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‘Diamond in the rough?’ 3-time champion UMS-Wright golfer Frances Brown headed to Auburn

UMS-Wright senior Frances Brown has signed to play golf at Auburn University. But before beginning her college career, she has a chance to accomplish something no state golfer has ever achieved.

As a freshman, Brown won the individual state championship while leading UMS to its first Class 6A state title. She followed that up with Class 7A individual championships as a sophomore and junior.

No female golfer has ever won four individual state titles, but Brown is a favorite to do just that as a senior.

Signing with Auburn is the culmination of a lifetime goal for the 17-year-old golfer.

“Auburn is such a prestigious program, and I’m so happy for the opportunity the coaches gave me,” said Brown, who also finished second in the state as an eighth grader. “Considering (Auburn coaches Melissa Luellen and Kim Hall) played on the LPGA Tour, they just know so much about the game. I can’t wait to grow my game up there. My whole family are Alabama fans, but they said they’re going to switch over and be Auburn fans, so we will see how that goes.”

UMS-Wright coach Jay Koziol said he is proud to be part of Brown’s journey, which includes a score of 10-under par in last year’s state tournament.

“We only played 27 holes, and she made 10 birdies and no bogies,” Koziol said. “She won by nine strokes. Her last three rounds at the state tournament, where the pressure is supposed to be high, she’s 20-under par. You talk about performing when it matters, she’s done that consistently throughout her career.”

Brown grew up in a house on the 12th hole at the Country Club of Mobile. That’s where director of instruction Rea Schuessler first encountered the eighth grader.

“I could tell right away she was a very hard worker,” Schuessler said. “She was never trying to find the magic potion, because there’s not any. Plus, she loves the game and has a desire to get better every day.”

Schuessler remembers Brown going to her first major tournament outside the region. She fell ill while in California but managed to fight through it.

“She got off to a terrible start in her round and was something like 7-over through four holes. But she ended up shooting 73-74,” Schuessler said. “That told me what kind of grit she has. That’s a special talent in junior golf, because usually when it starts off that poorly it doesn’t come back. That really told me a lot.”

Schussler said her potential is limitless.

“I took her up to Auburn six weeks ago and the coaches said, ‘I think we’ve got a diamond in the rough.’”

Brown was one of six athletes to be honored during Signing Day on Wednesday at UMS-Wright. The others were golfer Thomas Crane to Troy, volleyball player Hope Blalock to the University of Mobile, track and field star Madeline McMurphy to Washington and Lee, baseball player Andy Purvis to Coastal Alabama North and baseball player John Ramsay to Huntingdon College.

Crane helped lead UMS to state golf championships in 2022 (Class 5A) and 2023 (Class 6A). He was low medalist on the team the last two years and won the individual state championship as a sophomore.

Blaylock wrapped up her high school career by leading UMS-Wright to its first Class 5A state volleyball championship. The sister of South Alabama football player Cole Blalock successfully moved to libero to outside hitter and had 109 kills.

McMurphy was barely old enough to walk when she first saw the UMS pole vaulter practicing and decided she wanted to do that. She has already been all-state twice during the indoor season and once outdoors. She is currently second in school history in the pole vault.

Purvis has been the Bulldogs’ closer for the last three seasons but will be a starting pitcher as a senior. He has five wins and 10 saves as a starter the last three years.

Ramsay, like Purvis, helped UMS to the state finals in 2023. The infielder has a career batting average of .338 and fielding percentage of .948.

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Family of beloved Selma church musician shot outside Walmart hopes his death sparks change

A beloved church musician killed when he was caught in the crossfire of a gunbattle in the parking lot of an Alabama Walmart is being remembered as someone who was “loved fiercely” and as one of God’s best musicians.

Marcus Martin, 40, died Friday night from a gunshot wound to the head outside Walmart at Selma Mall. His mother was in the vehicle with him, but was not injured.

Three suspects – including two juveniles – are in custody. A fourth remains sought.

Martin worked as a musician for churches throughout Selma, and also in Detroit.

He was known as a jokester, and “crazy talented.”

“Marcus loved God, and he loved people,’’ said Maleeka Holloway, a close friend of the Martin family. “He was the light of every room he walked into.”

“He used his gift of music to celebrate others and to bring family, friends and the community together,’’ Holloway said.

“While we are heartbroken that he was taken away from us so soon, we do not mourn as those who have no hope,’’ Holloway said. “We are prayerful his death will bring about change in this community.”

The two juvenile suspects were taken into custody not long after the deadly shooting.

The third suspect, 20-year-old Willie James Hunter Jr., was taken into custody Tuesday in Selma, said Police Chief Kenta Fulford.

A fourth suspect, 19-year-old Roderick Benard Hunter, remains at large. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Court documents made public Wednesday release new details about the deadly shooting.

The investigation began about 9 p.m. Friday when a male called Selma police dispatchers and said he was being shot at, but did not want to speak with police. He told dispatchers the suspects possibly ran toward Selma Mall.

Officers arrived in the area of Walmart, and it was then dispatchers told them someone had been shot.

Martin was found inside a Ford F-150 with a gunshot wound to the left side of his head. Medics pronounced him dead on the scene.

Martin’s mother told police there were people shooting in the parking lot.

Walmart’s surveillance video footage showed an altercation that took place inside the store, with several men running out of the grocery entrance.

The men engaged in a shootout from park lot rows three to seven.

Martin was parked on Row 6 in the driver’s seat of his pickup truck.

Investigators were able to identify one of the males in the video, who is a juvenile.

His parents took him to the Selma Police Department where police said he admitted to engaging in a shootout with another juvenile against Willie James Hurnter Jr. and Tashun Hunter.

The teens, ages 16 and 17, both admitted to being involved in the shootout. Documents state they were firing a Glock and pistol rifle.

Martin’s death is mourned by many throughout the close-knit Selma community who are calling for a stop to the violence.

A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

“Acts of violence like this have no place in our society,’’ said Dallas County District Attorney Robert Turner, Jr. in a Facebook post, “and we will not rest until justice is achieved for the victims and their loved ones.”

“We also call on the community to stand together in the face of this tragedy,’’ Turner said. “Now is the time for unity, resilience, and collective action to create a safer environment for all. We encourage anyone with information related to this case to come forward and assist law enforcement in their efforts.”

“These are very difficult times for everyone,’’ Mayor James Perkins said. “The anxiety level of people across this nation is higher than ever before. It is important that each of us decompress our feelings and better control our emotions. I continue in constant prayer for our nation, and I encourage all to do likewise.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Selma police at 334-874-2137 or 911.

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Opener against SEC foe, new Legacy Series announced as part of Alabama A&M football schedule

Some new opponents and neutral-site games highlight Alabama A&M’s 2025 football schedule under first-year coach Sam Shade.

The Bulldogs’ 2025 schedule was announced on Tuesday, with Alabama A&M set to open the season at Arkansas on Aug. 30. This will be the first meeting between the two programs and the third straight season the Bulldogs open with an SEC foe.

Alabama A&M will open at home on Sept. 6 against Alcorn State for the Louis Crews Classic.

Along with the announcement, a four-year Legacy Series against Tennessee State was revealed to span over four seasons.

Alabama A&M will begin the series in Nashville, Tenn. at Nissan Stadium this season on Sept. 13.

Games are tentatively scheduled to be played in Huntsville on Sept. 12, 2026, and Sept. 16, 2028, with Alabama A&M to also play in Nashville on Sept. 11, 2027.

Alabama A&M will host Division II Lane College on Sept. 21 before opening SWAC play at Bethune-Cookman the following week.

Among the Bulldogs’ SWAC matchups are a game against Jackson State in the Gulf Coast Challenge in Mobile and the annual Magic City Classic against Alabama State at Birmingham’s Legion Field.

Here’s the full schedule; kickoff times and broadcast information will be released later, and home games are capitalized.

ALABAMA A&M 2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Saturday, Aug. 30: at Arkansas

Saturday, Sept. 6: ALCORN STATE (Louis Crews Classic)

Saturday, Sept. 13: at Tennessee State (Legacy Series)

Saturday, Sept. 20: LANE COLLEGE

Saturday, Sept. 27: at Bethune-Cookman*

Saturday, Oct. 4: vs. Jackson State in Mobile (Gulf Coast Challenge)*

Saturday, Oct. 11: MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE *

Saturday, Oct. 25: vs. Alabama A&M in Birmingham (Magic City Classic)*

Saturday, Nov. 1: at Grambling State*

Saturday, Nov. 8: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M*

Saturday, Nov. 15: FLORIDA A&M*

Saturday, Nov. 22: at Texas Southern*

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Alabama Rep. calls for Rosa Parks holiday to counter Trump’s ‘attack’ on Black history

Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell has introduced legislation to create a federal holiday honoring civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.

Sewell wants Dec. 1 to become “Rosa Parks Day” to commemorate her 1955 arrest for violating Montgomery’s segregation laws on buses.

Sewell, who has previously introduced the legislation, today described her proposed holiday as a counter measure to what she called an attack on diversity and Black history by President Donald Trump’s administration.

“This bill is especially important given the attacks by the Trump administration on our history, the history of African Americans,” she said. “Sadly, we know that efforts are afoot to erase our history and roll back the progress that so many of our ancestors fought and died for.”

Trump, days into his new presidency moved quickly on a pledge to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Conservative critics of the programs malign them as ‘woke’ and discriminatory policies.

“Federal hiring, promotions, and performance reviews will reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and not, under any circumstances, DEI-related factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements,” a White House statement reads.

Sewell elaborated on her plan this morning during a briefing where she was joined by Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, along with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Sewell and Figures are the only two Democrats from Alabama’s congressional delegation and are also the only two Black House members from the state.

Parks’ activism was a seminal moment during the civil rights era and sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the national debut of Martin Luther King. Sewell presented the bill Tuesday on what would have been Park’s 112 birthday.

“By simply refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus, she stood up for the values that this nation holds dear,” Sewell said this morning. “Her quiet, distinguished courage set the stage for the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott and galvanized a movement that changed the very fabric of our nation.”

Sewell used her briefing to assail the “terrible news” of Trump’s purging of DEI initiatives and firing of federal employees along with changing websites that detailed diversity and inclusion efforts.

“And the list goes on and on,” she said. “Just last month we learned that the history of the Tuskegee Airmen from my home state of Alabama had been removed from the Air Force curriculum before being restored after public backlash.”

The removal of the videos featuring the Tuskegee Airmen was quickly reversed after bipartisan calls, including from Alabama Sen. Katie Britt.

“Their attack is an attack on all of us and the values that make this nation great,” Sewell said.

Sewell said her bill already has 57 co-sponsors in the House.

Parks was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and was the first woman to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol rotunda when she died in 2005. Some states already observe Rosa Parks Day as official state holidays.

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Birmingham-based active wear brand names new CEO

Birmingham-based sports retailer Hibbett has chosen a new CEO.

According to SGB Media, Jared Briskin, the former COO, succeeds Mike Longo, who had headed the company since December 2019.

Attempts to contact Hibbett for comment were not immediately successful.

Briskin had previously served in various roles and was the company’s executive vice president of merchandising last year when Hibbett was acquired by U.K.-based JD Sports in a deal totaling $1.08 billion.

JD Sports, with more than 4,500 stores globally, said underlying revenue fell 1.5% in November and December in what it called a “challenging and volatile market,” according to Reuters.

Briskin began his career with Hibbett as its college apparel buyer in 1998, and served in several capacities overseeing apparel, accessories, footwear, equipment and merchandising.

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Philadelphia Eagles’ Reed Blankenship hauls hay all the way to Super Bowl LIX

The starters for Philadelphia’s defense in the Eagles’ 55-23 victory over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 26 included four first-round, two second-round, two third-round and two fourth-round draft picks and one undrafted player.

Safety Reed Blankenship had become the career leader in tackles at Middle Tennessee, but he did not get chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft. This week, he’s preparing for his second appearance in the Super Bowl.

“To come this far, especially as an undrafted guy, having a chip on your shoulder,” Blankenship said on Tuesday. “Shout-out to all undrafted guys to never stop working. And shout-out to all the coaches that believed in me, too. I couldn’t have got here by myself.”

Blankenship said he had plenty of role models of the never-stop-working creed while growing up in the small Alabama town of Anderson.

“Let me tell you, all those blue-collar people work hard every day,” Blankenship said. “My dad, my mom, everybody in my family included, got up, went to work, didn’t complain and instilled in me my work ethic today. And shout-out to all the people that allowed me to work on their farms. Long, hot summer days after workouts, hauling hay and doing all that, you know, it builds character.”

At West Limestone High School, Blankenship earned All-State recognition in his final two seasons and won the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A Back of the Year Award in 2016. Blankenship completed his prep career with 3,192 rushing yards, 1,056 passing yards, 1,004 receiving yards, 46 touchdowns, 295 tackles and 10 interceptions. He also played on the Wildcats’ AHSAA Class 4A boys’ basketball championship team as a sophomore.

“I think when I was a sophomore or junior in high school, after workouts we’d go and haul hay,” Blankenship said. “Five of us — and dog-tired — throughout the whole day, and it’s just fun being around guys like that. We were having fun with it, even though it’s hot, 90-something degrees outside, we’re still having fun. You know, you’re with your boys.”

As a rookie, Blankenship played in 10 games with four starts during the regular season. He had 291 defensive snaps and 90 special-teams plays in those games, then started one playoff contest and was on the field for one defensive snap and 24 special-teams plays in Philadelphia’s 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, 2023.

The Eagles are playing Kansas City again in Super Bowl LIX at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. FOX will televise the game.

“It’s a dream come true,” Blankenship said. “I mean, it’s very rare to come this far, especially my second time in three years. I’m living out my childhood dream.

“Every time I play football, I smile. My inner child comes out. I’m like, ‘Let’s have fun.’ Nothing changes, even though it’s one of the biggest stages in the world. It’s still a hundred-yard field; it’s still the same football I’ve been playing with.”

In 2023, Blankenship became a starter in the Philadelphia secondary. He led the Eagles with 113 tackles, 79 solo tackles and three interceptions in 2023 even though he dealt with a groin injury late in the season that caused him to miss the Philadelphia’s 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC playoffs.

When Blankenship joined the Eagles in 2022 as an undrafted rookie, he signed a three-year contract for $2.565 million that included $55,000 in guaranteed money.

In April, Philadelphia signed Blankenship to a one-year contract extension for $3.575 million that included a $1.85 million signing bonus. Blankenship said he purchased “my dream truck” – a GMC AT4X – and got to work for the 2024 season.

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The Eagles stumbled some at the start of the season, reaching their Week 5 bye with a 2-2 record. Philadelphia has lost once in the 16 games since – a 36-33 setback on Dec. 22 when the Washington Commanders scored a touchdown with six seconds remaining.

After recording 78 tackles and four interceptions in the 2024 regular season, Blankenship had 24 tackles and one fumble recovery in the NFC playoffs. His 17 solo tackles are tied for the most in this postseason.

“We knew it was going to be a grind regardless of who you have on the roster,” Blankenship said. “We just got to click. I mean, it doesn’t matter if you have all the superstars in the world, they got to click. So I feel like that’s what we did the most. Like, we built this family, this brotherhood, starting OTAs and we just ran with it. (Coach Nick) Siriani has done a great job. He implemented that. We did the leadership council. He put a couple of new guys in there, and me being a part of it, it kind of opened my eyes, like, ‘OK, this team kind of trusts me to lead in a different way.’ Not a vocal way, but a different way. But like I said, it starts with Sirianni and what he’s what he’s built this program by.

“After the bye week, because, obviously, you’re 2-2, early bye, everybody is criticizing you the most. And you can either go down in the dumps big-time and never come back out, or you can say it’s us against the world. We’re going to lean on each other, everybody’s shoulder, and just go with it. And I feel like we did that. And, obviously, we got on a really good run. And now we’re here.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

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

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Alabama plans $500 million bond issue to support prison construction

An Alabama Senate committee today delayed action on a bill that would authorize $500 million in bonds to help pay for a new 4,000-bed men’s prison in Escambia County.

But Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, the bill’s sponsor, said he expects to advance the bill next week and expects it to pass the Legislature.

The Legislature authorized the Escambia County prison in 2021 as part of a construction plan that also included a 4,000-bed specialized care men’s prison in Elmore County. Lawmakers approved $1.3 billion for both prisons.

But the cost of the Elmore County prison rose to slightly more than $1 billion after an initial estimate of $623 million. That required legislators to find additional funding for the second prison in Escambia County.

The Elmore County prison, which includes special facilities for medical care and mental health care, is expected to be completed in 2026. It will be called the Governor Kay Ivey Correctional Complex. The governor has spearheaded efforts for Alabama to build prisons for the first time since the 1990s.

Read more: Alabama’s new $1 billion prison will be ‘larger than a lot of county seats’

Construction has not started on the Escambia County prison.

Albritton said the state has the money to finish the Kay Ivey Correctional Complex and has about 60% of the money for the Escambia County prison.

Albritton said he hopes construction can begin on the Escambia County prison in six to eight months. He said construction would likely take about three years.

The senator said no time is set for issuing the bonds. He said the bill will give the state assurances that the money will be available.

The bill increases the maximum amount of bonds that can be issued by the Alabama Corrections Institution Finance Authority from $785 million to $1.285 billion.

The authority tried to sell more than $700 million in bonds in 2022 but fell short of that goal, selling $509 million.

The Kay Ivey Correctional Complex and the Escambia County prison are phase 1 of the prison plan approved in 2021. The plan is not intended to increase the total number of prison beds in the state but to replace beds in the state’s aging, overcrowded, and understaffed prisons.

The Justice Department sued the state in 2020, alleging that violent conditions in the state’s men’s prisons violate the Constitution. The state has disputed the allegations of unconstitutional conditions but acknowledges problems.

Ivey and legislative leaders have said the new prisons are part of the solution.

The bill passed in 2021 says that three prisons – Staton and Elmore in Elmore County and Kilby in Montgomery County – will close within one year of the phase 1 prisons being completed.

The Alabama Department of Corrections closed part of Holman Correctional Facility near Atmore five years ago. Albritton said Fountain Correctional Facility, also near Atmore, which opened in 1928, is also likely to close.

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Auburn football officially signs 3-star local running back Omar Mabson II

Auburn football wrapped up its 2025 signing class Wednesday, officially signing Omar Mabson II, a 3-star running back from nearby Auburn High School.

Mabson is the only Auburn signee to sign during the February signing period, with the rest of the Tigers’ 2025 class signing in December.

He now officially joins the class after committing to Auburn on Jan. 27. The 5-foot-9, 210-pound running back was initially listed in the class of 2026, but reclassified in December. Mabson is ranked as the 53rd-best running back in the country and the No. 27 overall player in the state of Alabama, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

“He’s an unbelievable young man,” Auburn High School head coach Keith Etheredge told AL.com in December. “He has all the tools. He benches 375. He has a 4.4 40. He’s great in the classroom. He does all the little things right. He’s one of those kids you love to coach. I would love to coach him for another year, but I know that is kind of selfish. He’s ready to play college football.”

Mabson is the second high school running back to sign with Auburn’s 2025 class, joining Elba standout and Alabama’s new all-time leading rusher Alvin Henderson.

During his final season at Auburn High School in 2024, Mabson rushed for 1,382 yards and 28 touchdowns on 201 carries this season. He also caught 11 passes for 185 yards and three more touchdowns.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

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Spirit Airlines adding non-stop flights to Newark from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth

Spirit Airlines is adding seasonal, non-stop service from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) this summer.

The move comes less than four months after Spirit launched at BHM with flights to Ft. Lauderdale.

Daily service begins June 4 and is available for booking now.

EWR is located about 15 miles from Manhattan, offering the promise of a quick jaunt from the Magic City to New York.

“We are thrilled to see Spirit Airlines continuing to invest in this community,” Ashby Pate, Board Chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority, said. “Their decision to add another destination speaks volumes about their confidence in this market and we are so pleased that customers will have another nonstop, low-fare option when they travel this summer.”

Low-cost Spirit Airlines is based in Dania Beach, Fla. The new service to Newark is the fourth new route added at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth since October.

John Kirby, vice president of network planning at Spirit Airlines, said the service will provide flyers with “a high-value and convenient way to visit the New York area this summer and joins our nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale.”

In 2024, more than 3.2 million people came through BHM, representing a 6% increase over traffic in 2023.

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Iconic Mountain Brook bakery, eatery change ownership

A pair of popular eateries in Mountain Brook’s English Village is changing ownership after more than four decades.

Carole Griffin, the owner of Continental Bakery and Chez Lulu, has announced on social media that she and partner Shea Rives are turning the businesses over to general manager David Griner.

“The past 40 years have been so much more than a business or a job to me—more even than a calling or a vocation,” Griffin wrote. “The bakery has felt like a cherished child to me, or a beautiful dream, and I have poured my heart into nurturing and shepherding it through these 40 years as a grateful attendant and rapt enthusiast.”

It’s been a long journey. Griffin left Birmingham to go off to college in the 1970s, thinking she would never return.

However, a few years later when she was visiting family and went to a festival on the Southside, she realized how much the city had changed. With a friend in Washington, D.C., where she was living at the time, she decided to try their hand at a bakery, expecting a modest reception with limited prospects. She was 24 years old.

In a 2001 interview with The Birmingham News, Griffin said they “intentionally tried to water our vision down somewhat when we started out.“

“We limited ourselves to ‘Southern’ baked products, but we didn’t stay that way for long. We would introduce new things and they were accepted,” she said.

As the bakery business grew, she decided to add an adjoining restaurant to serve as an alternative to the white tablecloths and the hamburger joints in town. Chez Lulu, like its predecessor, grew quickly.

“The bakery has always led the way, and I’ve been honored to follow and participate in the magic that has unfolded every day within its walls,” Griffin said in her post. “Many of you, as employees and customers over the years, know exactly what I mean—you’ve experienced it firsthand and partnered with me to make it happen.”

Griner, who first joined the business as a baker, has been managing the businesses since early November as part of a “boot camp,” Griffin said.

Griner said in a social media post that he had only meant to pause his career in marketing to bake bread, but stuck around.

“He’s already successfully navigated the holidays (no small feat!), and we couldn’t be more confident in his ability to guide the bakery into its next chapter. He has great instincts and wonderful ideas that align with our highest and best hopes for the business,” Griffin said.

Griner thanked the staff of more than 60 for their “patience, kindness and encouragement.” He promised customers that Griffin’s “vision will guide each decision we make at Continental and Lulu for countless years to come.”

“To our community of regulars: I promise that everything you love about the bakery will continue—and I hope you’ll even find new things to love as we continue Carole’s tradition of constantly iterating and innovating,“ Griner said.

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