[adecablog]

ADECA blog posts now hosted on our website

ADECA has unveiled a new website and logo. As part of the new website, all news releases and blog posts will be hosted there as part of the ‘Newsroom’ area. This Tumblr will serve as an archive of previous blog posts, prior to March 8, 2021.

Please visit us at adeca.alabama.gov.

[adecablog]

ADECA sets online state surplus property auction for Feb. 25 through March 3

Laptops, office furniture, vehicles, generators and even portable paint booths are among the 365 lots of items up for bid in the next state surplus property auction this week.

The Surplus Property Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is hosting the auction via GovDeals.com starting at 7:30 a.m. this Thursday, Feb. 25 with bidding running until 6 p.m. Wednesday March 3. For information on becoming an authorized bidder, click here. The auction items will be listed here starting on Feb. 25: www.GovDeals.com/AlabamaSurplus. In addition to property no longer needed by state and federal agencies, ADECA acquires items abandoned voluntarily at several airports in the Southeast.

Auction items can be inspected on-site at the Surplus Property Division’s Montgomery warehouse, 4590 Mobile Highway, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26. ADECA conducts online public auctions periodically each year, but surplus items are available at any time to municipal and county governments, state agencies and qualified nonprofit organizations.

In addition to the surplus property program, ADECA administers an array of grant programs for law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.

For more information about the online auction, visit www.adeca.alabama.gov/surplus or call [phone].

[adecablog]

Online state surplus property auction set for Dec. 10-16

Vehicles, computers, office furniture, TVs, refrigerators, golf clubs and more are included in the 216 lots up for bid in the next state surplus property auction this week.

The Surplus Property Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is hosting the auction via GovDeals.com starting at 7:30 a.m. this Thursday, Dec. 10 with bidding running until 6 p.m. Dec. 16. For information on becoming an authorized bidder, visit https://adeca.alabama.gov/Divisions/Surplus/Pages/PublicSales.aspx. The auction items will be listed here starting on Dec. 10: www.GovDeals.com/AlabamaSurplus. In addition to property no longer needed by state and federal agencies, ADECA acquires items abandoned voluntarily at several airports in the Southeast. Auction items can be inspected on-site at the Surplus Property Division’s Montgomery warehouse, 4590 Mobile Highway, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11. ADECA conducts online public auctions periodically each year, but surplus items are available at any time to municipal and county governments, state agencies and qualified nonprofit organizations.

In addition to the surplus property program, ADECA administers an array of grant programs for law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.

For more information about the online auction call [phone].

[adecablog]

2020 Thanksgiving: Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.

The Thanksgiving holiday is the kickoff to the busiest season of the year. With all the rushing around and holiday travel, it’s a great time to remind motor vehicle drivers and passengers to buckle their seat belts. To keep drivers and their passengers safe, ADECA’s Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to share an important lifesaving reminder: Buckle Up — Every Trip. Every Time. Review these statistics for an eye-opening look at the impact that seat belts can have on your safety.

In 2018, there were 22,697 passenger vehicle occupants (in passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, or SUVs) killed in traffic crashes in the United States. Almost half (47%) of those who were killed were not wearing seat belts.

NHTSA estimates that seat belts saved the lives of 14,995 passenger vehicle occupants age 5 and older in 2017, according to the latest data available. If everyone had worn their seat belts on every trip that year, an additional 2,549 lives could have been saved.

The facts don’t lie: When you wear your seat belt as a front-seat occupant of a passenger car, your risk of fatal injury goes down by 45 percent. For light-truck occupants, that risk is reduced by 60 percent.

Make this Thanksgiving different from years past.

During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2018, there were 291 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation.

Nighttime is deadlier than daytime in terms of seat belt use. Over the 2018 Thanksgiving weekend, 54 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes at night were unbuckled, compared to 42 percent during the day.

Younger people continue to be overrepresented in fatal crashes and seat belt nonuse. Among the passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2018, occupants ages 21-24 and 25-34 were unrestrained at a rate of 58 percent and 60 percent, respectively.

Males are more likely than females to be unrestrained in fatal crashes. More than half (52 percent) of the male passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2018 were unrestrained, compared with 39 percent of females.

If you’re ejected from a vehicle in a crash, odds are that you will not survive. In 2018, 8 out of 10 (82 percent) of the people totally ejected from vehicles in crashes were killed. Wearing your seat belt is the most effective way to prevent ejection; only 1 percent of occupants wearing seat belts were ejected in fatal crashes, compared to 27% of those who were unrestrained.

In the last decade, seat belts have saved the lives of more than 100,000 people in the United States. Those people are thankful they wore their seat belts. Won’t you wear yours?

Buckle Up — Every Trip. Every Time

[adecablog]

Governor and ADECA set to allocate protective equipment to many Alabama law enforcement agencies

As many as 450 local law enforcement agencies across Alabama could soon receive additional aid to help prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19 among officers, inmates, employees and others.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs plans to provide many of the state’s police departments, sheriff’s offices and other law enforcement agencies with protection kits. The kits will include protective masks and gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, decontaminant foggers and pressure washers.

The kits are approximately $3 million of an allocation provided by the U.S. Department of Justice to Alabama under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program.

“By virtue of their everyday exposure with the public, our police, deputies and all other law enforcement personnel face one more risk in performing their duties,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “This equipment will provide law enforcement officers with added protection and will be particularly meaningful in smaller departments which are already straining budgets to maintain their safety.”

Equipment distribution, which is expected in late October and early November, will be done at ADECA’s Surplus Property warehouse in Montgomery over about a four-day period. Qualified law enforcement agencies are being notified of the pickup schedule through affiliated state associations.

Larger police and sheriff’s departments in the state will receive funding allocations directly from the U.S. Justice Department.

“ADECA’S Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division and Surplus Property Division have worked together to make this process as simple and efficient as possible,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “We hope that the departments and agencies will find these protective kits useful in keeping officers and deputies safe while serving the public.”

ADECA also plans within the next several weeks to supply Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding to larger state law enforcement and corrections agencies.

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, crime victims, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.

[adecablog]

Alabama seeks to bring more electric vehicle charging stations to the state

Gov. Kay Ivey has announced that the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs has partnered with the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition to create a statewide plan to provide more electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state. The plan, presented to Gov. Ivey, includes input from a group of experts to develop EV infrastructure around Alabama’s interstates. The primary goal is to make it easier for drivers to charge their personal vehicles while traveling around the state. “This plan will allow for grant funding opportunities that expand access to EV charging stations along heavily traveled areas of our state and invest in Alabama’s future by supporting consumers’ choice to adopt electric vehicles,” Gov. Ivey said. “This is the beginning stage of a great project that will continue moving Alabama forward as more automotive companies, including Mercedes Benz and the numerous other manufacturers here in Alabama, develop EV technology.” The plan will use funding from the Volkswagen settlement along with funding allocated by the Alabama Legislature to support projects that bring EV charging stations to the state. ADECA manages the VW settlement for Alabama. In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice that Volkswagen had violated the federal Clean Air Act by using software to circumvent emissions testing. VW agreed to pay more than $14.7 billion to settle the allegations. The settlement is divided into three programs, one of which requires investments in projects to reduce diesel emissions. Alabama’s direct allocation from the overall settlement is more than $25.4 million. Approximately $3.2 million of these funds will be targeted to support EV infrastructure in the state. ADECA manages a wide range of programs that support economic development, law enforcement, victim services, energy conservation, water resource management, recreation and more. The nonprofit Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition is the state’s principal coordinating point for alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles. Click here to view a PDF copy of the plan.

[adecablog]

Gov. Ivey awards broadband grants for 7 projects in Alabama

Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday announced she has awarded $2.9 million in grants to continue providing more Alabamians with access to high-speed internet services.

The governor awarded the grants to providers to extend broadband services in seven Alabama communities. With the latest funding, Gov. Ivey has awarded about $18.5 million this year to expand high-speed internet access in mainly unserved rural areas.

“The COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized how essential broadband services are to the unserved and underserved residents of Alabama,” Governor Ivey said. “Thanks to the Broadband Accessibility Fund and broadband providers, we are making progress in ensuring that Alabamians have access to high-speed internet services, but there is no question we have a long way to go on completing this mission.”

The grants were awarded through the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund, which was created by the Alabama Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ivey. It was created to assist broadband providers in extending high-speed internet service for households, businesses and community anchors in unserved areas of the state or in areas lacking minimum threshold service. A community anchor is an establishment like a police or fire department, city hall, library, school or medical facility.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the program.

“Having access to high-speed internet can make a huge difference in the lives of Alabamians in terms of doing business, obtaining an education and improving the overall quality of life,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to be a part of this process that will change lives for the better.”

Grants awarded and coverage areas are:

Butler County

Hayneville Fiber Transport Inc. (Camellia Communications) – $128,797 to provide service availability to 48 households and four community anchors in the Sherling Lake community which is northwest of the city of Greenville.

Choctaw County/Washington County

Millry Telephone Co. Inc. – $954,902 to extend broadband service in the third phase of a project covering south Choctaw and north Washington counties. The project includes 559 households, 16 businesses and two anchors including Millry City Hall and Millry School.  

Cleburne County

Gigafy – $178,782 to provide access availability to 486 households and 38 businesses in the vicinity of the city of Heflin.

Cullman County

Cyber Broadband Inc. – $1.33 million to provide service availability to 1,600 households, 125 businesses and 50 community anchors in the vicinity of the Baileytown and Joppa communities in eastern Cullman County.

Dallas County

Spectrum Southeast – $55,481 to extend broadband service availability to 55 households in the Deerfield subdivision west of the city of Selma.

Lee County

Spectrum Southeast – $8,407 to provide high-speed cable access to eight households along Lee County Road 279 near the Halawaka community.

Tallapoosa County

Spectrum Southeast -$245,567 to extend service availability to 316 households in the Marina Marin area of Lake Martin near Alabama Highway 50.

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.

The department is also conducting a Broadband SpeedSurvey to help identify gaps in broadband coverage for the state’s planning efforts. Alabamians can report their internet speed or lack of internet by taking the survey at https://alabama.speedsurvey.org. Those unable to complete the survey online may also call [phone] to complete it by phone.

See the video below for a brief overview of the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund.

[adecablog]

Alabama Broadband Speed Survey

Visit https://alabama.speedsurvey.org/ to tell us about your home or business broadband speed. This helps ADECA with our planning efforts to expand broadband availability throughout the state. Read more here: https://adecablog.tumblr.com/post/620551148652331008/state-seeks-feedback-from-alabamians-on-broadband

[adecablog]

University of Alabama’s Anna Beth Payne Joins ADECA’s New Summer Internship Program

Anna Beth Payne is the newest participant to join the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs’ Internship Program for the summer. She is a student at the University of Alabama with a major in public relations and a minor in political science. Anna Beth is finishing her sophomore year at the university and has plans to complete her degree and potentially pursue a law degree. Originally from Enterprise, Anna Beth is a graduate of Enterprise High School.

ADECA’s Internship Program has been updated for 2020 by giving selected students firsthand experience in the full scope of the department’s role in state government. Each intern will complete three mini-terms during their time at the agency. The first mini-term gives participants in-depth experience with the 2020 Census. The second mini-term will give them a chance to rotate through the ADECA divisions, offering an opportunity to learn about all of the agency’s programs and services. The internship wraps up with the third mini-term where participants select an ADECA division as a “major” to spend the remaining weeks of their internship.

“We are very excited for Anna Beth and all of our interns to collaborate and assist the ADECA staff on selected projects and have the opportunity to see how all areas of the department work together to build better Alabama communities,” ADECA Deputy Director Elaine Fincannon said.

[adecablog]

ADECA welcomes University of Alabama’s Ann Williams to Internship Program

Ann Williams is the second of several interns to join the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for the new Internship Program this summer. Ann is an International Studies major with a minor in Chinese from the University of Alabama. She is finishing up her sophomore year and has plans to complete her bachelor’s degree and eventually move into a master’s degree program. Originally from Montgomery, Ann is a graduate of Loveless Academic Magnet Program (LAMP) High School.

ADECA has redesigned its Internship Program 2020 by giving selected students experience in the full scope of the department’s role in state government. Each participant will complete three mini-terms during the program, beginning with the 2020 Census. The second mini-term will give participants a chance to rotate through the ADECA divisions, offering an opportunity to learn about the full scope of the agency’s programs and services. The internship wraps up with participants selecting an ADECA division as their “major” where they will spend the remaining weeks of their internship with a deep dive in their chosen area.

“This is a very exciting time for our interns to work alongside the staff here at ADECA to gain valuable experience and collaborate in multiple areas as we work to continue to innovate in our mission of Building Better Alabama Communities,” ADECA Deputy Director Elaine Fincannon said.

[adecablog]

ADECA welcomes Phillip Garner as first of several participants for revamped internship program

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is pleased to welcome the first of several new interns to the agency for the summer in Phillip Garner, an accounting major from Trenholm State Community College. Phillip is the Vice President of the Accounting Club and on the President’s List for this semester. He plans to graduate at the end of the summer. He’s originally from Montgomery and is a graduate of Prattville High School.

ADECA has revamped its Internship Program for 2020 by introducing selected students to the full scope of the department’s role in state government. Each intern will complete three mini-terms during their time at the agency, beginning with the 2020 Census. The second mini-term will give participants a chance to rotate through the ADECA divisions, offering an opportunity to learn about the full scope of the agency’s programs and services. The internship wraps up with the third mini-term where participants select an ADECA division as a “major” to spend the remaining weeks of their internship with a deep dive in their chosen area.

“We are very excited about the opportunity for our interns to work alongside the staff here at ADECA to gain experience and collaborate as we work toward continued innovation in our programs and services,” ADECA Deputy Director Elaine Fincannon said.

[adecablog]

State seeks feedback from Alabamians on broadband internet service

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is requesting information on broadband internet access and speed from Alabama residents and businesses.

Alabamians are encouraged to take the speed survey at https://alabama.speedsurvey.org/ to help the state locate gaps in broadband service. The information gathered will be used for planning efforts to help fill those gaps. Those unable to complete the survey online may also call [phone] to complete it by phone.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many to work and complete school from home and further highlighted the importance of having access to high-speed internet across the state,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “Taking this speed survey will help us get the data we need to plan our efforts to help close those service gaps.”

ADECA administers the Broadband Alabama program, which includes the Broadband Accessibility Fund which was created by the Alabama Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey. It was created to assist broadband providers in extending high-speed internet service for households, businesses and community anchors in unserved areas of the state or in areas lacking minimum threshold service.

Many Alabama homes and businesses are likely receiving less than the current federal definition of broadband service, which is 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed and three Mbps upload speed. The information gathered from the speed survey will help pinpoint the specific areas that lack this coverage. Your address will not be made public and the information will be used solely for the state's planning efforts.

“Access to broadband is also a big economic driver for recruiting industry and jobs,” Boswell said. “This is a quick and easy step you can take to show us if there is a coverage gap in your area. We encourage all Alabama residents and businesses to take the speed survey and help us continue Gov. Kay Ivey’s efforts to grow Alabama’s economy.”

[adecablog]

2019 ADECA Annual Report now available

ADECA’s 2019 Annual Report is now available to read. Click the image below to see the PDF:

[adecablog]

ADECA names Elaine J. Fincannon as new deputy director

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Kenneth Boswell announced on Thursday that Elaine J. Fincannon has been appointed as the agency’s deputy director.

Fincannon most recently served as Senior Vice President for Investor Relations for the Business Council of Alabama. She worked with BCA for over 25 years as part of its senior team, working with a diverse range of business leaders and CEOs of Alabama’s largest employers. During that time, she also served as BCA’s liaison to Alabama’s trade associations and to the more than 100 chambers of commerce throughout the state. She also served on the President’s Committee and Corporate Partners Committee for the Alabama Automotive Manufacturer’s Association and was a part of the Alabama Aerospace Industry Association’s membership committee.

“Elaine Fincannon’s extensive knowledge and experience with the public and private sector in our state made her an ideal choice to be ADECA’s new deputy director, and I am pleased that she has decided to bring those talents to the agency,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “Elaine is mission-focused, forward-thinking and detailed-oriented, which are the exact skills needed to serve as deputy director of ADECA. She and I will work closely together to continue supporting Gov. Ivey’s mission of improving the lives of all Alabamians.”

Fincannon is an active member of the community, serving as a member of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, the Junior League of Montgomery, the Montgomery Humane Society, Auburn University Montgomery Alumni Association and other volunteer efforts. She also served as a member of the American Society of Association Executives and was an officer of the Association of State Chamber Professionals. She has a bachelor’s degree of science from AUM and was honored with a Distinguished Chamber Professional Award in 2019 by the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama.

Fincannon joins ADECA with a focus on working with Boswell to meet the agency’s mission to strengthen and support local communities.

“It is an honor to join ADECA during this time, and I am grateful to Director Boswell and Gov. Ivey for this appointment,” Fincannon said. “I plan to work diligently to serve the people of Alabama to the absolute best of my ability.”

The appointment is effective February 13.

[adecablog]

State releases estimates of Alabama’s 2015 water use and consumption

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs’ Office of Water Resources recently released a report with an updated estimate of water use and consumption for Alabama. The full report as well as individual appendices are available online at adeca.alabama.gov/water.

The report is part of an ongoing commitment to monitor the state’s water use and water availability. It provides an assessment of water withdrawals and consumptive water use (or net demand) in Alabama for 2015.

“This report represents ADECA’s commitment to better understand how water is being used throughout Alabama and any trends that may impact our state and our quality of life,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “Water use and availability play a vital role in building stronger communities and is very important to the future growth of Alabama.”

Water withdrawals were estimated for eight categories of use:

Public Supply

Self-supplied Residential

Irrigation

Livestock

Aquaculture

Self-supplied Industrial

Mining

Thermoelectric Power

The total of all these water withdrawals in 2015 was estimated to be 8.2 billion gallons per day.

The report looks at the “monthly consumptive net demands” for 2015 in three broad categories:

Public Water Supply

Agriculture

The combination of Industrial, Thermoelectric, and Mining Water Use

To better understand “monthly consumptive net demands,” think of the amount of water used in a household and how much of that water is eventually returned to the source through drainage and sewer service.

In those three categories, the net withdrawals for 2015 were estimated to total 114 million gallons per day (MGD.)

A comparison between the total 2015 net demands of 114 MGD and the total withdrawals of 8.2 billion gallons-per-day result in an overall consumption rate of just over one percent; reflecting a significant impact of returns.

The 2010 total net demand was estimated at 84 MGD with the largest differences from 2015 occurring in the public water supply sector (28 MGD in 2010 versus -70 MGD for 2015). Several factors may account for this, but the most significant is that rainfall in 2010 was approximately 10 inches below normal while rainfall in 2015 was approximately 3 inches above normal.

-----

Established by the Alabama Water Resources Act in 1993, OWR is charged with planning, coordinating, developing and managing Alabama's water resources, both ground and surface water, in a manner that is in the best interest of the state. The act also established the Alabama Water Resources Commission which advises OWR, makes policy recommendations to the Governor and Legislature, and adopts rules and regulations for programs implemented by OWR.

[adecablog]

ADECA Recreational Trails grant funds interpretive signs at Smith Mountain

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administered grant funds through the Recreational Trails Program to help provide signage at Smith Mountain, providing education and history about the area and terrain.

[adecablog]

Gov. Ivey Awards $1 million for 2020 Census Outreach

Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced that she has awarded $1 million to support efforts to promote, educate and encourage participation among Alabamians in the 2020 Census.

The funds provided by the Legislature will go to 34 government agencies and organizations for programs to increase Alabama’s self-response rate during the 2020 Census this spring.

“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of what a full and accurate count in the 2020 Census means for Alabama. Those numbers have a direct impact on billions of dollars in funding that affect schools, community programs, health care, job opportunities and just about every other aspect of our state,” Gov. Ivey said. “I thank our legislators for allocating funds for these outreach efforts, and I also commend local leaders and organizations for being proactive in these efforts.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funding allocated by the Legislature in the 2019-2020 Education Trust Fund Budget. ADECA acts as the state’s liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau and the lead state agency for 2020 Census outreach and preparation. The agency is leading Gov. Ivey’s Alabama Counts initiative to ensure a maximum count in the 2020 Census which begins in mid-March 2020 when every Alabama household address will receive an invitation to respond to the census. More information is available at www.census.alabama.gov.

“Governor Ivey is absolutely correct about how important an accurate count is for Alabama, and thanks to the Legislature, ADECA is able to partner with entities across the state for education and outreach efforts to ensure that Alabama gets its fair share of funding and to help ensure fair representation for the state in the U.S. House of Representatives,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.

The following grants were awarded by Gov. Ivey (listed alphabetically):

Alabama Community College System – $80,052 to establish help centers on their campuses and adult education sites and conduct events to promote awareness and provide places to fill out the census.

Alabama Possible – $40,000 to develop a statewide grassroots communication infrastructure to promote census participation.

Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission – $12,616 for awareness activities in the Black Belt region.

Aliceville Elementary School – $35,000 to raise census awareness to parents of students and residents in Pickens County.

ARC of Madison County – $40,000 to focus efforts on reaching disabled residents statewide.

Auburn University – Alabama Cooperative Extension System – $40,000 to conduct a statewide grassroots campaign through the county extension offices.

Baldwin County Commission – $20,000 to work with partners to target hard-to-reach groups including the aging population, people with disabilities, young children and others within the county.

Birmingham Public Library – $10,000 for programs and outreach initiatives to increase awareness and participation in the census.

Black Belt Community Foundation – $40,000 to provide census awareness through training workshops and events in the organization’s 12-county service area.

Blount County Economic Development Council – $35,000 for educational materials and interpreters to promote census to hard-to-reach residents in the county.

Brundidge (city of) – $5,642 to provide advertising, banners, and signage to promote census participation to hard-to-reach populations.

Bullock County Development Authority – $10,015 to conduct census events and promote census outreach via signage and direct mail.

Coosa County Commission – $17,000 to reach hard-to-count populations with little to no internet access and minority populations.

Cullman (city of) – $40,000 for the city to partner with more than 30 entities to promote census participation throughout Cullman County.

Decatur (city of) – $5,500 to host community events that will promote census awareness.

Elmore County Commission – $30,048 for a variety of events designed to increase census participation.

Franklin County Commission – $40,000 for census outreach activities targeting hard-to-reach populations within the county.

Foley (city of) – $10,000 for promotional items and to conduct events to further census awareness and participation.

Greenville-Butler County Library – $32,650 to provide census education and technology assistance for residents to fill out the census.

Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama – $40,000 to partner with other statewide organizations to raise census awareness to Hispanic and other immigrant communities.

Houston County Commission – $3,860 to cover extended hours at area senior centers the week of the April 1st Census Day to help senior citizens fill out the census form.

Ivy Foundation of Montgomery – $40,000 to assist and support the foundation’s partners with a statewide census awareness campaign and activities.

Lowndes County Commission – $40,000 to enhance awareness in minority, low-income and low-education populations, along with those without internet access or transportation difficulties.

Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments – $40,000 to use digital media, advertising and promotions to promote within the organization’s five-county coverage area in northwest Alabama.

Opelika (city of) – $11,931 to promote census participation and implement two workstations to provide a place for residents to complete their census forms.

Perry County Commission – $31,000 for advertising, social media and direct outreach to target messaging to hard-to-count populations.

Saraland (city of) – $17,000 for education workshops and events, along with advertising and social media to increase census participation.

Shelby County Commission – $22,686 to promote census awareness to hard-to-reach populations within the county.

St. Clair County Commission – $10,000 to raise awareness and hold events that allow residents to fill out their census forms on site.

Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments – $40,000 to conduct outreach efforts to the aging population in the organization’s five-county coverage area in northeast Alabama.

Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center – $40,000 for outdoor media promotion and Census Day activities.

United Way of Central Alabama – $40,000 to use community initiatives to increase the census self-response rate in the organization’s coverage area.

VOICES for Alabama’s Children – $40,000 to address a previous undercount of children under five years of age.

YMCA of Tuscaloosa – $40,000 for the Y on Wheels project to increase the self-response rates of hard-to-count communities in and around the city of Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County.