Alabama News

Arkansas couple Jodi and Andrew Jobe were expecting a warm welcome on their recent trip to Orange Beach, but got one hello they didn’t expect.

On Thursday, Jodi captured a video of what appears to be a shark just off the beach’s shore.

“HERE’S THE CULPRIT that sent Orange Beach goers scrambling for the shore this afternoon,” wrote Arkansas reporter Doug Warner in a post to Facebook.

“Follower Jodi Jobe of Hot Springs, AR was just down the beach from us. Her husband Andrew also grabbed his drone to capture the shot from the air. Thank you to the Jobes! Great shots…and no one was hurt.”

Several commentors seemed to think people were taking the sighting a little too seriously.

“People panicking cause there is a shark in the water…news flash, they have been there the whole time, you just didn’t know cause you couldn’t see them,” one woman wrote.

“News Flash! Sharks live in the Gulf! Always have, always will,” said another.

“Shark Test: Taste the water, if it tastes salty, there’s sharks.”

And one woman said she was jealous of the Jobes.

“And the whole time I was down there I was praying to see a shark and now I’m gone he comes!”

Hundreds of boxes of blueberries are being recalled due to possible listeria contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Georgia-based Alma Pak International LLC , has issued a voluntary recall on 400 boxes of its organic blueberries.

Listeria was found on one of the company’s products during routine testing.

The FDA has classified the recall as the highest risk, a Class I, meaning “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The products were shipped to North Carolina. The blueberries have the lot number 13325 G1060 and 13325 G1096.

The City of Tuscaloosa plans to sue the state over the way it collects taxes from Internet sales.

It’s the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute involving Mayor Walt Maddox, as well as other mayors in Alabama, who say that the state’s formula is taking potential revenue from cities and unfairly distributing it to municipalities around the state.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted to authorize filing legal action against the Alabama Department of Revenue, Revenue Commissioner, and any other state party over the issue.

Maddox says the formula is costing Tuscaloosa as much as $12 million a year, and threatens to take more as online sales grow in popularity, especially among Tuscaloosa’s student population.

The suit is prompted by what officials say is a “loophole” in the state’s current online sales tax structure, known as the Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT).

The SSUT was hailed upon adoption as a way to glean tax revenue from the growing e-commerce sector. In Alabama, online sales accounted for 16% of all retail sales last year, up from 8% in 2016.

According to the Alabama Department of Revenue in 2024, the SSUT generated $851.2 million, up 34% in two years and more than 1,500% since the first year.

Under the 9-year-old SSUT, half of the revenue from the 8% goes to the state and the other half to cities and counties.

Under the tax, the state share is split with 75% to the General Fund and 25% to the Educational Trust Fund (ETF). The half that goes to the cities and counties – a focus of disputes over the years – is doled out based on population with 40% to counties and 60% to cities.

But Tuscaloosa is arguing that more tax money should be flowing locally.

For example, delivery services, like Doordash, are subject to the SSUT’s lower 8% sales tax rate. Yet they have a physical presence in cities, critics argue, that should require them to pay the same sales taxes as brick-and-mortar businesses.

According to The Tuscaloosa Thread, city officials estimate they will lose $14.6 million in sales tax revenue this fiscal year because of the SSUT structure.

An $85 million plan to repair a century-old dam in Shelby County will be shelved as leaders of Birmingham’s regional water works board consider cost-saving options for the project.

The board will delay much of the massive project as it ranks current needs and evaluates ways to pay for it all.

While much of the plan to repair Lake Purdy Dam will be shelved, engineers urged the board to take immediate action to fortify the structure and prevent potential disaster that would impact thousands of homes.

“Failure of this dam results in possible loss of life,” engineer Patrick Flannelly, a senior vice president at ARCADIS North America, told board members during a work session Wednesday evening. “This dam is not safe enough.”

The former Birmingham Water Works Board in 2024 approved a $78.7 million contract to Thalle Construction Company and $6.8 million in management fees for Arcadis, Schnabel and A.G. Gaston Construction.

Much of that project was to be financed through bond proceeds along with a $171 million loan program through the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan.

But current leaders of the newly configured regional water board plan to halt new bond financing that would pay for capital projects.

Some board members also question the structure and terms of the federal loan.

General Manager Mac Underwood, who was not in charge when the federal loan was obtained, said he would seek new terms to lower interest on the debt and return with an update next week.

Some board members also complained that the general contractor was the only company to submit a bid for the project.

In the meantime, the board next week will vote on an alternative plan for Lake Purdy that would address immediate needs.

“We are where we are,” said water board member Phillip Wiedmeyer, a former engineer with Alabama Power Company, who briefed the board. “We need to make a decision on which route we want to go.”

Both Wiedmeyer and acting water works chairman Tommy Hudson recently brought up issues related to the dam.

“The primary drive for this project was a new flood study that was done,” Wiedmeyer said. “The other project that has been noted is seepage from the dam. All dams leak, but you have to monitor that.”

Flannelly agreed that portions of the four-year project could be delayed or modified but stressed the need to reinforce the structure now.

“The dam is not physically strong enough,” Flannelly said. “The do-nothing option still is not an option.”

As an alternative, Wiedmeyer discussed building a “clay blanket” at the base of the dam to address leaking.

“It needs to be addressed, no doubt,” Wiedmeyer said. “We need an ongoing program for inspection of all of our dams.”

Arcadis also advised continuing concrete work to strengthen the dam. That work could be completed by February at a cost of about $28 million.

Water works leaders have long discussed the need for repairs at Lake Purdy Dam.

For example, the dam leaked about 1.5 million gallons per day in 1980, according to old water works board meeting minutes. That leak rapidly accelerated between 2018 and 2019, reaching about 7.6 million gallons a day, water works records show.

A failure at the dam would shut down water for the south end of the water works system, engineers told the board in 2019.

Former board chairwoman Tereshia Huffman and then vice chairman Butch Burbage warned that projects such as the dam repair would be impacted if legislation passed to reconfigure the utility’s leadership. Most of the former board fought the legislation that ushered them out of power.

“Under SB 330, these critically important infrastructure projects, along with dozens of others this leadership team has initiated — including the much-needed rehabilitation of the Lake Purdy Dam, one of the key water sources of the Birmingham Water Works — would be impacted and delayed, meaning higher costs could be passed on to the customer,” they wrote in an AL.com editorial in April.

The new board members have since halted bond transactions. They have also asked for an analysis of how the price of the dam project would impact ratepayers.

A House Republican complained about Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ marathon speech railing against the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” likening the Black congressman’s oratory style to “rapping.”

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., mimicked Jeffries’ delivery while criticizing the Black New York congressman’s speaking style.

“Well, when I listen to Hakeem Jeffries, it drives me bananas. Just talk, man,” Ogles told conservative influencer Benny Johnson’s podcast Thursday.

“I know he can talk, I heard it on the House floor. With this whole face thing that he does and his hands … alright, are you doing sign language? Or are you rapping? Or are you trying to talk to us? Like, pick a lane and just do it, right?” Ogles told Johnson.

Jeffries was elected House minority leader by Democrats earlier this year. He became the first Black lawmaker to lead either chamber of Congress.

The New York Democrat has been speaking in opposition to the bill for seven hours and counting.

The Democrats lack the votes in Congress to stop Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” So Jeffries’ speech is really about framing it — today and for the 2026 midterm elections — as “an all-out assault on the American people,” according to the Associated Press.

“This is personal to us,” Jeffries said as he notes the Republican measure’s impact on Americans including veterans, the working class, small-business owners, employees trying to unionize, federal workers, Medicaid beneficiaries and customers in Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges.

The shortest offseason in sports belongs to the NBA, as things move very quickly following the end of the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals last weekend, with the draft taking place just three days later.

Another major milestone of the NBA offseason will be this weekend, as the Summer League will take place. A showcase for younger players to earn a place on the regular season roster, the Summer League is essential for any major NBA fan.

The San Antonio Spurs will take on the Golden State Warriors to wrap up the California Classic this weekend. The Spurs will have No.2 overall pick Dylan Harper on display for everyone to see.

For the Warriors, rookies Alex Toohey and Will Richard will look to make their mark in Summer League this year.

Fans looking to watch the Spurs vs Warriors game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Spurs and Warriors tipoff this weekend:

When: Sunday, July 6, 2025

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Fans looking to watch the Spurs vs Warriors game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

President Donald Trump wooed Republican holdouts on his “Big Beautiful Bill” through flattery and signing merchandise.

“A conga line of angsty Republican lawmakers filed through the West Wing on Wednesday, hemming and hawing about the big domestic policy bill that President Trump wants them to pass by Friday,” The New York Times reported.

“They walked out with signed merchandise, photos in the Oval Office and, by some accounts, a newfound appreciation for the bill — targets all of a blunt-force charm offensive waged with precision by the president.”

After passing the Senate on Wednesday, the massive budget bill faces resistance in the House among moderate Republicans and some members of the Freedom Caucus, who campaigned on reining in government spending.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., was among those on the fence on the bill.

On Wednesday, the GOP lawmaker gave his followers on X a peek on the president’s successful attempt at persuasion.

“The president was wonderful, as always. Informative, funny. He told me he likes seeing me on TV, which is kinda cool,” Burchett said in a video posted to his X account.

“The president answered all our questions, was very informative. It was a very good day,” Burchett continued. “We’ll hopefully get this worked out and do some great things for this country.”

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who was also in a meeting with Trump attended by Burchett and other House Freedom Caucus holdouts, then got into the frame of Burchett’s video.

“Show them what he signed for you,” Donalds told Burchett.

“Yeah, he signed a bunch of stuff,” the Tennessee lawmaker said. “It’s cool.”

Burchett did not hold up any of the merch.

“Mr. Burchett told The New York Times later on that his name had been misspelled on the placard placed in front of his chair for the Cabinet Room meeting (it was missing an “r”) so the president scribbled in the letter, signed both sides of the card and gave it to him as a souvenir,” the Times reported.

The Tennessee lawmaker told the paper that Trump “loaded up” souvenirs for a son of another House Republican holdout, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas.

The House now appears to have enough votes to get the “Big Beautiful Bill” through Congress.

After staying up all night to persuade skeptical holdouts, House Republicans were ready to vote on President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill early Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

But as final debates began in the predawn hours, Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries took to the floor and has held it for over six hours, holding up the legislation and speaking out against the bill and the GOP’s deference to Trump.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

A 63-year-old man has been indicted in the 2017 stabbing death of his girlfriend in Birmingham’s Druid Hills.

A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Timothy Eric Stone on charges of murder in the death of 57-year-old Vergil Angela “Jill” Cook, a beloved mother and grandmother, according to court records made public Thursday.

Stone was initially arrested for the crimes last year, seven years after Cook was killed. Police at that time said a witness reached out to Birmingham police, saying he could no longer keep the information to himself.

The grand jury also indicted Stone on unrelated charges of kidnapping and robbery involving a separate victim that happened in June 2024.

Stone has been held in the Jefferson County Jail since his July 2024 arrest.

Cook’s body was found about 11 p.m. Friday, July 21, 2017, in the 1300 block of 21st Street North. Police said she had been stabbed, and it appeared that she had been dead for several days.

Family members made the discovery after not being able to reach Cook.

YiKoia Cook previously told AL.com she called her mom on Wednesday, July 19, and she never called back. She was concerned, so she called her grandmother, who also called Cook and got no answer.

“I got a call Friday night around 11 p.m. … They got the police to come, but you know, police are not allowed to kick in the door with no answer,” YiKoia Cook said. “I immediately got on the freeway and drove straight to my mom’s house and kicked in the door myself.”

There, she discovered her mother’s body. Initially police said it appeared that the death was a result of natural causes, but investigators later determined she had been stabbed.

Stone had been a suspect from the start, police said, but there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Homicide Det. Jonathan Ross said the witness reached out to him last year and provided enough information to obtain the warrants.

Cook was a 1978 graduate of A.H. Parker High School. She attended the Birmingham Paramedic School and later the University of Alabama School of Nursing, according to her obituary.

At the time of her death, she worked as a cashier at Birmingham Southern College.

“Jill was a vibrant young woman, full of life,” her obituary read. “When she entered the room it was like bright lights.”

One of Cook’s children, Don Johnson, previously told AL.com that Cook loved to decorate, blog and read books. She loved her dog and her grandchildren.

“She was very outgoing, very humble, very down-to-earth,” Johnson said in 2017. “Whether you’re white, black; no matter your religion or political views, she was just a welcoming person.”

Just two years before her slaying, Cook’s brother, Otis Tyrone Cook, had been murdered in front of her. He was 62 at the time, and police said he was shot by his neighbor during a dispute over his niece playing in that neighbor’s yard.

A trial date for Stone has not yet been set.