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2 men killed in separate Birmingham crashes over holiday weekend

Two men were killed in separate Birmingham traffic crashes over the holiday weekend.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Cortez Lowery, 41, and Kedric Lamon Johnson, 49. Both men lived in Birmingham.

Lowery was found dead at 1:49 a.m. Saturday in the 9000 block of Zion City Road.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said there were no witnesses to the crash, and it wasn’t immediately clear when it happened.

Lowery was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle.

Johnson also died following a single-vehicle wreck. That crash happened in the 200 block of Pratt Highway.

He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:02 p.m. Sunday.

Birmingham police are investigating the circumstances surrounding both wrecks.

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Leeds High standout adds another honor to impressive prep career

One of the Birmingham area’s top athletes has earned one more honor before beginning his collegiate football career.

Leeds athlete Conner Nelson has been overwhelmingly voted by fans as Alabama’s overall male athlete of the year.

He received 99% of the overall fan vote in last week’s poll, which included 10 other athletes from across the state.

Jackson football and basketball standout and state champion Landon Duckworth finished second, while Pisgah’s Luke Gilbert finished third; he claimed all-state honors in football, basketball and baseball for the Eagles.

Nelson, who starred in both football and baseball for the Green Wave this season, was also AL.com’s pick for Birmingham Region Male Athlete of the Year.

“He’s just a special kid,” Leeds football coach Jerry Hood said of Nelson last week. “He started as a sophomore at wide receiver and was the best wide receiver on the team and we had some quarterback packages for him that year. He was the quarterback for the past two years, but we needed him to play defense last year. He punted for us, he was a punt returner at times and all that kind of stuff.

“He’s just a selfless individual that will do whatever it takes for the team to win and that’s what made him so special.”

Nelson helped lead Leeds to an appearance in the Class 5A state semifinals this season and was a finalist for Class 5A Back of the Year; he was also offensive MVP on the Birmingham News All-Region football team.

The Southeastern Louisiana football signee ran the ball 219 times for 1,818 yards and 35 touchdowns while throwing for 1,124 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The quarterback picked the Lions of the FCS Southland Conference over other football offers from Samford, Murray State, UT Martin and West Alabama. He also held a baseball offer from Lawson State.

On the baseball field, he helped key Leeds to an appearance in the third round of the Class 5A baseball playoffs and was a first team all-state pick at outfielder. He was also a member of the Birmingham News Terrific 22 Baseball Team.

He batted .427 with 45 RBIs, eight home runs and a 1.322 OPS at the plate while logging 49 1/3 innings of work on the mound. He finished with a 3.26 ERA and an 8-3 record while striking out 88 batters.

“Conner is a tremendous athlete, competitor and person,” Leeds baseball coach and assistant football coach Jake Wingo said. “He has always been a great teammate and a joy to coach. He’s one of those rare athletes that don’t come around very often and we appreciate what he did for Leeds and excited to see what he does in the future.”

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Public health alert issued for beef jerky sold nationwide

A public health alert has been issued for a brand of ready-to-eat beef sticks due to possible plastic contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s alert covers Riverbend Ranch beef jerky sticks. A recall wasn’t issued because the beef sticks are no longer available for purchase but may be in people’s homes. The beef jerky sticks were produced on May 27, 2025 and have an 18-month shelf life.

The public health alert covers two types of Riverbend Ranch beef sticks:

  • 6.9 oz. bags containing six 1.15-oz. vacuum-sealed packages of “Riverbend Ranch Original Beef Stick” with a “Best By” date of Nov. 27, 2026.
  • 6.9 oz. bags containing six 1.15 oz. vacuum-sealed packages containing of “ Riverbend Ranch Jalapeño Beef Stick” with a “Best By” date of Nov. 27, 2026.

The beef sticks were distributed nationwide.

There have been no confirmed reports of injuries or illnesses related to the products but people who have them are asked to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

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33-year-old man killed in western Jefferson County domestic shooting

A western Jefferson County man was killed in domestic shooting over the weekend.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim Monday as Gumero Olvera Castro. He was 33 and lived in the Bessemer area.

The shooting happened at 2:21 a.m. Sunday in the 800 block of Willow Bend Lane. Castro was pronounced dead on the scene at 2:47 a.m.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation. Additional details weren’t immediately available.

Castro is the 59th homicide countywide in 2025.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Chuck E. Cheese’s new entertainment idea coming to US malls

Chuck E. Cheese is entering a new era: mall arcades.

Created for “lifelong fans” of the child-friendly pizza chain, “Chuck’s Arcade” is designed for adults and will combine video games with Chuck E. Cheese’s iconic animatronic characters.

“Chuck’s Arcade is a modern-day love letter to the games and people who made Chuck E. Cheese great,” the company said in a press release.

“Chuck E. Cheese has spent decades mastering the arcade experience — it’s in our DNA,” David McKillips, CEO of Chuck E. Cheese, said in a press release. “Chuck’s Arcade is a natural evolution — an opportunity to extend our arcade legacy into new formats that engage both lifelong fans and a new generation through a curated mix of retro classics and cutting-edge experiences.”

So far, Chuck’s Arcade locations are now open in major malls across the country, including:

  • St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • Trumbull, Conn.
  • Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.
  • Victor, N.Y.
  • Buford, Ga.
  • El Paso, Texas
  • Nashua and Salem, N.H.
  • St. Louis, Mo.

CNN reports Chuck E. Cheese’s expansion comes five years after it filed for bankruptcyduring the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Alabama football to honor 3 championship teams during 2025 season

The 10-year anniversary of Alabama’s 2015 national championship is approaching. So, too, is the 60-year anniversary of the 1965 national championship.

Both will be recognized during the 2025 Alabama football season.

UA announced Monday that Alabama will celebrate the 2015 national championship team during the Tennessee game on Oct. 18. The 1965 team will be honored during the Oklahoma game on Nov. 15, which is also homecoming.

Each of those weekends will serve as a reunion for those teams.

Alabama will also play host to a 1975 SEC Championship reunion during the Wisconsin game on Sept. 13.

The Sept. 6 game against ULM will also be a celebration/recognition of “100 years of Alabama football champions.”

The 2015 team won a national championship during the College Football Playoff era under Nick Saban. Running back Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy that season. The coaching staff featured a handful of future head coaches: Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Mario Cristobal (Miami), Billy Napier (Florida) and Mel Tucker (formerly Michigan State). Scott Cochran, then the strength-and-conditioning coach, is now leading West Alabama. The Crimson Tide beat Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl before defeating Clemson in the national championship game.

Paul “Bear” Bryant coached the 1965 team that won a national championship, as recognized by the AP and Football Writers. Alabama finished 9-1-1 that season, beating Nebraska 39-28 in the Orange Bowl.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

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Popular restaurant and bar opening another Birmingham-area location this fall

A new location of Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar is planning to open this fall.

The City of Alabaster announced that renovation work is set to wrap by the end of this month.

In a social media post, the city said the restaurant will train employees in August before opening to the public in September.

“We can’t wait!” the city announced.

The Missouri-based franchise will be located in the former O’Charley’s building in Alabaster’s South Promenade shopping center.

The project was first announced last year, which added patio dining areas.

Big Whiskey’s opened a Hoover location in Stadium Trace Village back in July 2020.

There is also a location in Madison, and another one set to open at 6225 Tattersall Blvd. in Hoover.

The franchise, known for cocktails and spirits, was founded in downtown Springfield, Mo. in 2006 and has restaurants in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Florida. It’s menu features lunch, dinner and brunch options, from salads and soups, to steaks, seafood and Southwestern dishes.

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6 of the top 10 travel days in U.S. history were in 2025, TSA says

A record 72 million people were expected to travel at least 50 miles from their home around the Independence Day holiday. Of those, some 18.5 million travelers were expected to fly during the Fourth of July period, which started Tuesday, July 2 and extended through Sunday, July 6.

The surge means large crowds and the potential for longer wait times.

“It’s clear that travel is on the rise this summer,” TSA said. “Remember, if you’re traveling anytime soon, be sure to arrive at your airport early, make sure you have a valid form of ID with you.”

Busiest travel days

Sunday was the biggest day with some 2.9 million people going through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.

Holiday travel is part of a broader upswing that’s been seen throughout the year, according to TSA data. New statistics released by the agency showed June 22, 2025 was the busiest travel day in TSA history with 3,097,633 people going through checkpoints. Five other dates from 2025 made the busiest travel day top 10: May 23, 2025; June 27, 2025; June 19, 2025; May 22, 2025; and June 29, 2025.

Here are the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA history:

  1. June 22, 2025 – 3,097,633
  2. Dec. 1, 2024 – 3,088,836
  3. July 7, 2024 – 3,013,622
  4. May 23, 2025 – 3,010,183
  5. June 23, 2024 – 2,996,495
  6. June 27, 2025 – 2,988,598
  7. June 19, 2025 – 2,980,935
  8. May 22, 2025 – 2,960,413
  9. June 29, 2025 – 2,958,696
  10. July 18, 2024 – 2,957,170

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For Satchel Paige’s 119th (?) birthday: ‘6 Rules for Staying Young’

According to baseballreference.com, Satchel Paige was born on July 7, 1906, in Mobile – 119 years ago today.

However, pick any year from 1901 and 1909, and there’s a news source that, at some point, has listed it as Paige’s birth year. But if 1906 is the correct year, then Paige was two days past his 42nd birthday when he pitched in the newly integrated Major Leagues for the first time on July 9, 1948.

At that point, Paige was playing it coy about his age, telling reporters that a goat had eaten either his birth certificate or the family Bible. It led to one of his many pearls of wisdom: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”

Paige’s 1948 autobiography, “Pitchin’ Man,” has a chapter titled “About My Age,” which starts: “Now about my age. That’s usually a subject for women, but I guess we got to go into it because the way everybody is fussing, it seems it’s as important as the secret of the atomic bomb.” Paige then cites a variety of people – his mother, ex-wife, a judge who fined him for a speeding ticket, the guys he played bingo with – who all had different ages for him, without confirming any as correct.

Paige’s ability to pitch past retirement age for almost any other player raised curiosity about the secret to his longevity, and an interview on that subject led the pitcher to develop his famous “master maxims,” usually referred to as “Six Rules for Staying Young” or “Six Rules for a Happy Life.” Paige had the rules printed on his business card.

The rules said:

1. Avoid fried meats, which angry up the blood.

2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.

3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.

4. Go very light on the vices such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain’t restful.

5. Avoid running at all times.

6. Don’t look back; something might be gaining on you.

“Don’t look back; something might be gaining on you” put Paige in “Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations.” His exploits on the diamond landed him in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, the first player to be enshrined for his Negro Leagues performance.

Paige arrived in Cleveland as a famous baseball player, even though the recognized Major Leagues had kept the doors closed to him for the prime seasons of his career. Paige pitched as a pro in five decades and did so for dozens of teams from Alaska to South America. That included the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League from 1927 through 1930.

RELATED: THE 22 BEST MAJOR LEAGUE CAREERS BY PLAYERS WITH ALABAMA BASEBALL ROOTS

His 6-1 record down the stretch as the first Black pitcher in the American League helped Cleveland win the 1948 pennant. He had four more MLB seasons ahead of him, including two as an All-Star, plus three full minor-league campaigns remaining. Paige was pitching regularly for the Miami Marlins of the Triple-A International League at 52, going 10-10 with a 2.95 earned-run average in 1958.

Paige also burnished his reputation in competition beyond the Negro Leagues during the segregated era. In the offseason in Paige’s heyday, top baseball players sometimes would supplement their incomes with barnstorming tours, traveling to places outside the 10 cities with American or National League teams. Paige headlined clubs of Negro Leaguers that opposed squads of American and National League players led first by Dizzy Dean and then by Bob Feller, pitchers who preceded Paige into the Hall of Fame.

Paige’s final big-league appearance was a publicity stunt dreamed up by Kansas City Athletics owner Charles O. Finley, who just two nights before Paige’s return to the Majors had held Bert Campaneris Appreciation Night, during which the Kansas City shortstop played one inning at each of the nine positions.

Paige started a game between two also-ran teams on Sept. 25, 1965. He pitched the first three innings against the Boston Red Sox, giving up one hit – a double to future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski – and struck out one without walking a batter. Paige threw 28 pitches – a number less than half his age.

Paige died on June 8, 1982.

On June 24, Mobile opened its Hall of Fame Walk on Water Street, featuring a statue of Paige along with the four other members of the Baseball Hall of Fame born in the Port City – Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams – and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Robert Brazile.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

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Fast-growing Madison County area will be home to new $53 million school for 1,200 students

Many parents in a fast-growing part of Madison County are relieved that a new school is on the way.

Hazel Green Middle School is headed to northern Madison County to address overcrowding.

Amy Cochran has lived in the area for 13 years. She’s had three boys graduate from the system, one in middle school and another in fifth grade.

She said she’s seen issues with overcrowding for years, especially in middle school. Cochran believes children will be safer in less crowded schools. She’s right, the National Library of Medicine published a report that school overcrowding is linked to increased bullying behavior.

“It’s too crowded, and those kids are on top of each other, and they fight more,” Cochran said. “If you’re uncomfortable, because you’re all kept in a hallway, you’re gonna have kids who fight. That’s just how it’s gonna go. And I’ve had one of mine beat up in the bathroom, so I’ve personally experienced bullying myself with my children, and it’s just going to be so great to be able to have those numbers shrunk down.”

The school will house 1,200 seventh and eighth graders. District 1 Madison County Board of Education member David Vess says they’re just trying to keep up with growth. He sees several new subdivisions in the area whenever he drives around.

“We’re busting at the seams in Hazel Green,” Vess said. “It’s what it boils down to. And we’ve got to make some room to accommodate that growth,”

The $53 million school will be on the same campus as Hazel Green High School. They will add a right turn lane towards Fayetteville to help with traffic leaving the campus.

Cochran and other parents say traffic is a huge concern. She said she knows county and school leaders are doing the best they can to help ease the roads. However, it takes her four times as long to arrive at the elementary school on a Monday morning than usual, plus she says carpool is chaotic and takes a long time to navigate through.

“They just don’t have enough room,” Cochran said. “No matter what they try, it still backs up and backs up and backs up and backs up, and then it backs up into the high school. I don’t know how they’re going to fix all the other traffic, because it is a mess.”

There will be some changes to other schools in the Hazel Green district. Meridianville Middle School will transition to an intermediate school for fifth and sixth grades. The district will add a new wing with 12 new classrooms to the growing Hazel Green High School.

It will all start with the new Hazel Green Middle School. It’s set to open for the 2027-2028 school year, and the groundbreaking will be later this month.

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