One of the top defenders in the state of Alabama is off the board.
Pike Road linebacker Braylon Outlaw announced his commitment to Tennessee on Friday afternoon, adding to the program’s growing 2026 class of recruits.
The three-star prospect picked Tennessee over other offers that included Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon, Missouri and South Carolina.
According to 247Sports, Outlaw is the 25th-ranked player in the state of Alabama’s 2026 class and the 62nd-ranked linebacker prospect in the country.
The Pike Road standout will join Hoover defensive lineman Tyson Bacon as part of the 2026 recruiting class for Tennessee.
Outlaw finished the regular season with 86 tackles (48 solo), two tackles for loss, two passes defended and an interception; he also ran for two touchdowns.
Pike Road finished its season 7-3 overall and 6-0 in Class 6A, Region 2 to claim the region title. The Patriots will host Bessemer City in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday.
Read MoreThe Alabama high school football season continues tonight, as the playoffs started this week. Fans can watch each playoff game online by purchasing a subscription to the NFHS Network. A monthly pass will cost consumers $11.99 per month, while an annual pass is $79.99 for the entire year. Notably, the annual pass equates to $6.67 per month.
Most of the playoff matchups will transpire at 7 p.m. CT tonight, and each game can be viewed on NFHS Network. Notably, Auburn plays against Bob Jones in a key playoff game this evening.
Auburn ended the regular season with a 9-0 record, and the team has looked dominant throughout the season. In their most recent game, Auburn defeated Dothan 42-7. If the Auburn squad performs similarly tonight, then they will likely continue their undefeated season.
The Bob Jones Patriots had a 6-4 record in the regular season, and they have won back-to-back games. Notably, the Patriots have outscored their opponents 96-21 in the last two games. Since the team has played well recently, Bob Jones will try to continue their success tonight. However, Auburn will be a difficult team to beat because they are currently averaging more than 45 points per game.
Fans can watch this playoff game online by getting a subscription to the NFHS Network. This service will also broadcast other high school football games tonight. The full game schedule can be viewed here.
Two big stars from Alabama — Brittany Howard and Lionel Richie — could add to their stash of Grammy Awards in 2025.
Howard, the rock and R&B dynamo from Athens, and Richie, the pop and R&B legend from Tuskegee, are among the nominees announced for the 67th Grammy Awards. Two more musicians from Alabama earned Grammy nods as well: Indie artist Waxahatchee, also known as Birmingham’s Katie Crutchfield, and Will Kimbrough, a veteran singer-songwriter from Mobile.
Nominations in 94 Grammy categories were confirmed on Friday by the Recording Academy; winners will be announced in February. (See the full list of nominees here.)
Brittany Howard (center) performs her song “Prove It to You” on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (NBC)NBC
Howard, 36, earned her latest Grammy nomination in the category of Best Alternative Music Album for “What Now.” It’s her second studio album as a solo artist, released in 2024 on the Island Records label. She debuted a song from the album, “Prove It to You,” in February on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.”
Howard already has five Grammy wins and 16 nominations to her credit, including four wins and nine nominations with the Alabama Shakes, according to the Grammys website. The Shakes won three Grammys in 2016, all linked to the album “Sound & Color,” and one more in 2018 for “Killer Diller Blues,” a track from “The American Epic Sessions (Deluxe).” Howard won her first solo Grammy in 2021 for “Stay High,” a track from “Jaime,” in the category of Best Rock Performance.
RELATED: Which Alabama music star has the most Grammy wins? The answer might surprise you
Lionel Richie performed on May 28, 2024, at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham. The show was part of the Alabama native’s “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.(Valerie Ryan/BJCC)
Richie, 75, was nominated in the category of Best Music Film for his work on the 2024 Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop.” He also appears in the movie, which chronicles the making of the blockbuster charity anthem “We Are the World” in 1985. Richie is nominated as a producer for the film, alongside director Bao Nguyen and fellow producers Bruce Eskowitz, George Hencken, Larry Klein, Julia Nottingham and Harriet Sternberg.
Richie already has four Grammy wins and 32 nominations, according to the Grammys website. He earned his first Grammy in 1983 for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, for “Truly.” Richie’s “Can’t Slow Down” won Album of the Year in 1985, and he received a Grammy for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) in 1985, as well. “We Are The World,” written by Richie and Michael Jackson, won Song of the Year at the Grammys in 1986.
READ: Lionel Richie thrills fans at long-awaited show in Alabama: ‘This is homecoming! I feel the love’
Waxahatchee is the stage name of Birmingham’s Katie Crutchfield. She released a 2024 album, “Tigers Blood,” and performed a concert on May 6, 2024, at the Lyric Theatre in her hometown.(Courtesy photo/Molly Matalon)
Waxahatchee is a first-time Grammy nominee, earning a nod in the category of Best Americana Album for “Tigers Blood.” It’s her sixth studio album, released in March 2024 on the Anti- label.
As Waxahatchee, Crutchfield has six studio albums to her credit, 2012-present. Standouts include “Cerulean Salt,” a 2013 release that earned spots on several high-profile “best of the year” lists; and a 2020 release, “Saint Cloud,” which received rapturous kudos for its introspective songs about addiction and sobriety, codependency and love.
Crutchfield, 35, learned her craft on Birmingham’s punk scene in the mid-2000s, playing in a band called the Ackleys with her sister Allison. (The two also collaborated on projects such as P.S. Eliot and Bad Banana.) She remains firmly in the DIY camp as Waxahatchee and maintains her own yardstick for success.
READ: Waxahatchee among 5 must-see concerts coming to Birmingham
Singer-songwriter Will Kimbrough, a Mobile native, gestures during a performance with the Coral Reefer Band in Orange Beach on Aug. 1, 2024.Lawrence Specker | [email protected]
Kimbrough, 60, is nominated in the category of Best American Roots Song for “Blame It On Eve,” recorded by blues and soul artist Shemekia Copeland. This is a songwriter’s award; Kimbrough is nominated alongside co-writer John Hahn.
“Blame It On Eve” is the title track of an album released in August 2024 by Alligator Records. Kimbrough produced the album, according to the Alligator Records website, and is listed as co-writer of eight songs on the 12-track record. He also played guitar, mandolin, organ and percussion on the project.
“Blame It On Eve” was nominated for a 2025 Grammy in the category of Best Contemporary Blues Album, and Copeland received another nod for the title track, in the category of Best American Roots Performance. Kimbrough shares in the Grammy glory for these two nominations, although he’s not specifically mentioned as a nominee.
Kimbrough might not be a household name, but the Mobile native is highly respected as a songwriter, instrumentalist and collaborator in the music world. Here’s how Lawrence Specker described Kimbrough in a May feature story for AL.com:
“He’s been a rising college-rock star, a major-label might-have-been, a diligent and productive singer-songwriter with a distinctive voice, a Nashville journeyman known as a writer, guitarist and producer. He has been a sideman to legends including legendary Texas songwriter Rodney Crowell; Emmylou Harris, in whose backing band, the Red Dirt Boys, he still plays; and Jimmy Buffett, a fellow Mobile expatriate who took him in as a long-term musical collaborator.”
Kimbrough co-wrote several songs for Buffett’s posthumously released “Equal Strain on All Parts,” including “Bubbles Up,” a single praised by former Beatle Paul McCartney. Kimbrough also released a new solo album this year, “For the Life of Me.”
READ: Jimmy Buffett collaborator Will Kimbrough: ‘Everyone wants to be understood’
Winners of the 2025 Grammy Awards will be announced on Feb. 2 in Los Angeles. Although a handful of trophies will be awarded during a televised ceremony that Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena, most winners will be announced earlier in the day at an event known as the Grammys Premiere Ceremony.
Winners of the categories Howard, Richie, Waxahatchee and Kimbrough are competing in are likely to be announced at the Premiere Ceremony, held at the Peacock Theater across the street from the Crypto.com Arena.
Read MoreSeveral types of semi-soft cheese are being recalled across 12 states due to potential listeria contamination.
Pennsylvania-based Savencia Cheese USA is voluntarily recalling six kinds of soft-ripened cheeses. The products were sold at Aldi, as well as at Market Basket, a supermarket chain the northeast.
States included in the recall are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
The following cheeses are affected by the recall:
The “Best Buy” dates and UPC numbers of the recalled cheeses are listed in a statement on the FDA website.
According to the statement, retailers that received the cheeses have been informed of this possible contamination and are in the process of removing products from shelves. Consumers who have any of the recalled products are advised against eating them and should throw them away or return to the places of purchase.
Read MoreAlabama Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, has pre-filed a bill that would allow registered voters to vote prior to election day.
This bill would require each county to provide at least one early voting center to be open during the week immediately preceding election day, according to its text.
It specifies that the centers cannot allow people to vote less than four days or more than six days during the one-week period immediately preceding election day.
On weekdays and Saturdays, the centers would be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays, they would be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
If the governing body of a county opts to establish more than one early voting center, the bill says officials will have the sole authority to configure the centers’ boundaries.
County officials will also control what days the centers are open, provided they allow people to vote between four and six days prior to election day.
Alabama lawmakers have shown increased interest in establishing early voting this year as the state remains one of only three without any way of doing it.
“I think we need to see what other states are doing,” said Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, a former General Fund chairman in the Alabama House, advocating for a study or an analysis of how much early voting costs elsewhere.
But many state officials remain opposed to the idea.
“Since before I was elected as Secretary of State, I have been clear that I believe in Election Day, not election month,” said Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, a former Republican state lawmaker from Troy.
“Alabamians deserve a fair, secure, and transparent election. Initiatives like no excuse absentee voting, unsolicited mass mail voting, curbside ballot drop boxes, and same-day voter registration can lead to chaos and confusion, like we have seen in other states.”
Jackson’s bill is currently pending action in the House Committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections.
Read MoreElkmont Police arrested a Limestone County man this week on multiple charges after he allegedly assaulted his parents.
On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, a 911 call was placed for an assault in progress in the 25000 block of Children St. in Elkmont, AL, from a good Samaritan, according to a release from the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.
Elkmont Police Chief Donny Johns responded and found an elderly male and female severely beaten and bleeding.
Charlie Cain Jr., 55, fled from Chief Johns on foot toward the Richard Martin Walking Trail and was later located by Captain Caleb Durden and Chief Johns in the woods along the walking trail about a mile from the scene.
Cain was taken into custody and Investigator Jesse Gibson determined that the victims were Cain’s parents.
This week Cain was charged with the following, according to the release:
-Elder Abuse 1st degree for assaulting his mother (No Bond Set)
-Elder Abuse 2nd degree for assaulting his father (No Bond Set)
-Domestic Violence 3 Criminal Mischief 3rd (No Bond Set)
-Violation of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (No Bond Set)
-Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement (Bond $2500)
-Public Intoxication (Bond $500)
-Resisting Arrest (Bond $1000)
-Warrant – DUI (Bond $1000)
“The Protecting Alabama’s Elders Act states that a person commits the crime of elder abuse and neglect in the first degree if he or she intentionally abuses or neglects any elderly person and the abuse or neglect causes serious physical injury to the elderly person,” the release reads.
“Elder abuse and neglect in the first degree is a Class A felony. A person commits the crime of elder abuse in the second degree if he or she intentionally abuses or neglects any elderly person and the abuse or neglect causes physical injury to the elderly person. Elder abuse and neglect in the second degree is a Class B felony.”
Read MoreThe city of Birmingham this week approved authority for City Attorney Nicole King to settle a longstanding dispute with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church over an abandoned half-built cathedral near Protective Stadium.
The city declined to release any details of the proposed settlement, and a church official said it’s not finalized.
Read MoreFlorida men’s basketball coach Todd Golden has been accused of sexual harassment by several female students, according to a report Friday by the school’s student newspaper.
The Independent Alligator is reporting that an “undefined” number of women filed a formal Title IX complaint with the university on Sept. 27, accusing him of conduct that could violate the school’s gender equity policy. The complaint alleges that over the course of a year, the 39-year-old Golden — who is married — engaged in behavior that could be defined as stalking and sexual exploitation.
According to the report, Golden allegedly sent photos and videos of his genitalia to women, made unwanted sexual advances via Instagram and requested sexual favors. He is also accused of taking photos of women without their consent and then sending the pictures to them, and “showing up to locations where he knew the women would be.”
The university cited federal law in refusing to either confirm or deny the existence of a Title IX complaint, though The Alligator reports that it obtained documents from the case and quoted two of Golden’s accusers in its story. The school’s athletic department has not yet publicly responded to the allegations.
Golden is in his third season at Florida, which is 2-0 after an 81-60 win over Jacksonville on Thursday night. The Gators went 24-12 and reached the NCAA tournament in 2023-24, and next play Monday at home vs. Grambling State.
Read MoreA spicy favorite is headed back to McDonald’s.
The Spicy Chicken McNuggets are available at participating restaurants for a limited time.
McDonald’s Spicy McNuggets are made with a crispy tempura coating spiced with a blend of cayenne and chili pepper. The bites have come on and off the menu since they made their McDonald’s debut in 2020, reports PEOPLE.
So far, McDonald’s said participating markets include — but are not limited to — Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Memphis and New York.
Customers can order the Spicy McNuggets as a 4-piece, 6-piece, 10-piece, 20-piece and 40-piece.
In October, the chain announced the return of the Chicken Big Mac, The sandwich features the same toppings as the Big Mac but with two tempura battered chicken patties, in place of the beef patties. Back in 2022, the sandwich was tested as a limited-time offer in Miami. The sandwich has been popular internationally, particularly in the U.K. and Australia.
Read MoreThe Homewood Planning Commission approved a major renovation proposal for a new 131,000-square-foot medical facility in the old Belk department store space at Brookwood Village.
The Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center’s proposed development plan received a 6-2 committee vote, although there was some opposition from the public.
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