Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley says the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has approved spending more than $21 million on projects to restore areas of Alabama's Gulf Coast.
Bentley says the money will be used to launch five projects focused on natural resources that were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill.
Officials say the projects include fisheries and ecosystem monitoring, a project to bolster the state's artificial reef program and strategic land acquisition.
Bentley says the Alabama Department of Natural Resources, the department of conservation and federal agencies developed the five programs.
Officials say more than $356 million from the Gulf Fund will be used to fund conservation projects in Alabama over a five-year period.
Veterans Day is tomorrow and the city of Huntsville has spent the week honoring U.S. servicemen and women.
The Semper Fi Community Task Force of North Alabama is hosting Heroes Week in Huntsville. The event welcomes wounded heroes for a week of recognition, celebration and appreciation. Every year veterans are picked to receive a “welcome home” celebration for their services.
David Bonwit is chairman of the Semper Fi Heroes Week. He says this week is strictly dedicated to the veterans…
“A lot of the times what happens is a wounded warrior will be injured in theory, gets medevacked back to the states, spends a lot of time in a hospital, then rehab. And then when he is finally well enough to go home he is simply discharged and goes home and there is no welcome back celebration for him to thank him for his services and obviously his sacrifice.”
The event includes a series of activities every day for veterans. The list features a yacht cruise, an aerial tour and a Marine Corp Ball.
The Mobile Bay Area Veterans Day Commission will honor two veterans tomorrow.
Jim Jeffries is a U.S. Army veteran and reservist who will be named veteran of the year. Retired Admiral Thad W. Allen of the U.S. Coast Guard will be honored as Patriot of the Year.
Wayne Sirmon is with the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Day Commission. He says the honorees were chosen for their actions as members of the military and as civilians…
“We have a small committee that will work through those to pick someone who represents not only service to our nation, while wearing a uniform, but also service to our community, state and nation after they hang up the uniform and put on civilian clothes.”
Jeffries and Allen will be given their awards during the commission’s Veterans Day luncheon, at Fort Whiting Armory at noon.