Hubbard wants

to be next mayor

She hasn’t made it official, but Albany City Commission member Dorothy Hubbard is the second person to start plotting to succeed Mayor Willie Adams this fall. She is actively working behind the scenes with the assistance of Dr. Brenda Hodges Tiller, a prominent local activist.

Kirk Smith, who calls a spade a spade and is vowing to clean up the prevalent waste and corruption at city hall, also is planning a mayoral run.

Adams says he’s not running for re-election. He made the same proclamation four years ago, but later announced otherwise and held off a challenge from then-City Commission member Bo Dorough.

City Commissioner Christopher Pike, meanwhile, says he is considering running for mayor this fall. Qualifying begins in August; the election is in November. Two City Commission seats – those held by Jon Howard and Roger Marietta – also will be up for grabs this year.

Wal-Mart needs

more applicants

Walmart is continuing to hire associates for its new east Albany store, which is slated to open in May 2011 and will employ about 200 people.

Prospective employees should apply at the Camilla Walmart at U.S. 19 and Sylvester Road between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Associates are needed in all areas of the store, including supervisory position. The majority of associates will begin work in April to help prepare the store for its summer grand opening

Applications also are being accepted online at walmartstores.com/careers.

The store manager is Andy Carter, who began his Walmart career in 1994 as a cashier in Moultrie.

Walmart’s benefit program is available to full- and part-time associates and provides health and well-being benefits including medical insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise for store associates, a Sam’s Club membership for club associates, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive an annual incentive based on the company performance.

Former Albany

teacher arrested

A former Lamar Reese Elementary School teacher, Derrick Wooten, was indicted on fraud charges on March 22 in Lithonia, Ga., in DeKalb County.

District Attorney Robert James reported that Wooten, who was the assistant principal at the Stoneview Elementary School, forced teachers to change attendance records so that the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals would be met.  his means that records would show that students were present at school when in fact they weren’t and that Stoneview Elementary would not be put on the Needs Improvement list.

After a warrant for his arrest was issued, Wooten was indicted on four counts of public record fraud, four counts of criminal attempt to commit a felony and one count of computer forgery.  He is accused of asking eight teachers to change attendance records on a school computer.

The U.S. Department of Education monitors students’ attendance at schools. If a school has 15-percent student absenteeism, the school will be flagged and likely not make AYP. The alleged changes occurred Dec. 1, 2010 to Jan. 31, 2011. Stoneview did not make AYP for 2010.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that four of the eight teachers complied with the assistant principal’s request but were not charged because they were following the instructions of their supervisor.  The other four reported Wooten to school officials, which prompted the investigation.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing and Wooten has not been found guilty of the alleged charges.

n  By Montonio Douglas

Former Albany State University student-turned-successful-rapper Rick Ross was busted over the weekend after police allegedly found him with about a gram of marijuana in a hotel in Shreveport, La.

A police report says that police entered Ross’ room after smelling a strong odor of the smoke. A Miami resident, Ross was booked and released on a misdemeanor summons.

He is currently on tour with Lil Wayne.

Fallen heroes tour

During 2010, Georgia lost 10 law enforcement officers killed in the line-of duty. This is a loss far too great to imagine yet for the families and agencies a burden they should not share alone.

The entire state should stand beside every family and agency as we honor them with support and remembrance that the loss will not be forgotten. The Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club along with Concerns of Police Survivors will host the 20th annual Georgia Police Memorial Ride on April 15-16, 2011. This is open to every person in the state. You can ride a motorcycle, car, walk or stand alongside the road showing a family that you care.

To raise awareness in each community, all 10 names – including the Dougherty County Police Department’s Lt. Cliff Rouse — will be unveiled on the moving Georgia Law Enforcement Memorial Wall that will arrive in Albany at 9 a.m. on April 1.

Colorectal cancer

awareness promoted

For more than a decade, the month of March has been observed as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

“Screening for colorectal cancer saves lives,” said Matthew Grundfast, M.D., gastroenterologist at Albany Gastroenterology. “If caught early, colon cancer can be cured over 90 percent of the time.”
Colorectal cancer is also one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. According to the site, it is estimated that as many as 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if all men and women aged 50 years or older were screened routinely.