Alabama Dental Clinic Offers Affordable Care for the Underprivileged
Tens of thousands of Alabamians who were once unable to afford trips to the dentist’s office now have access to the dental care they need — and it’s largely thanks to the work of one man. According to Forbes, Jeffrey Parker, CEO of Sarrell Dental Centers, has turned this group of dental practices into Alabama’s leading provider of dental care to patients on Medicaid since taking the reins 11 years ago. In fact, more than 175,000 poor and underprivileged Alabama families now seek dental care at Sarrell Dental Centers’ 17 locations. The nonprofit dental group’s practices “are eliminating cavities among some of the poorest children in the poorest counties in one of America’s poorest states,” Parker said. Currently, a mere 32% of dentists nationwide accept patients on Medicaid, a federal program that helps the poor afford dental and medical...
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Divorce Documents of Gov. Bentley and First Lady Sealed Upon Joint Request
If you’re looking for some hot gossip on Governor Robert’s Bentley’s impending divorce from the soon-to-be-former-First Lady, Dianne Bentley, you’re out of luck. A Tuscaloosa judge recently ordered that the divorce records of Alabama’s governor be kept sealed from the public eye. Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Hamner, who was appointed to her position by Bentley in 2011, ordered the records to be sealed on Monday, August 31 just 30 minutes after both Gov. Bentley and the former First Lady requested that the documents be kept private. The documents were filed at 8:37 a.m. Monday morning, according to the timestamps, and the order was granted at 9:04 a.m. that morning. Judge Hamner cited a 1993 Alabama Supreme Court case, Holland v. Eads, to explain that divorce proceedings, even those of a prominent public figure, should remain “wholly private family...
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Alabama Rally Lacking In Attendance Tally
In the 2013 U.S. census, descendants of confederate soldiers numbered anywhere between 50 and 80 million. This makes being a confederate descendant even more common than having acne! (As the most common skin condition in the country, it still only affects 40 to 50 million people.) That being said, organizers of the Alabama Flaggers Secession Rally were shocked when only 30 of those descendants actually showed up to their Saturday event, according to a recent story from USA Today. Though the Facebook event page claimed that over 300 people would be expected at the rally, the organizers themselves were counted in the attendance tally of 30. Co-director of the group, Freda Mincey-Burton, couldn’t believe the low turnout. “This is really shocking me that these people aren’t here,” she said. Originally scheduled for Friday, the date of the rally was...
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U.S. Steel’s Alabama Furnace Plan on Schedule
U.S. Steel Corp. says that the new electric arc furnace at its Fairfield Works facility outside Birmingham will be completed on schedule, in the second half of 2016. That furnace will replace an aging blast furnace that is being idled, a move that could result in the loss of over 600 jobs starting this month, according to a report from the Birmingham Business Journal. EAF technology allows for a much less labor-intensive process, but yields a higher output than traditional integrated facilities such as the blast furnace. It depends on recycled scrap metal such as cars and appliances (about 65% of homeowners now prefer stainless steel appliances), rather than traditional iron ore and metallurgical coal. The changing production method is in line with U.S. Steel’s “Carnegie Way” initiative, which comprises a number of changes attempting to improve operational flexibility...
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University of Alabama Sorority Shoots Flirty Recruitment Video — and Draws Ire of Internet
A University of Alabama sorority has come under fire after releasing a recruitment video featuring sorority members. Critics say that the imagery is too focused on sorority sisters’ beauty and contains very little, if any, diversity. The Alpha Phi sorority published the recruitment video on YouTube but took it down amid accusations of objectifying women. The video is made up of dozens of the sorority sisters, who are almost entirely white and mostly blond. In it, they wear short skirts, daisy dukes, and bikinis all while dancing around and blowing glitter kisses before the camera. Although the video was taken down by Alpha Phi — after garnering 500,000 views — it was uploaded by other YouTube users. How did it get so much attention on the internet? AL.com writer A.L. Bailey referred to the video as “Stepford Wives: College...
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