12/22: Survey shows Southerners lead in religious devotion

USA Today: Survey shows Southerners lead in religious devotion

Southerners, and Mississipians in particular, are most active in their religious practices and beliefs according to a new survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Five other states had at least seven in 10 people stating that religion holds that kind of importance for them: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State agencies worried about 2011 General Fund budget

ARKANSAS: Two-year college enrollment booming in Arkansas

FLORIDA: Senate candidates agree one one thing -- Cuba

GEORGIA: Biofuel demonstration plant to be built in Tifton

KENTUCKY: Number of children in foster care rises in state

LOUISIANA: Editorial: Keep ban on drilling in Lake Pontchartrain

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour names panel to study school district consolidation

NORTH CAROLINA: Foreclosure prevention program helps more than 2,500 in state

SOUTH CAROLINA: Lawmakers consider reassessment cap which could hurt local governments

TENNESSEE: A year later, TVA coal ash spill still unresolved

VIRGINIA: State could see $20 million increase by taking in Pennsylvania convicts

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8/14: New biofuel in LA from fish, algae

Louisiana: Reuters: New biofuel created out of algae, fish

LiveFuels Inc. is a developer of renewable algae-based biofuels and is starting operations that will use fish to filter and process algae into oil, instead of using complex mechanical and chemical processes.

A new Texas facility is focused on researching how to increase the rates of conversion of biomass into fuel. The results will then be used for an expansion to full-scale commercial operations along the coast of Louisiana, the company said. The commercial facilities will be designed to harness flows of agricultural pollution from the Mississippi River that can be used as nutrients for generating algal blooms. By removing these nutrients from river flows, LiveFuels' systems also mitigate the impacts of agricultural pollution in the open ocean.

No news on how the fuel smells.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Gov. Riley reverses stance on Southern Co.'s involvement in water wars

ARKANSAS: State recycles old building for five agencies

FLORIDA: Population down in state for first time in 60 years

GEORGIA: Mexican group denounces state's appeal on DOJ's rejection of voter ID check

KENTUCKY: State to hold minority economic summit on August 27

MISSISSIPPI: Health care debate puts state doctors in a dilemma

NORTH CAROLINA: State lawmakers benefitted from health lobby dollars

SOUTH CAROLINA: Budget board delays action on cutting state services, programs

TENNESSEE: State leads in per-capital Chapter 13 filings

VIRGINIA: Schools in Virginia falling short of federal standards

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org