Hanging out at the zoo!
Next Stop...
Day 1 DONE! So, so tired. Been moving since 2:30 AM. Another fun day tomorrow!
Perfect ending to our first day in D.C.
Recent Senate Votes
Congressional Disapproval of Labor Department Rule on the Term "Fiduciary" – Passage - Vote Passed (56-41, 3 Not Voting)
The resolution of disapproval nullifies an Agriculture Department
inspection program of domestic and foreign catfish. The joint resolution
targets a rule that took effect March 1, 2016, and completed the
shifting of responsibility for catfish inspections from the Food and
Drug Administration to the Agriculture Department.
Sen. Richard Shelby voted YES
Sen. Jeff Sessions voted YES
Congressional Disapproval of Agriculture Department Rule on Catfish – Passage - Vote Passed (55-43, 2 Not Voting)
The resolution of disapproval nullifies an Agriculture Department
inspection program of domestic and foreign catfish. The joint resolution
targets a rule that took effect March 1, 2016, and completed the
shifting of responsibility for catfish inspections from the Food and
Drug Administration to the Agriculture Department.
Sen. Richard Shelby voted NO
Sen. Jeff Sessions voted NO
Fiscal 2017 Defense Authorization – Cloture on the Motion to Proceed - Vote Agreed to (98-0, 2 Not Voting)
The bill authorizes $602.2 billion for discretionary defense
spending in fiscal 2017, including $59 billion for operations overseas.
It allows the Defense Department to plan and design a stateside facility
to one day house the detainees currently held at the Guantanamo Bay
detention facility. However, it keeps existing prohibitions on
Guantanamo’s closure, including blocking any funds authorized
in the bill to be used for actually constructing a stateside
replacement. The bill requires women to register for the draft, starting
Jan. 1, 2018, and creates a commission to examine whether the Selective
Service is still needed.
Sen. Richard Shelby voted YES
Sen. Jeff Sessions voted YES
Recent House Votes
Zika Vector Control – Passage - Vote Passed (258-156, 19 Not Voting)
The bill temporarily modifies the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to prohibit the EPA or a state government
from requiring a permit for the use of registered pesticides near
navigable waters. It also temporarily alters the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act to prohibit the EPA and states from requiring permits for
the point source use of a pesticide, or the residue resulting from the
use of a pesticide, that is registered under FIFRA.
Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES
Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for District of Columbia Home Rule – Passage - Vote Passed (240-179, 14 Not Voting)
The measure repeals the District of Columbia law that modified
D.C.'s home rule charter to allow locally generated funds to be spent
without congressional approval, and it modifies the 1973 D.C. Home Rule
Act to further specify that all city funding is subject to Congress'
annually appropriations process. It also alters the 1973 law to specify
that the District has no authority to change the District's budget
process as it relates to congressional review and approval.
Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES
Energy Policy Overhaul – Passage - Vote Passed (241-178, 14 Not Voting)
The bill includes all or parts of 37 House-passed measures including
legislation that promote the accelerated development and construction
of natural gas pipelines and hydropower projects by increasing the
authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, require the
agency to set hard deadlines for environmental reviews and permitting,
and require the designation of at least 10 corridors across federal
lands in the Eastern U.S. where pipelines could be built.
Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES
Fiscal 2017 Energy-Water Appropriations – Federal Contractors and Sexual Orientation Discrimination - Vote Agreed to (223-195, 15 Not Voting)
The amendment bars federal contractors from discriminating against
employees on the basis of sexual orientation. However, the amendment
could not violate certain portions of the Constitution.
Rep. Mo Brooks voted NO
Fiscal 2017 Energy-Water Appropriations – Passage - Vote Failed (112-305, 16 Not Voting)
The bill provides a total of $37.4 billion in funding subject to
discretionary caps for fiscal 2017 for the Energy Department and federal
water projects. The bill appropriates $6.1 billion in new funding for
civil projects of the Army Corps of Engineers. It provides $12.9 billion
for the National Nuclear Security Administration and almost $6.2
billion for environmental management activities. It also bars the use of
funds in the bill to close the Yucca Mountain license application, or
to irrevocably remove Yucca Mountain as an option for repository.
Rep. Mo Brooks voted NO
The Limestone County Board of
Education terminated 30 certified teachers this week because of
declining enrollment and lost local revenue, Superintendent Tom Sisk
said.
"Ideally, I'd like to be able to re-hire all 30 positions," he said. "But I don't think that's going to happen."
The school
system has lost enrollment for the past three years, primarily because
of annexation of its school district by neighboring municipalities. He
also said local sales tax revenue is down $2.4 million as Limestone
County shoppers choose to spend their money in other counties.
Elkmont Teachers:
- Shawnte R. Beckwith
- Hannah Crumbley
- Kimberly Dennig
- Dawn Hudson
- Mitzi Woodfin
For full list of county teachers who were pink slipped, click on Decatur Daily Link.
Donnie Mae Bedwell, 73 of Ardmore, Alabama died on Thursday, May 26,
2016, at home surrounded by her family and those who loved her. She was preceded in death by her parents, and a sister Justine Abernathy.
Born
Wednesday, November 11, 1942 in Veto, Alabama, she was the daughter of
the late Richard Wray and the late Mary Catherine Davis Wray. Her
passions included reading, gardening, sewing, antiquing/ junking. She
was her own woman and one smart cookie who accomplished many of her
goals in life. Those Final Jeopardy questions rarely challenged her. She
taught her children to be independant thinkers and passed along her lifelong love of animals.
Surviving
are her husband Bill King of Ardmore, AL, sons, Tony (Judy) Hasting of
Hartselle, AL and Emmett "Beau" Bedwell of Ardmore, AL, daughters, Cathy
(Dennis) Pritchett of Manchester, TN , Sylvia (Steve) Collins of
Tullahoma, TN, Beverly Bedwell of Murfreesboro, TN, and Maggie (Jeff)
Engle of Murfreesboro, TN, brother, Carlos (Lynda) Wray of Athens, AL,
sister, Connie (Roy) Harris of Athens, AL, and ten grandchildren and one
greatgrandchild.
Funeral services were at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May
29, 2016 at Ardmore Chapel Funeral Home, Ardmore, Alabama with Grandson,
Gage Engle officiating. Burial was in Pettusville Cemetery,
Elkmont, AL.
The family received friends from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
on Saturday, May 28, 2016, at Ardmore Chapel Funeral Home, Ardmore,
Alabama
Sometimes, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.
Mrs. Holt 5th grade 3R students are creating and posting our announcements!!!
*Announcement Slide Show Link*
*Parents please do not drop
off or pick up students in the cafeteria parking lot.
IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW:
May 26
*Last Day of School
*Graduation @ 8 pm
May
26
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
GRADUATION @ NEW GYM; 8 PM
27
28
Another year has come and gone and it
is time to say goodbye to our Elkmont Seniors. Their graduation is tonight @ 8 pm in the new gym.
Shout out to Decatur Daily for sharing. If you would like to buy a photo, click on their LINK
1st row left to right:
Hannah Hanback, Kiany Segura, Lindsay Gandy, Anna Sandlin, Adriel McMahan, Emily Bryant, Callie Wales, Maddie Hobbs, Brandi Bently, Rebekah Inman, Kaitlyn Smith
2nd row left to right:
Amelia Mullis, Nathan Teeples, Jayne Anderson, Mary Frances McNatt, Kelsey Hodges, Ashton Turner, Ruth Ann Bates, Dakota McCurley, Elizabeth Salgado, Samuel Reynolds, Sydney Haney
3rd row left to right:
Audrey Porter, Amelia Davis, Joshua Johnson, Aron Moss, Colby Holt, Jordan Turner, Jonathan Dugger, Ethan Wilson, Adrian Walker, Dakota Pilk
4th row left to right:
Teya Vallejo, Stephanie Clem, Jordan Nelson, Ryan Jobman, Eli Hobbs, Travis Riggs, Peyton McCown, Austin Reed, Cody Jones
1st row left to right:
Brandon Miller, Eli Collier, Tommy Moore, Spencer Waddell, Angelica Wilkins, Erica Martin, Caitlyn Holt, Grace Adcock, Makayla Clem
2nd row left to right:
Tyler Thacker, Ben Smith, Preston Weaver, Jon Beddingfield, Daniella Altamirano, Ana Bustos, Raven Johnson, Marisol Mendoza
3rd row left to right:
Austin Borden, Dilian Clinard, Jordan Turner, Whitney Thomposn, DeShon Reynolds, Daniel Marina, Delfina Sanchez, TaCara Williams
4th row left to right:
Cody Tidwell, Preston Brewer, Spencer Ready, Kolter Williams, Dalton Adams, Al Isham, Michelle Kimbrough
Linda Sue Vining, age 71 of Elkmont, passed away Monday, May 23, 2016 at
her residence. Mrs. Vining was born April 12, 1945 in Limestone County,
AL to Jim Washington Eaves and Virginia Lee Hames Eaves.
Services
will be Thursday, May 26, 2106 2:30 p.m., at Limestone Chapel Funeral
Home with Everette Conn and Lance Taylor officiating. Visitation will be
Thursday, from 1:00 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. prior to the service. Burial
will be in Reunion Cemetery.
Mrs. Vining was a member of Mt. Zion Church of Christ.
Survived
by two sons, Mickey Vining and wife, Amanda of Elkmont and Scott Vining
and wife, Buffie of Athens; two daughters, Priscilla Boyles of Athens
and Cyrena Hodges and husband, Jamie of Toney, AL; 9 grandchildren and 1
great-grandchild; three brothers, David Eaves and wife, Linda of
Elkmont, AL, Bill Eaves of Huntsville, AL and Bob Eaves and wife, Pam of
Athens; five sisters, Dot Allen, Betty Brackeen and husband, Glen,
Joyce Schrimsher, Patricia Evans and Sandra Swartz all of Athens.
Pallbearers will be David Brackeen, Jake Boyles, Eli Vining, Jesse Vining, Joey Jones and Jonathan Blake.
Our fire department volunteers were out and about cleaning and painting the fire hydrants that needed some TLC on Tuesday.
They switched gears as they responded to a three hour house fire on Old Scrouge Road in the evening.
As always, everybody did a great job.
