Bernard Simelton, president of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, presented Willie Farrior, an AERA member from Talladega County, with a “Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Horace Patterson, president of the Talladega City Council, also presented Mr. Farrior with a resolution proclaiming January 1, 2012 as “Willie Farrior Day” in Talladega. He was the first African American blind person to be hired at the Alabama Industries for the Blind where he retired after 40 years of service. Mr. Farrior is the oldest active card-carrying member of the Talladega County Chapter of the NAACP.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Gov. Robert Bentley announced this morning four bills to be introduced in the coming legislative session that he says will help reform education in Alabama, including charter schools and tying teacher evaluations to student achievement.

Speaking at Birmingham's Wilkerson Middle School today, along with Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, Bentley said teachers should not see this as an attack on public education.