Crash activity reports from the Alabama Department of Public Safety show the number of people who died in vehicle crashes where seat belts were available and were not wearing seat belts increased from last month.

According to preliminary traffic crash data, there were 45 people killed in vehicle crashes investigated by state troopers in Alabama in April 2013 compared to 42 in March. Of that number, 37 were in vehicles where seat belts were available, and 26 victims were not wearing seat belts up from 20 in March. That’s six more deaths.

“Too many people continue to die in crashes because they are not wearing seat belts,” said Transportation Director John Cooper. “It’s a proven fact that buckling up every time we get behind the wheel or ride as a passenger helps save lives.

Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey will launch the “Ending Child Hunger in Alabama” campaign at Wares Ferry Road Elementary School in Montgomery, Monday, April 29, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.. “Ending Child Hunger in Alabama” is the first initiative of the newly established Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University. Lieutenant Governor Ivey serves as the campaign spokesperson.

With nearly one-third of Alabama’s children living in families that experience food hardships, the goal of the campaign is to move Alabama into the top 25% of states with the highest degree of child food security by 2020.

Alabama Department of Labor Commissioner Tom Surtees announced today that Alabama’s preliminary March unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.2%. March 2012’s rate was also 7.2%. March’s rate represents 155,071 unemployed persons, compared to 154,790 last month, and 156,224 last year.

In Marengo County, the unemployment rate for March was 8.9%, down from 10.2% in February and downn from 9.1% a year ago.

“This month we continued to see the labor force grow, which tells us that more people are re-gaining confidence in the job market. We also saw the number of people with jobs grow by nearly 7,000, with only a slight increase in the number of unemployed,” said Surtees. “Even though the rate didn’t decrease, these are still positive signs.”

The civilian labor force increased in March to 2,164,497, up from 2,157,556 in February and 2,156,362 last year.