It’s still too early to tell just how many responders will be needed to help with recovery efforts in Moore, Okla., but Anniston’s local relief organizations aren’t stalling. The Calhoun Baptist Association and the Center for Domestic Preparedness have already been on conference calls with the state. The American Red Cross is accepting text donations and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has set up a collection point for food recovery supplies through Foods4disasters.org. Now, they just need to know how many volunteers are needed and when they can deploy. “We have our volunteers that are on standby in readiness mode. At this time we’re not sure how many of them will be deployed,” said Peggy Mann, interim director of the Calhoun County chapter of the American Red Cross. The Red Cross already has two volunteers from Alabama and six shelters open in Oklahoma, according to a press release. “The volunteers were out with food and supplies last night, supporting the first responders. We’re sending in kitchen support trailers to provide meals for those that are out of their homes,” said Mann. Laura Hughes, the financial secretary for the Calhoun Baptist Association, said that it could be as long as two weeks before anyone from her organization will be allowed in Moore. “Right now they’re still searching for survivors and bodies. When state officials find out exactly what they need, they will start calling the different associations and asking them to participate,” she said. The Calhoun Baptist Association is not new to helping with recovery efforts. After the April tornadoes the CBA built more than 40 new homes and helped repair more than a thousand. She said efforts in Oklahoma may not seem as important to Calhoun County residents because the tornadoes didn’t happen locally. “It won’t be exactly like that because we were the main focus,” she said. Captain Bert Lind, the Salvation Army core officer in Anniston, and Les Hontz, co-chair of the Calhoun County long-term recovery committee, think differently because the situations are otherwise so similar. “I think it’s going to tug on a lot of heartstrings in the area and I think there’s going to be a lot of people that will want to do things to help the people in Oklahoma,” Lind said. “The best thing we can do right now locally is to pray for the efforts in Oklahoma. Above all else that’s what they need.” Hontz agreed. “On my Facebook page I have a lot of friends that went through the tornado and they were immediately on Facebook pouring out their hearts. You go through something like that you can really relate. The really good thing about our country is that there will be a lot of support to help people get back to their normal lives,” he said. Lind said that he has not received any phone calls for relief help yet, but he expects to soon. Because he has been with the Salvation Army for 12 years, he offered suggestions on how people can help. “I know people don’t want to hear this, but the best thing to do is to send money. To send clothes and physical donations out to Oklahoma is only going to weigh down the help we have out there. They’re going to have to sort out clothes and prepare to receive donations. If we send cash they can go out and purchase in bulk what they need,” Lind said. Alabama Power Co. and the Center for Domestic Preparedness are both waiting to hear when they should start sending volunteers. “At this point we have not deployed anyone but they have not called and asked for our assistance,” said Alyson Fuqua-Tucker, spokesperson for Alabama Power’s eastern division. “If we’re called we’ll give you all we have available.” Lisa Hunter, the spokeswoman for the CDP, said a lot of Calhoun County CDP workers have shown interest in volunteering, but are still waiting to hear whether or not they’re needed. “We have a lot of people here showing willingness to deploy and help but it matters on what they need. I don’t think we’re going to have anybody deploy today,” she said. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has set up its own relief effort through Foods4disasters.org to help those in Moore. According to its Facebook page, it will be accepting aluminum pans and lids, aluminum foil, utensils, paper towels, napkins, plastic gloves, canned foods, pasta and plastic tablecloths. Donors can take them to the Sheriff’s Office at 400 W. 8 St. Further information about the Sheriff’s Office effort was not available Tuesday. To help with the relief efforts you can: Visit www.redcross.org Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the Red Cross Call 1-800-RED CROSS Visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org Send check to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. Designate Oklahoma Tornado Relief on all checks. Call 1-800-725-2769 to make a donation to the Salvation Army Text STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation to the Salvation Army Visit http://www.food4disasters.org/ Follow https://twitter.com/CalCoSheriffAL

MONTGOMERY — In the closing hours of the legislative session, the Alabama Senate gave Rep. Richard Laird, I-Roanoke, one of the things he wanted — $107,000 a year to help build a livestock show barn in his hometown. But even if Gov. Robert Bentley signs the bill into law, it might not end Randolph County's debate over how to fund the show barn project. "There's so much politics in this right now," said Jimmy Fetner, president of the Randolph County branch of the Alabama Farmers Federation and an organizer of the show barn project. Lawmakers voted Monday night to approve a bill, submitted by Laird, that would change the way Randolph County distributes its revenues from tobacco tax. At present, 10 percent of that money, or about $107,000 per year, goes to the Randolph County Water Authority to help install new water lines. If the bill is signed, that money would instead go the Randolph County Equine and Agricultural Association, a nonprofit incorporated by Fetner last year to build an agricultural center with a show barn. Laird said Tuesday that he decided years ago to move the tobacco tax money from the water board to some other project. He said the water authority hasn't completed projects that were supposed to be paid for with tobacco tax. Attempts to reach the Randolph County Water Authority on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Fetner, of the Equine Association, said the area needs the kind of show barn and agricultural center his group plans to build. "We're trying to do our kids a justice," he said. "We're trying to keep them out of jail." The show barn, he said, would also be an agricultural center where people could learn about planting crops and raising cattle and other livestock. Laird said he wasn't sure how much the project would cost. "I think they're going to build it in stages," he said. He said he expected the group to start small, perhaps with a fence and a concession stand, and build from there over time. Laird is already looking for other sources of funding for the show barn project. Members of the Randolph County School Board say he approached them recently with a deal: He could get them $200,000 from a state program for "at risk" schools if they'd promise to keep only $25,000 of it. Laird wanted the other $175,000 to go to the Equine Association, school board members say. Randolph County Schools superintendent Rance Kirby said neither he nor the board could make that deal. "I'm not against an ag center," Kirby said. "I wish them well. But I can't give money from the Education Trust Fund, labeled for at-risk programs, to a private nonprofit." Laird said it was school officials who approached him with a request for $25,000 to put security cameras in schools. He combined that with a request for help with the show barn and pitched the $200,000 grant request to the Alabama Department of Education. "I've been in this business for a long time and I've never had anybody refuse money like that," Laird said. Craig Pouncey, the deputy superintendent of Alabama schools, said the money would have come from the Governor's At-Risk Program, a program set up in the 1990s. At one time, Pouncey said, the money went to schools identified as at-risk under the state's original school accountability program. Lately, the money, roughly $10 million per year, has been used to pay for projects in school districts with little tax revenue. "My charge is to make sure those districts' needs are met, and those needs vary from district to district," he said. Pouncey said he believed other districts had used the money for agricultural centers to boost their agricultural education programs. He said that due to the disagreement over how the money would be used in Randolph County, the Education Department probably wouldn't move forward with the $200,000 grant. "I think what we're dealing with here is a conflict in local politics," he said. Capitol & statewide correspondent: 256-294-4193. On Twitter @TLockette_Star.