A family altercation on Sunday led a brother to shoot his sibling in defense of their mother, according to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
The agency said that at about 9:36 a.m. the Prichard Police Department responded to 1022 Dade Street in reference to a shooting between family members.
After arriving, officers discovered one individual dead. The deceased was identified as Jymatric Pickens.
According to MCSO, after talking to witnesses, Pickens came to the home and began threatening his mother before assaulting her.
That is when Pickens’ younger brother came into the room and shot at Pickens.
Pickens was struck several times and died at the scene, MCSO said.
The agency also said detectives found that Pickens had a history of threatening his mother prior to the shooting.
“MCSO Detectives discovered during the investigation that Prichard Police had responded to 1022 Dade Street several times last year because of Jymatric threatening his mother,” the agency said.
No arrests were made following the shooting and all information has been turned over to the Mobile District Attorney’s Office, MCSO said.
Marilyn Yelder woke up this morning thinking about her twin brother, as she does most mornings.
But today is different.
It’s Marilyn’s 38th birthday. It would have been Marlin Yelder’s birthday too, but nearly one year ago he was found slain in an illegal dumping site in Birmingham.
“It still seems unreal,’’ Marilyn said. “On days like to today especially, I wake up hoping we can just press fast forward to the end but that’s really hard to do when you don’t have answers, especially a year later.”
“He was taken so callously for no reason,’’ she said. “It’s one of those day I wish we could just skip and go to the next day.”
Still, they usually touched base with each other every couple of weeks.
“We never would have expected anything like this,’’ she said. ‘
The twins were raised in the Ensley community, graduating from Ensley High School.
Marlin was affectionately known to his friends by the nickname Sleepy. He worked on cars and was a handyman throughout his community.
“He was well loved,’’ she said.
The final moments of her brother’s life haunt her. What happened? What was he feeling?
“The most hurtful part of the whole ordeal is whatever he did, no matter what he did, if he did anything, if you made the decision to kill him, why did you have to throw him away like trash,’’ she said. “That’s what I’ll never get over.”
“We came into this world together and I never expected for either of us to have to bury each other,’’ she said. “I wonder, ‘Did he suffer? Was he scared?’ I have a lot of questions.”
Marlin and Marilyn Yelder(Contributed)
To lose a sibling is hard. To lose a twin is harder, she said.
“We were adopted and with twins, it’s a real bond,’’ Marilyn said. “There’s an emptiness. There is definitely a feeling that a piece of me is missing.”
“When it comes to blood relations,” she said, “my brother was all I had.”
Marilyn said it’s hard to watch and read the news,
“One, you’re seeing the continued violence and two, you’re seeing other families get answers and you’re just stuck in limbo with your hands tied and there’s nothing you can really do,’’ she said.
Marilyn is frustrated with the lack of progress in the investigation.
“I know for a fact it can be solved,’’ she said. “The unfortunate part is if I could take matters into my hands, it would be done but I understand there is a process, and I think there is more that should be done.”
“I don’t think the information that I’ve sent in is being taken seriously,’’ she said. “Like I said, if I had the option to do this myself, it would be solved.”
A man was found dead Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in east Birmingham.(Carol Robinson)
Birmingham’s William Jelks Cabaniss, Jr., a former Alabama lawmaker and U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic, died yesterday at the age of 86.
“His life was based on love of family, community and country, and he lived it with honor and dignity every step of the way,” reads the obituary written by his family.
He was born in Birmingham in 1938 to William Jelks Cabaniss and Florence Pierson Sanson Cabaniss.
He joined the Alabama House of Representatives in 1978 after three years of active duty in Germany as an Airborne Ranger in the 60s and the founding of his metal machining company Precision Grinding, Inc.
He went on to serve in the state senate from 1982 to 1990 and helped build Republicans into the state’s majority party for the first time since Reconstruction.
“During his time in both houses, Cabaniss worked on pro-business legislation and introduced bills to strengthen the Alabama Ethics Commission by giving the commission subpoena power and its own investigative staff,” reads his entry in the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
“Although he was highly respected on both sides of the aisle and able to achieve many bipartisan votes on his bills, Cabaness’s efforts at reforming the commission only came to fruition after he left office.”
In 1990, he ran against U.S. Senator Howell Heflin, a Democrat. Though President George H.W. Bush campaigned for him, Cabaniss lost the election, capturing 39% of the vote to Heflin’s 61%.
In 2002, he helped newly-elected Gov. Bob Riley transition into office.
Cabaness was appointed Ambassador to the Czech Republic by President George W. Bush in 2003 and served until 2006.
“Cabaniss met regularly with officials of the American Chamber of Commerce in Prague to encourage trade between the United States and the Czech Republic,” according to his encyclopedia entry.
“Cabaniss also participated in a meeting at the Mercedes headquarters in Germany hosted by the Metropolitan Development Board of Jefferson County for Alabama business executives and members to recruit European automotive suppliers to Alabama.”
After his appointment expired, Cabaniss served on the board of directors for several Alabama businesses, including AmSouth Bank, Birmingham Steel Corporation, the Southern Company (parent company of Alabama Power), and Protective Life Company.
He was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2004 and the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Bill loved tennis, golf (especially with long-time friends) and supporting Catherine, a talented artist, in her artistic endeavors,” reads his obituary.
“.Bill has left behind a legacy of a life well lived. He gave back more than he was given and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.”
There will be a Graveside Service at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham at 2:00 pm Wednesday, February 5th, according to the family.
A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 pm that day at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church (3736 Montrose Road) followed by a Visitation and Celebration of Bill’s Life at the Mountain Brook Club (19 Beechwood Road).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests with appreciation that Memorials be made to: Big Oak Ranch in Springville, Saint Luke’s Foundation at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Birmingham, or to the charity of your choice.
The first month of January saw a flurry of business activity in the Birmingham metro area, with 17 businesses announcing openings and moves, as well as one closing. But even that shuttered restaurant is planning to reopen later this year.
Here’s a roundup of those developments, which starts off with an update on an expected large mixed-use development in Shelby County.
District 31 will be located at the northwest quadrant of U.S. 31 and Interstate 65, bringing approximately 600,000 square feet of new retail, restaurant, and hotel space.City of Alabaster
Construction began last summer on The Shoppes at District 31, an 80-acre project which will bring roughly 600,000 square feet of new retail, restaurant, and hotel space to Alabaster, as well as hundreds of jobs.
Hobby Lobby and Shoe Station have signed lease agreements for the project, as well as Cava, Chipotle, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Aspen Dental. More announcements are expected in coming weeks.
Birmingham independent record store Seasick Records is moving to Lakeview. (Courtesy: Seasick Records)
Lakeview Marina’s first tenants are expected to open by the end of February in the former automobile district of Birmingham’s Lakeview.
A renovated 20,000-square-foot former warehouse and showroom at 514 32nd St. S. will be home to Seasick Records, Birmingham Classic Cuts Barbershop and Cook Family & Cosmetic Dentistry.
About 13,000 square feet is available for lease, which can be divided between two to five tenants.
Cajun Steamer is planning to open a new location later this year.
A sign at the former location reads that it was a “bittersweet decision.”
“This isn’t goodbye – it’s ‘see you soon’ as we plan to bring the flavor, fun and hospitality you love to a new and improved location in the Birmingham area,” the sign states.
The Summit is one of Birmingham’s most visited shopping centers.bn
Abercrombie & Fitch, Alo, and Boll & Branch will be opening their first Alabama locations, while Ann Taylor will be relocating for an updated shopping experience.
In addition, lululemon and Kendra Scott will be adding space for merchandise.
Joy East Buffet is coming to Trussville Pinnacle.
Joy East Buffet will occupy the 6,397-square-foot building formerly occupied by Red Robin, across from At Home at Trussville’s The Pinnacle.
There is no announcement yet on when the restaurant will open.
Joy East Buffet is a Chinese buffet restaurant offering Asian-inspired dishes, including sushi, hibachi, General Tso’s chicken, egg rolls, dumplings, soups and more.
The Painted Lady, a new boutique hotel for Birmingham, is now taking reservations.The Painted Lady
Owned by Oxford-based Addicus Advisors and operated by Lark Hotels, the lodging house features 22 rooms and suites and restored interiors. It’s being marketed as a perfect destination for traveling professionals or couples looking for a getaway.
Onelife Fitness McCalla at Tannehill Promenade will be the first of at least 6 clubs in the Birmingham market, and Onelife’s first club in Alabama.Onelife Fitness
A rapidly expanding national fitness brand is planning at least six health clubs for the Birmingham area, with the first one to open later this year in McCalla.
Onelife Fitness says the $10 million Onelife Fitness McCalla at Tannehill Promenade is scheduled to open in December and hire more than 100 people. It will be Onelife’s first club in Alabama.
Raising Cane’s, the popular Louisiana-based chicken franchise, is looking to build a location in Birmingham.Raising Cane’s
“Raising Cane’s is excited to continue our expansion in Alabama and we are actively exploring opportunities to bring our signature ‘ONE LOVE’ to Birmingham in the near future,” the spokesperson said.
Raising Cane’s opened 118 restaurants in 2024 and has more than 800 around the country. There are locations in Tuscaloosa and Mobile.
Cattywampus, a new bar, is opening in downtown Columbiana.Cattywampus
The bar plans a low-key 3 p.m. Tuesday opening. Steven and Rebecca Clark are the owners, while the bar will be managed by John Bernard.
The establishment is aiming for a “chill vibe,” with seating on couches and LED lights providing a muted ambiance against the exposed brick walls. Tasteful but funny artwork highlights a quiet, comforting atmosphere.
Wooden City Birmingham plans to open on Morris Avenue in the next few weeks.Wooden City Birmingham
Wooden City Birmingham, at 2335 Morris Avenue, is expected to open within the next few weeks, according to co-owner Abe Fox.
Along with business partners Eddie Gulberg and Jon Green, Fox said they see this restaurant as fitting right into Birmingham’s vibrant food scene.
In addition to cocktails and wine, the Wooden City menu features appetizers, wood fire pizza, sandwiches and sides, as well as house favorites like the Spicy Lamb Rigatoni, Country Style Pork Chops, Beet Ravioli, Chicken Schnitzel, Braised Brisket and the Wooden City Surf and Turf.
The popular Birmingham restaurant, a long-time fixture on Second Avenue North, will began operating at its new location on 2024 Fourth Ave. N. on Monday, Jan. 6.
Signs at the Southeastern Salvage store in Irondale reveal the plan to move in early 2025. (Photo by Greg Garrison/AL.com)[email protected]
has purchased the former Golden Flake potato chip factory in Birmingham and plans to move there in the spring leaving behind its storefront in Irondale.
The former Golden Flake factory promises a much bigger showroom for Southeastern Salvage’s cornucopia of imported pottery, garden decor, rugs, furniture and assortment of home improvement items. The former Golden Flake factory is in an industrial area in Titusville just west of Interstate 65 downtown.
Trump, on the first day of his new term, pardoned and commuted sentences for people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, including those charged with assaults that left more than 100 police officers injured.
But there was no pardon for former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who served six-and-a-half years in prison on a federal bribery charge and has claimed innocence since the 2006 conviction.
Biden denied a request to pardon Siegelman, Alabama’s last Democratic governor, on Jan. 20, his last day in office.
John J. Farmer Jr., a former New Jersey attorney general and a law professor at Rutgers University, wrote in an op-ed in The Hill that the Biden’s denial of Siegelman’s pardon while granting pardons to relatives and allies, along with Trump’s clemency for the violent rioters, showed a disregard for the law and equal justice by both presidents.
“Biden’s denial of mercy to Siegelman, considered in light of the pardons he did grant from sheer nepotism and perhaps fear of legal harm to himself, lays bare his affront to the rule of law and the lasting stain on his presidency,” Farmer wrote.
“Trump’s blanket clemency for violent rioters who tried to disrupt the orderly transition of power — a literal assault on our democracy — broadens the context still further. To allow Siegelman’s conviction to remain unaddressed in light of those pardons would be to mock any notion of equal justice under law.”
Siegelman deferred questions about the denial of the pardon to Farmer. Siegelman said Farmer’s op-ed was unsolicited.
In 2006, a federal jury convicted Siegelman of bribery for appointing HealthSouth Founder Richard Scrushy to a a state hospital regulatory board in exchange for $500,000 in donations to a campaign to establish an education lottery.
Siegelman had personally guaranteed the lottery campaign’s debt.
Alabama now officially has a Department of Workforce.
Late Friday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced the state’s Department of Labor would officially change its name and focus on Feb. 1, with former State Sen. Greg Reed as the state’s first secretary of workforce.
The full transition for the department will take place later this summer, according to an announcement from Ivey.
Marty Redden, who has been serving as labor secretary, is retiring. Reed was picked last year to oversee the department’s transition, which was created by the passage of last year’s Alabama Workforce Transformation Act. The switch to Workforce had a deadline of Oct. 1.
The change came as the state is marshaling efforts to increase Alabama’s workforce participation rate, 57.6%, lower than the national rate at 62.5% and among the lowest in the nation. The rate is the percentage of people in the working-age population who are employed or seeking jobs.
The department will also oversee other duties traditionally associated with the Department of Labor, such as workplace safety and child labor enforcement, unemployment and workers’ compensation, labor market information and inspections.
“Increasing Alabama’s labor force participation rate is the current focus of our workforce development efforts,” Ivey said. “We are attracting significant business investments and new jobs, and we are helping our existing companies grow, and it is imperative we prepare our workforce.”
In an interview with AL.com last month, Reed said he sees two main issues contributing to the low participation numbers. One is a lack of training for new business sectors in the tech industries. The other is the need for more emphasis on job training and counseling in the early grades of high school to put students on sustainable career paths.
Reed said he is “immensely honored” to be the first to lead the department.
“It is my commitment that this new agency will do all that it can to ensure Alabama workers are the best trained and most highly skilled in America,” Reed said. “It will be my focus to champion Gov. Ivey’s goals by collaborating with the business community, the education community, the manufacturing and industrial community, the Alabama Legislature and our federal delegation to coordinate our efforts and achieve best outcomes for the people of Alabama. I could not be more excited about this new and important initiative.”
During his tenure in the Alabama Senate, Reed sponsored numerous pieces of legislation with a focus on workforce transformation and economic development.
Spring Garden girls head basketball coach Ricky Austin earned career win No. 1,000 in a mind-blowing, dominating fashion as the Panthers dominated Gaylesville 70-2 at home on Saturday in a Class 1A, Area 12 Tournament opening game.
Spring Garden led 65-0 headed into the final period.
An Alabama state prison inmate died Sunday, several weeks after he was hospitalized with significant health issues.
Joseph Curtis Allen, a 50-year-old William Donaldson Correctional Facility inmate, was taken to UAB Hospital on Jan. 8 to be treated for multiple heath issues, said Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates.
Allen died Sunday at UAB Hospital. Yates said there was no evidence of trauma or foul play in his death.
Allen was serving a life sentence for a 1997 first-degree robbery conviction out of Montgomery County.
Dear Annie: I know from personal experience the pain of being separated from a grandchild, especially an only grandchild. It’s a unique kind of heartbreak.
I’ve been fortunate to have a great-niece to love and dote on occasionally. Without her, I’d feel a deep void. For those in similar situations, I strongly suggest finding other little ones to care for and love.
Over the years, I’ve come across wonderful opportunities for volunteers who help children, such as programs where people can rock babies in hospital settings. A quick Google search for “volunteer baby cuddler” led me to several hospital systems in my area with programs to cuddle and comfort babies in need.
Other organizations, like baby pantries or pregnancy crisis centers, also offer chances to assist families with children. Even volunteering at a church nursery could be an option, provided someone is already established in that community.
These avenues can be incredibly fulfilling and help fill the gap in a meaningful way. I hope this advice can inspire others who are struggling with the loss of connection to their grandchildren. — Melancholy
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].
