Millions of dollars for Alabama school programs, jobs ‘under review’

Alabama school districts are missing $68 million in federal funds, putting programming and some jobs in jeopardy as state officials try to get answers.

The money, which was meant for local after-school, English learner and professional development programs, is typically sent to schools on July 1 every year. But in an email to state officials Monday, the Education Department said it was pausing disbursements for several grants until it completes a review of those programs.

State Superintendent Eric Mackey said, “These are programs already approved and funded by Congress.”

The freeze comes as schools prepare to make hires and finalize budgets for the new school year. Much of the amount is directly tied to salaries for teachers, teacher aides and other employees. Some of the funds also are tied to affordable afterschool programs.

Jodi Grant, who heads the national Afterschool Alliance, said the holdup could impact more than 10,000 after-school programs, especially in high-poverty districts like Alabama’s Gadsden City Schools, which has built up its programming in recent years.

You can’t touch this

As Donald Trump met with House Republicans on the fence over his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the president reportedly appeared to be unaware that the legislation would cut Medicaid.

Trump told the group Wednesday that the GOP should not touch Medicaid, Social Security or Medicare if they want to win reelections.

To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for the poor under the sweeping legislation.

More than 71 million people rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps.

The bill made its way to the House on Wednesday, where some Republicans have reservations that have stopped the legislation from advancing in the lower chamber Wednesday afternoon.

No more chicken

Chick-fil-A just destroyed one of its busiest Alabama restaurants and bought the Walgreens next door.

The Roebuck location on Parkway East closed on June 19 and since then has been completely demolished.

Plans call for the Chick-fil-A to be rebuilt with a more accommodating drive-through set-up.

The adjacent Walgreens, which shared a parking lot with the Chick-fil-A, closed in March and won’t reopen after the chicken restaurant bought the property.

The former Walgreen’s parking lot will give Chick-fil-A more room to accommodate the long lines that sometimes backed up onto a neighboring street.

A ‘shocking experience’

While it’s usually a good idea to charge your devices before a storm, one Alabama teen recently learned that it may be a better idea to stay off them while you do.

Nineteen-year-old Lisa Henderson of Russellville, said she was scrolling on social media during a Sunday thunderstorm when she suddenly saw a bright light.

Henderson realized a bolt of lightning had traveled through an extension cord and the charger she was using while holding onto her phone.

This was not her first experience, and said she was also struck by lightning as a child.

But after, she began to feel tingling in her hands that spread to her right arm and then her shoulder.

In the ambulance to the hospital, she also struggled to answer basic questions about herself.

Doctors told Henderson laying on her left side had made it harder for the electrical current to reach her heart.

More Alabama news

Listen to the podcast: