In an effort to learn more about conditions facing rural Alabama, the Alabama State Senate Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Committee held hearings around Alabama in March.
     The meetings were held Mar. 11, 14 and 15, in Boaz, Alexander City, Demopolis, and Montgomery, Ala.
     Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron of Fyffe, Ala., introduced legislation to create the Center for Rural Alabama. This bill has been assigned to the Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Committee, which is chaired by Democratic Sen. Zeb Little of Cullman, Ala.
     "Before we begin work on this bill, we'd like to get input from those who know rural Alabama the best — the people who live there," Little said. "We want to hear from local elected officials, business leaders, farmers, educators, health care providers and others.
     "There's no doubt that many places in rural Alabama are struggling to survive and we want to know what we can do in the state Senate to help. Other states such as North Carolina, Virginia and Texas have rural centers that serve as coordinating bodies for rural programming. There's no reason why we can't do the same thing in Alabama," Little said.
     Dr. Don Bogie with Auburn University Montgomery's Center for Demographic Research released figures that vividly point out conditions in

Alabama's 45 rural counties.
From 1990 to 2002, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 17 decreased in rural Alabama by nearly 11,000. While this was happening, urban counties increased by nearly 44,000 in the same age range.
Lee County increased 43 percent, Elmore County increased 33 percent, Baldwin County increased 39 percent and Shelby County increased 48 percent. On the other hand, Butler County decreased 19 percent, Choctaw County decreased 20 percent, Dallas County decreased 19 percent, Marion  County   decreased  11   percent,  Monroe

County decreased 13 percent and Sumter County decreased 19 percent. In all, 31 of the state's 45 rural counties lost population in the range of 5 to 17 years of age. “Obviously the parents of school-age children are leaving rural Alabama because the job opportunities are not there," Little said. "This migration has tremendous implications for both rural and urban parts of the state because every time we leave an empty desk in a rural school and add a desk in an urban location, someone has got to pay."

Auburn University Commons

     President Bush has nominated Auburn University alumnus Dr. Lester Crawford to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
     Crawford, 66, a 1963 AU veterinary graduate and Demopolis native, has been acting commissioner since March 2004. He previously served two years as deputy commissioner, including nine months as acting commissioner in 2002.
     Pending Senate approval, Crawford will become the first veterinarian to serve as FDA commissioner.
    Crawford's background includes serving as director of  the   Center   for   Food   and   Nutrition   Policy   in

Washington, D.C., and as executive director of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. He has workedmore than 13 years witht he FDA and the

USDA, including three years as director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.
Crawford was honored with the AU Veterinary Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989 and in addition to his veterinary degree, he has a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Georgia and an honorary doctorate from Budapest University.