAKA-TV it appears tornadoes that hit that county will not meet the damage threshold for federal funds for residents there, either.
VICTORYLAND
Alabama’s liquor control agency has moved up a hearing to determine if the newly reopened VictoryLand casino in Shorter will get a license to serve liquor. A spokesman for the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Hal Taylor, told the Associated Press that the hearing was moved from Jan. 23 to Jan. 10 because VictoryLand requested an earlier date. VictoryLand’s casino reopened Dec. 18 after being closed two years because of the state’s crackdown on gambling machines. State Attorney General Luther Strange is opposing a license because he contends VictoryLand is operating illegal machines. VictoryLand attorney Joe Espy says they are legal electronic bingo. VictoryLand has a liquor license for its simulcast horse and dog races, but those races are shown on the second floor above the 1,200 machines on the first floor.
RESTORATION
The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries is continuing efforts of Longleaf Pine Restoration by offering grants to landowners. A release from the state’s Forestry Commission Thursday said that the Landowner Incentive Program will be giving private landowners assistance to help cover the costs associated with site preparation, planting, native grass restoration, and exotic plant control. Applications from landowners are being accepted for a 50/50 cost share program and will undergo a competitive ranking process. Landowners in Calhoun, Cleburne, Clay, St. Clair, Talladega, and 33 other Alabama counties can submit applications to the Forestry Commission by visiting the website outdooralabama.com. Applicants must have a minimum of 15-acres of privately-owned land and submit applications by March 1.