It's been smokey for the last few days in the Calhoun County area, and if you monitor your AQI- You will notice it has been on yellow for the last few days. There's actually a couple of wildfires but a prescribed burning of thousands of acres is currently happening in the Talladega Forest... Prescribed burns are an important wildfire prevention and land management tool but they can create real health risks for vulnerable populations if not planned with equity in mind. I. Who’s most affected by smoke exposure? • Children and older adults • People with asthma, COPD, or heart disease • Pregnant people • Outdoor workers • Low-income households and communities of color • Communities already burdened by environmental hazards II. Why smoke matters (even when burns are planned): Prescribed burns release fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which can trigger: • Asthma attacks • ER visits for respiratory and cardiac issues • Eye, throat, and lung irritation • Cumulative health stress when exposure happens repeatedly III. Many communities lack: • Early notification • Safe indoor air (old housing, no HVAC) • Access to air filters or clean-air spaces • Clear guidance on how to protect themselves What can you do to protect you? Monitor your AQI Build A Clean Air Room in Your Home DIY Air Purifier Visit to learn more: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/smoke-ready-toolbox-wildfires 💬 How are prescribed burns handled in your community? 💡 What protections should be non-negotiable Are you noticing smoke in the Calhoun County area, today?

Alabama SB71 prohibits state agencies from enacting environmental standards more stringent than federal law. If no federal rules exist, new regulations must rely on the best available science and prove a direct causal link to manifest bodily harm in humans. 📌 Why This Matters ✔ Federal standards aren’t always protective enough. Many pollutants lack any federal limits or have outdated criteria. ✔ State flexibility matters for local health. States often tailor protections to community needs; SB71 could remove that ability. ✔ Environmental justice concerns grow stronger. When state laws limit protections, communities already facing disproportionate exposures may have fewer tools to reduce risks.

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Environmental health (EH) is about how our surroundings—homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, air, and water—affect our health. In Black communities, environmental health is especially critical because of historical and ongoing inequities: 1️⃣ Higher Exposure to Hazards - Many Black neighborhoods are closer to industrial sites, highways, and landfills due to redlining, zoning, and disinvestment. - This means higher exposure to air pollution, lead, PCBs, mold, and other toxins, which can cause asthma, developmental issues, cancer, and chronic disease. 2️⃣ Health Disparities Amplify Risk - Black communities have higher rates of asthma, hypertension, and diabetes. - Environmental hazards worsen these conditions, leading to more hospitalizations and preventable illnesses. 3️⃣ Generational Impact - Exposure to toxins like lead or PCBs can affect children’s development and health for decades, creating long-term community impacts. 4️⃣ Representation Matters - More than 8 in 10 environmental health professionals are White, and only 7% are Black. - Communities are safer when the people making decisions and inspections look like and understand the community. Black EH leaders bring lived experience, trust, and culturally informed solutions. 5️⃣ Trust + Communication Saves Lives - Public health advice only works when communities trust the messenger. - Local Black-led EH organizations can educate, intervene, and implement solutions faster and more effectively. 6️⃣ Justice and Opportunity - Environmental health is a civil rights issue. - Protecting Black communities ensures equal access to clean air, water, and safe housing. - EH careers also create local jobs, leadership opportunities, and pathways to community empowerment. Call to Action / Discussion Prompt: 👉 What environmental hazards in your neighborhood concern you most, and how could local leadership address them? 👉 Could you or someone you know see a future in environmental health to help your community?

The report card measures academic achievement, academic growth, graduation rate, progress in English learner proficiency, chronic absenteeism and college and career readiness. - Anniston Middle’s academic growth fell sharply from about 91.8 to 71.8. - Achievement dropped from ~40.6% to ~35.6%. - ELA proficiency declined (e.g., ~22.5% from ~28.2%). - Science proficiency slipped slightly. - Math proficiency saw a modest increase, but remained very low (single digits). Each indicator tells a piece of the story: - Academic Growth dropped → students made less progress year‑over‑year. - Academic Proficiency remains low → many students aren’t yet meeting grade‑level standards. - Absenteeism improved only modestly → chronic absence is still a barrier. Taken together, these patterns explain the “F” grade and signal where supports — instruction, early intervention, and enrichment (like CTE) — could focus to reverse the trends. Middle school is where trajectories are set. By sixth grade, kids are already being sorted academically, emotionally, socially. When schools are under-resourced, unstable, or disconnected from students’ lived realities, the outcomes show up fast: absenteeism, behavior issues, disengagement. Public health has a name for this—it’s called toxic stress. And Anniston’s kids are swimming in it. Let’s be real: many of our students are growing up with environmental exposure, housing instability, food insecurity, and community trauma. School should be the protective factor. Instead, too often, it’s another stressor. When curriculum feels irrelevant, when discipline is punitive instead of restorative, when students never see how learning connects to real life, their nervous systems check out long before graduation. From a public health lens, failing middle schools predict: - Higher dropout rates - Increased justice system contact - Poorer mental health - Lower lifetime earnings - Shorter life expectancy That’s not dramatic. That’s data.