Alabama judge who used mock Asian accent in courtroom suspended and charged
A judge for the Mobile County Circuit Court in Alabama was suspended and charged with inappropriate demeanor and temperament based on multiple allegations, including a racially charged comment to a potential Asian American juror. The Judicial Inquiry Commission, the state agency that investigates complaints against judges, accused Judge James Patterson of violating judicial ethics with his inappropriate remarks and repeated profanity in court. The allegations refer to his remarks about Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey.
news.yahoo.comAlabama restaurant sued for copyright infringement of 9 classic songs
Music lawsuit: BMI is suing an Alabama barbecue over copyright infringement they say occurred in October 2019. (Alejandra Villa Loraca/Newsday RM via Getty Images)CULLMAN, Ala. — A music publishing company is smoking mad at an Alabama barbecue restaurant, claiming that the eatery has violated copyrights for nine songs that were played nearly three years ago. The suit was filed last week by BMI, which holds licensing on 18.7 million songs, against the owners of Moe’s BBQ in Cullman. https://t.co/zeN3lDX2J3 — AL.com (@aldotcom) July 3, 2022All nine of the songs were performed on Oct. 10, 2019, according to court documents. Attempts by AL.com and WIAT to reach the owners of the restaurant for comment have not been successful.
wftv.comAlabama officials are using the overturning of Roe v. Wade to argue that the state should also be able to ban gender-affirming medical care
A brief from the Alabama Attorney General's office argued that gender-affirming care was also not "deeply rooted in our history or traditions."
news.yahoo.com5 arrested after 1,000 fentanyl pills, heroin seized in north Alabama drug busts
Officials recover over 1000 fentanyl pills, cocaine, & guns in Florence drug bust https://t.co/SHpcwZaKpX — News 19 (@whnt) July 1, 2022Agents obtained a search warrant for Burt’s hotel room. Jeffrey Horrison was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Misty Horrison was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Young was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Burt was charged with trafficking in heroin and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
wftv.comAlabama woman’s meth use led to stillborn baby, deputies say
Methamphetamines: What you need to know (NCD)An Alabama woman was charged with homicide after authorities said she used methamphetamine during her pregnancy, causing her child to be stillborn. The arrest came three days after Kemp delivered a stillborn child in her 38th week of pregnancy and the Morgan County Department of Human Resources contacted the sheriff’s office, AL.com reported. Kemp was charged Wednesday with chemical endangerment of a child-homicide, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators believe Kemp used meth throughout her pregnancy, possibly contributing to the death of the infant, WAFF-TV reported. Kemp was still in the Morgan County Jail from her previous arrest, the sheriff’s office said.
wftv.comAlabama bond sale for mega prisons falls $200 million short
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — (AP) — Alabama officials said Thursday that they will move forward with plans to build two supersize prisons despite a bond sale falling more than $200 million short amid a volatile market and pressure from activists. The Alabama Corrections Institution Finance Authority hoped to sell $725 million in bonds for the construction project, but was only able to sell $509 million. He said the outcome would not impact the construction and the state still anticipated opening the prisons in 2026. While state officials blamed the result on a volatile market, a group of activists and impact investors had urged buyers to stay away from the the bond offering. Dana Sweeney, a statewide organizer for Alabama Appleseed, said he was surprised to hear the state isn't changing plans despite being $200 million short of the amount needed.
wftv.comAlabama cites abortion ruling in transgender medication case
Abortion Transgender Youth FILE - Protestors in support of transgender rights rally outside the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Ala., March 30, 2021. Three days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can prohibit abortion, Alabama seized on the decision to argue that the state should also be able to ban gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth. The case marks one of the first known instances in which a conservative state has tried to apply the abortion decision to other realms, just as LGBTQ advocates and others feared would happen. The Alabama case become be an early test of where judges stand on the scope of the abortion ruling. While Alabama was already appealing the injunction in the transgender medication case, the state quickly incorporated the abortion decision into its filing.
wftv.comSupreme Court frees Louisiana to use congressional map drawn by GOP
An appeals court backed the district court’s decision, but the state legislature refused to redraw the map. The Supreme Court majority on Tuesday did not supply a reason for granting the state’s request, as is common in emergency orders. In a separate case in February, the Supreme Court stopped a lower court’s order that Alabama redraw its congressional map to accommodate the growth of Black voters there. “But the Court’s case law in this area is notoriously unclear and confusing.”The Alabama case, Merrill v. Milligan, is one of the first the court will consider in October. Tuesday’s order said the Louisiana case would be held until the Alabama case is decided.
washingtonpost.comJustices nix 2nd mostly Black district in Louisiana for 2022
WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold a lower court ruling that Louisiana must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. With the three liberal justices dissenting, the high court short-circuited an order from a federal judge to create a second majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. The state will hold elections this year under a congressional map adopted by its Republican-dominated legislature with white majorities in five of six districts. The Louisiana case will remain on hold under the court renders a decision on the Alabama case, the justices said. John Bel Edwards fighting over the boundaries since February, when lawmakers approved a congressional map with white majorities in five of six districts.
wftv.comJustices nix 2d mostly Black district in Louisiana for 2022
WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold a lower court ruling that Louisiana must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. With the three liberal justices dissenting, the high court short-circuited an order from a federal judge to create a second majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. The state will hold elections this year under a congressional map adopted by its Republican-dominated legislature with white majorities in five of six districts. The justices are hearing arguments in the Alabama case in October. The Louisiana case will remain on hold under the court renders a decision on the Alabama case, the justices said.
wftv.comOfficials: Alabama man arrested after he allegedly shot his wife in the face
Alabama man arrested after he allegedly shot his wife in the face (Marshall County Sheriff's Office)MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. — An Alabama man has been arrested after he allegedly shot his wife in the face, officials say. >> Read more trending newsAccording to WHNT, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called out to a house on Thursday after receiving a shots fired call. When they arrived, deputies found a woman on the front porch who was shot in the face. MCSO said in a post on Facebook that the woman was conscious and alert when they found her. The woman was taken to a hospital and remains in stable condition, MCSO said.
wftv.comTie in Alabama GOP race means winner to be selected by lot
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — (AP) — Alabama’s Republican Party has declared a tie in the primary race for a state Senate seat and says the winner will be chosen by lot. It said the winner would be determined in accordance with the state election code. “Certainly every vote is important and it’s unfortunate if anyone is mistaken that they are registered to vote,” Hovey wrote. The state election code says that in the event of a tie in a legislative race, the Secretary of State shall decide the winner by lot. The GOP news release did not provide details on when the winner would be selected or the method to be used.
wftv.comWomen for Trump co-founder and Jan. 6 rally organizer: Trump is ‘disconnected from the base’
A co-founder of Women for Trump and an organizer of the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally spoke out against former President Trump following Rep. Mo Brooks‘s (R-Ala.) loss to Katie Britt in the Alabama GOP Senate primary Tuesday. Trump, who initially endorsed Brooks in the race, announced earlier this month that he would transfer his…
news.yahoo.comAlabama high school helps stage graduation for student’s fatally ill father
Special graduation Michael Bowden shows his father, Mike Bowden Sr., the diploma he received during a special graduation ceremony the Russell County High School administration conducted at the Bowden family’s home in Seale, Alabama, on April 25, 2022. (Paula Thompson/Russell County School District)SEALE, Ala. — There was no way Mike Bowden’s family was going to allow late-stage cancer to steal the joy of watching his son graduate from high school. “He didn’t know what to say, but the look on his face was priceless,” Jessie Bowden told the newspaper. Jessie Bowden told the newspaper that even though cancer “stole” her husband from a life and family he was not ready to leave, Russell High School made one last milestone possible. “I know he died a very proud daddy,” Jessie Bowden said.
wftv.comChurch shooting survivor: Gunman 'disengaged,' sat alone
Church Shooting Church members console each other after a shooting at the Saint Stevens Episcopal Church on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Vestavia, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill)The 70-year-old suspected gunman in a shooting that killed three people at an Alabama church sat by himself drinking liquor, rejecting offers to join the others gathered at the potluck dinner, before gunfire shattered the peace of the evening, a survivor recalled. Sallin was seated at the same table at the "Boomers Potluck" with the three people who died in the Thursday night shooting at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. The suspected gunman had previously attended church services and a few church gatherings for people of the Baby Boomer generation and older, but didn't seem to interact much with others, she said. Robert Findlay Smith, 70, is charged with capital murder in the shooting that killed three people. John Burruss, the rector of St. Stephen’s, invoked the Christian story of the last supper, where Jesus invited the friend who would ultimately betray him.
wftv.comGunman kills 3 seniors over potluck dinner at Alabama church
Police said church members were spared further violence Thursday evening when someone at the dinner subdued the gunman and held him until police arrived. Two of the Alabama shooting victims were 84; the third, 75. They had gathered with other church members for a “Boomers Potluck.” St. Stephen's was Walter Barlett Rainey's favorite place, a church that “welcomes everyone with love,” according to his family. They said in a statement Friday that it was hard to believe he was killed attending a church dinner with his wife of six decades. The event was a “Boomers Potluck” gathering inside the church, according to messages posted on the church’s Facebook page by the Rev.
wftv.comPolice: 3rd victim in Alabama church shooting dies
Church Shooting Church members console each other after a shooting at the Saint Stevens Episcopal Church on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Vestavia, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill)VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — (AP) — The third victim of a church shooting in Alabama has died, police said Friday. Walter Rainey, 84, of nearby Irondale was killed at the church and Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham died after being taken to a hospital, police said. The suspect was subdued and held by an attendee of the event until police arrived, sparing the congregation from further violence at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, police Capt. “The person that subdued the suspect, in my opinion, was a hero.”Ware didn't identify the suspect, whom police took into custody at the church. Vestavia Hills is known for top-flight schools and a family-centered, suburban lifestyle.
wftv.comMan, 71, held in Alabama church shooting that killed 2
Church Shooting Church members console each other after a shooting at the Saint Stevens Episcopal Church on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Vestavia, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill)VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — (AP) — A 71-year-old man fatally shot two elderly people and wounded a third with a handgun during a potluck dinner at an Alabama church where he occasionally attended services, police said Friday. “The person that subdued the suspect, in my opinion, was a hero.”Ware did not give a motive for the shootings. He said the man's name was being withheld until prosecutors formally charge the man with capital murder. Walter Rainey, 84, of nearby Irondale was killed at the church and Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham died after being taken to a hospital. Thursday's shooting happened just over a month after one person was killed and five injured when a man opened fire on Taiwanese parishioners at a church in Southern California.
wftv.comAlabama church shooting kills 2, wounds 1; suspect held
The attack occurred at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, said Police Capt. Ware said a suspect was detained and there was “no threat to the community at this time." Police declined to identify the suspect or the victims, or provide further details on the attack, saying another briefing was planned Friday. Kelley Hudlow, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Alabama, told broadcast outlet WBRC that the shooting had stunned the church and the community at large. Vestavia Hills is a residential community just southeast of Birmingham, one of Alabama's two most populous cities.
wftv.comAlabama church shooting kills 2, wounds 1; suspect held
The attack occurred at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, said Police Capt. Ware said a suspect was detained and there was “no threat to the community at this time." Police declined to identify the suspect or the victims, or provide further details on the attack, saying another briefing was planned Friday. Kelley Hudlow, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Alabama, told broadcast outlet WBRC that the shooting had stunned the church and the community at large. Vestavia Hills is a residential community just southeast of Birmingham, one of Alabama's two most populous cities.
wftv.comPolice: 2 dead, 1 hurt in church shooting; suspect detained
The attack occurred at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, Police Capt. He said officers rushed to the church after dispatchers got a call reporting an active shooter at the church at 6:22 p.m.“From what we've gathered from the circumstances of this evening, a lone suspect entered a small church group meeting and began shooting. He added that a suspect was in custody and that there was “no threat to the community at this time." At an earlier briefing, Ware had initially said one person died and two others wounded in the shooting had been hospitalized. Kelley Hudlow, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Alabama, told broadcast outlet WBRC that the church and the community at large were stunned by the shooting.
wftv.com1 dead, 2 wounded in Alabama church shooting; suspect held
VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — (AP) — A shooting at a church in a suburb of one of Alabama's major cities left one person dead and two others wounded Thursday evening, police said, adding a suspect was taken into custody. The shooting occurred at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, Vestavia Hills Police Capt. He said one person was dead and two others were wounded in the shooting and had been hospitalized. “We know of no additional threat to either the community of Vestavia Hills” or neighboring areas, Ware told reporters. News outlet al.com said the two wounded victims were being treated at UAB Hospital in Birmingham.
wftv.com71-Year-Old ‘Occasional’ Churchgoer Opens Fire at Alabama Potluck Dinner, Killing Two
WVTM/TwitterA 71-year-old Alabama man attending a church potluck dinner for elderly parishioners on Thursday evening suddenly pulled out a handgun and started firing, killing two people until a churchgoer heroically subdued him, police said Friday.The gunman, who has not been publicly identified, was an “occasional attendee” at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, a suburban community on the outskirts of Birmingham that is rated one of the safest in Alabama.“The suspect has previous
news.yahoo.comPolice: Multiple people shot at Alabama church, suspect held
VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — (AP) — Multiple people were shot at a church in Alabama on Thursday evening and a shooting suspect has been taken into custody, police said. Police said the shooting took place at Saint Stephens Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills on Thursday. A police statement said authorities received a call reporting an active shooter at 6:22 p.m. at the church and rushed to the scene. The statement said police confirmed multiple people had been shot but did not give the exact number of victims or their conditions. The statement said that while a suspect had been detained, it did not identify the person or details of what had happened.
wftv.comMultiple people shot at Alabama church; alleged gunman in custody
>> Read more trending newsAccording to police, the shooting occurred at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Falls, WBRC-TV reported. Shane Ware, a Vestavia Hills Police Department spokesperson, confirmed to reporters during a brief news conference. BREAKING NEWS: Vestavia Hills Police: Shooting at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church https://t.co/ctKoGVZZn5 — WBRC FOX6 News (@WBRCnews) June 16, 2022The church was hosting an event Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT, WBMA-TV reported. Dispatchers took a 911 call at about 6:22 p.m. CDT, WBRC reported. Vestavia Hills is located south of Birmingham.
wftv.comU.S. veterans missing in Ukraine formed bond over background
Russia Ukraine Missing Americans This undated photograph provided by Diane Williams shows U.S. military veteran Alexander Drueke of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Drueke traveled to Ukraine to help with the fight against Russian invaders and was later reported missing. If true, they would be the first Americans fighting for Ukraine known to have been captured since the war began. Before leaving for Europe, Huynh told his local newspaper, The Decatur Daily, he couldn't stop thinking about Russia's invasion. “I know it wasn’t my problem, but there was that gut feeling that I felt I had to do something,” Huynh told the paper. He left in mid-April and entered Poland legally before going to the border and being allowed into Ukraine, she said.
wftv.comTaylor Sheridan, the cowboy behind "Yellowstone"
Called one of the most important western writers in decades, Taylor Sheridan created the hit TV series "Yellowstone" and its prequel, "1883" (along with the prequel's upcoming sequel, "1932"). Correspondent Lee Cowan talks with Sheridan (who is as cowboy as they come), and with "Yellowstone" star Kevin Costner, about a return of the drama of the west.
news.yahoo.comAmazon's first US union overcomes hurdles, faces new ones
A stunning upset in a union election on Staten Island had brought sudden exposure to the organizers and worker advocates who realized victory for the nascent Amazon Labor Union when so many other more established labor groups had failed before them.
As winter storm moves across US, ice becomes bigger concern
A major winter storm has left about 350,000 homes and businesses without power across the U.S. The multiday storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Midwest and caused a tornado in Alabama that killed one person and critically injured three others.