Celebrity Birmingham attorney Alexander Shunnarah, famous for his “Call Me Alabama” billboards across the state, gave away 1,000 turkeys on Thursday afternoon in front of his new office at the former Birmingham News building.
“I’m just giving back,” Shunnarah said. “Birmingham is just who I am.”
It’s the third annual turkey giveaway for Shunnarah.
“It means a lot to me, and I appreciate their help, because a lot of people don’t have enough for Thanksgiving,” said Michelle Jackson, who picked up a turkey from Shunnarah for the second year in a row.
The line for free turkeys extended around the block.
“I’m going to eat good on Thanksgiving,” said Steve Duncan, picking up his turkey. “I appreciate it. It helps me out a lot.”
Shunnarah moved into what is now his national headquarters at 2200 Fourth Avenue North in Birmingham on Aug. 1, after purchasing the building in April from Kemper Insurance Co. It was built in 2006 as The Birmingham News building. Alabama Media Group moved out in 2014 and now has an office in the Denham Building.
Shunnarah runs a call center in the building with 270 employees. He represents 60,000 customers in 27 states.
The new building has made giving away turkeys easier, Shunnarah said, allowing for four giveaway stations along Fourth Avenue North and 22nd Street North.
“Turkeys these days, they’re not cheap,” said Shunnarah.
He paid $30 apiece for the Honeysuckle white frozen turkeys, he said.
Shunnarah was born and raised and attended school in Birmingham, then opened his law firm in 2001 on Clairmont Avenue.
“Everyone in Birmingham has always supported me,” Shunnarah said. “I just feel compelled to give back to the community. I really do. I’m not doing it to get cases. Birmingham is loyal to me anyway. It feels great. I love to give. I’ve been blessed. I do it from my heart.”
He also feels it helps meet a need.
“Most of these people are Birmingham residents,” he said. “Most people who come to get the turkey really need the turkey. When you do something nice, it leaves you with a really good feeling.”
Volunteers give away turkeys in front of Alexander Shunnarah’s new downtown Birmingham office on Nov. 21, 2024. (Photo by Greg Garrison/AL.com)[email protected]
The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) on Wednesday arrested and charged Seven Nelson, 19, with reckless murder in connection with a deadly shootingthat occurred last month, according to a recent release.
On Saturday, Oct. 12, a Huntsville Police officer who was patrolling in the 3300 block of Meridian Street heard multiple gun shots. Several officers responded to a gas station at 3310 Meridian Street and found Damien Obrien Manning, 22, with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second victim, who was not identified by HPD, died later that weekend at Huntsville Hospital.
Nelson marks the fourth and final arrest in relation to this incident, HPD said.
Tyler O’Neal Andrade, 21, of Huntsville, Kennedy Thomas Turner, 20, of Huntsville, and Jordan Latrell Smith, 21, of Huntsville, have also been arrested and charged.
The HPD Major Crimes Unit will now focus on working with the Madison County District Attorney’s Office to ensure the successful prosecution of all individuals charged in connection to the shooting, the release said.
On Thursday at 3:32 p.m. a frost advisory was issued by the National Weather Service valid for Friday between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. for Choctaw, Washington, Clarke, Wilcox, Monroe, Conecuh, Butler and Crenshaw counties.
The weather service adds, “Temperatures as low as 36 degrees will result in frost formation.”
“Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered,” describes the weather service. “A Frost Advisory means that widespread frost is expected. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.”
Frost advisory – this is what it means
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Frost advisories are issued from May to October (but can be extended if necessary) when temperatures, winds, and sky cover are favorable for frost development. This is most likely to happen when the temperature is 36 degrees or less. In some cases, the frost is severe enough to end the growing season and is then referred to as a ‘killing frost’.
According to the weather service, if a frost advisory is issued for your area, cover up sensitive plants before the sun sets so that it can help retain heat near the plants, or move the plants indoors for the night, if possible.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is offering an insane amount of deals on footwear this week, including a limited-time deal on the fan favorite HOKA Transport running shoe, but inventory is not expected to last long.
During this sale, customers can get the HOKA Transport shoe for just $119.99 this week as compared to the usual price of $150. It is available in three colors, however, the grey style already sold out.
HOKA Transport running shoe
The HOKA Transport running shoe on sale at dickssportinggoods.com.
The HOKA Transport Shoe is designed to be a versatile athletic shoe that combines comfort and performance as its features an upper made from engineered mesh, ensuring breathability while providing a secure fit.
Highlighted Product Feature:
One of the standout features of the HOKA Transport Shoe is its lightweight EVA foam midsole, which not only provides exceptional cushioning during long-term wear, but also ensures that the shoe remains lightweight, allowing for a more effortless stride whether you are walking or running.
Other Features:
An unusual feature of the Transport running shoe is its engineered mesh upper, which is specifically designed not only for breathability, but also to provide a secure fit that adapts to the movement of the foot, effectively reducing slippage and enhancing overall comfort during various activities.
The owners of Birmingham’s TrimTab are inviting customers to its tasting gallery on the eve of “exciting changes.”
In a social media post, the brewing company on Fifth Avenue South said it is “in talks with a local brewery that shares our love for quality craft beer and community.”
“Our tasting gallery will stay open through December, and we’ve got a ton of events planned to keep the good vibes going.”
The company’s ownership declined to comment further. A source said the owners decided to make the Facebook post in response to online speculation that the brewery is closing.
“Stop by, hang out, and let’s celebrate everything that’s made TrimTab special while looking forward to what’s next,” the post reads.
An award-winning brewery, Trim Tab opened its tasting room in Birmingham’s Lakeview neighborhood in early 2014 before launching its first canned beer in 2015.
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced him to nine years in prison.
“Kyle Calvert attacked the Alabama Attorney General’s Office with a shrapnel-filled explosive and then fled the scene, but this sentence ensures he will not escape accountability for his crime,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Acts of violence like this one against our public institutions endanger public servants and entire communities, and they must not be tolerated.”
Calvert admitted during his plea hearing to manufacturing the device. He used, nails and screws as shrapnel and accelerants to cause an explosion.
Prior to planting the device, Calvert placed stickers on various downtown buildings.
The stickers had graphics advocating for various political ideologies. Some stickers included the phrase “Support your local antifa.”
Among those stickers identified as being placed in Montgomery – and matching Calvert’s collection – included:
• An Antifa logo superimposed over a rainbow flag background, with the words, “ANTI-FASCISM IS COMMUNITY SELF-DEFENSE.”
• An image of a multi-tiered pyramid-like structure with individuals located on each tier, with the words, “TOPPLE ALL HIERARCHIES.”
• The “A” symbol, assessed to represent anarchy, next to an image of an AK-47 rifle, superimposed over a black background with leaves and flowers, with the words, “DEFEND NATURE.”
• A purple-colored sticker with a masked face inside of a female pictogram. The words at the top of the sticker read, “FEMINIST ACTION.”
• A white sticker with spatter font which reads, “EAT THE RICH.” The “A” inside the word “EAT” is in the shape of the anarchy symbol.
• An image of multiple masked and hooded individuals, one carrying a sling, and another wearing goggles. In the center of the sticker, the Antifa symbol is displayed above the words, “SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ANTIFA.”
• A black sticker with red and white font with the words, “FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS BECOME COPS.” A red anarchy symbol surrounded by a red heart are in the lower right corner of the sticker.
Calvert claimed in his plea that he has no affiliation with antifa.
Antifa, short for Anti-Fascist, does not describe a particular group, but rather describes individuals who adhere to what they consider as “anti-fascist beliefs.”
The term Antifa is often associated with anarchist violent extremists, individuals who, in addition to holding anti-fascist beliefs, are also opposed to capitalism and the current form of the U.S. government and who advocate violence to achieve their goals, the charging documents explained.
Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, is charged with malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device.(Federal Court Documents)
Surveillance footage showed that at 2:50 a.m. that morning, a person wearing a dark jacket, hat, mask and goggles, was seen on video in the area of the Alabama Statehouse.
At 3:03 a.m., the person was observed placing a sticker on the doors of the Alabama State Capitol building.
Then, at 3:35 a.m., the person was seen walking northbound in the area of Washington Avenue and Decatur Street towards the Attorney General’s Office.
At 3:42 a.m., surveillance footage captured a large explosion near the Attorney General’s Office.
At 3:43 a.m., the person was seen walking north on Bainbridge Street towards Monroe Street and away from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.
Several minutes later, at about 3:49 a.m., a security officer working at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) called 911 to report that an explosion had occurred about five minutes prior, at the northwest corner of Washington Avenue and Bainbridge Street.
At 3:54 a.m., a Montgomery police officer arrived in the area. Because of the location of the explosion, the officer was unable to see any evidence of it from his vantage point.
At 4:13 a.m., records state, the officer cleared the call as unfounded.
The damage wasn’t then discovered until Monday morning when workers arrived back to the downtown area to begin the work week.
According to multiple video surveillance captures of the suspect and a thorough analysis of the video images, the subject appeared to be a white male, wearing a black or dark leather-like jacket, with dark colored pants, a gray or tan beanie hat, black or dark leather-like shoes, a blue facemask and goggles with a thick black strap with thick circular lenses.
Investigators used video surveillance footage of the suspect at known locations to estimate that he was about 6-feet, 2-inches tall and slender. He had a unique walk in which his toes pointed inward when he took a step.
The suspect’s walk appeared to be more pronounced on his right side which caused the appearance of a limp when he walked.
Investigators learned that the device was a coffee container-like which contained insulation material soaked in a gasoline or lighter fluid substance, a mortar, firecrackers and nails.
The FBI laboratory report classified the explosive as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The general components of an IED consist of an explosive main charge, a fusing system, and sometimes a container and/or fragmentation.
Additional enhancements may be added to an IED to increase its destructive capability and lethality.
“This IED used commercially available pyrotechnic fireworks as the main explosive charge, a coffee can as a concealment container, and was enhanced with added fragmentation and ignitable liquids,’’ the FBI agent wrote. “The addition of metal screws, nails, and other hardware to this IED demonstrates weaponization characteristics due to the enhanced fragmentation effect that those materials would create. The addition of ignitable liquids to the IED demonstrates weaponization characteristics due to the enhanced ability for the IED to initiate a fire.”
“The action of placing and initiating the IED on the walkway beside a government building demonstrates that this device was used as a weapon against property and/or to cause injury/death,’’ the agent wrote.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from ATF and AlEA.
Middle District of Alabama Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell T. Duraski and Brett J. Talley prosecuted.
How far did Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy run to get to the end zone on his 89-yard touchdown reception against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday?
The answer is not 89 yards.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Jeudy ran 114.4 yards on the play, more than 10 yards farther than any other play during the NFL’s Week 11 games. On a 98-yard reception in the Tennessee Titans’ 23-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine ran 104 yards.
Jeudy’s distance is the eighth-longest for any play in the NFL this season. Former Alabama teammate Patrick Surtain II is among those with a longer play in 2024. The Denver Broncos cornerback ran 116.8 yards on a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 34-18 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 6.
Jeudy reached a top speed of 20.74 mph on his 89-yard touchdown. That made him the sixth-fastest ballcarrier in the NFL during Week 11 games.
Other former Crimson Tide players among the fastest ball-carriers included Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who was No. 2 on the list at 21.8 mph on a 54-yard reception, and wide receiver Jameson Williams, at No. 14 at 20.15 mph on a 64-yard touchdown reception.
Jeudy and the Browns will be back in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7:15 p.m. CST Thursday at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. Prime Video will televise the game.
Jeudy’s touchdown reception from quarterback Jameis Winston against the Saints was the fifth-longest for an Alabama alumnus in the NFL.
The touchdown receptions by former Crimson Tide players in the NFL that have been longer are:
Don Hutson caught a 92-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Arnie Herber in the Green Bay Packers’ 27-20 victory over the Chicago Cardinals on Oct. 8, 1939.
Tommy Brooker caught a 92-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Len Dawson in the Dallas Texans’ 24-3 victory over the Broncos on Nov. 18, 1962.
Amari Cooper caught a 90-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott in the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-23 victory over the Washington Redskins on Nov. 22, 2018.
While discussing President-elect Donald Trump’s recent Cabinet picks, Kimmel referred to Tuberville as a “Trump sycophant/human jockstrap” and aired a clip of the senator defending Trump on Fox News.
“We’re going to look at facts, not rumors,” Tuberville said, referencing Matt Gaetz, who withdrew today as Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation.
Tuberville also referred to “rumors” about Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017.
“All of them will have some kind of rumor when it comes down to it,” Tuberville said.
“But we’ve got to look at facts. We’ve got to help President Trump. He’s not going to pick somebody that’s a criminal; he’s not going to do that.”
Laughing, Kimmel responded: “Tommy I’ve got some news you might want to hear. The President is a criminal. Thirty-four times over he’s a convicted criminal.”
“Truth be told he’s not even looking for a Cabinet. He’s looking for cellmates.”
Tuberville did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. He faces sentencing next week despite his recent election.
Ed’s Pet World, a fixture in downtown Homewood selling exotic animals, tropical fish and even toys since 1982, has put its building up for sale.
Seth Cosby, the owner and son of the store’s namesake, Ed Cosby, said he’s not yet ready to discuss details on the future of the store beyond confirming the building is up for sale.
“I’m super busy,” Cosby said as he prepared to leave the store on a trip Thursday, but promised to reveal more later.
The first Ed’s Pet World opened in 1974 in Columbiana, then moved to the Hoover Mall before settling in Homewood at the current location at 2730 18th Street South.
Ed’s Pet World has been an eclectic dealer of exotic animals for decades, a go-to place if you wanted to buy a Burmese python, a parakeet, a bearded dragon or a tarantula.
The store was like a condensed zoo, with cockatiels sharing space with rabbits, hamsters and snakes. The walls are lined with aging Star Wars and superhero toys, usually still in their original packages.
From 1988-2000, a three-legged, tiger-striped cat named Cassidy greeted customers as they entered the odoriferous premises.
Employees for decades would bring animals for show to children’s birthday parties and to the Homewood Public Library, where children could pet a dwarf caiman alligator, a tortoise, a cockatiel or a tarantula.
The store has often been a magnet for controversy.
In 2001, a woman sued the store for $5 million when she said Charlie the Amazon parrot, who had lived in the store for 10 years, dove into her face and bit her under her left eye. A Jefferson County jury awarded her $3,000.
Animal rights activists have long complained about the store.
This year, more than 700 people signed a petition calling for closure of the store because of what the petition described as “deplorable conditions” for the animals.
The U.S. Department of Transportation says it would need congressional allocation to be able to provide direct help to the Shiloh community, near Elba, Coffee county, but in the meantime is working with other federal agencies to get resources.
“Congress has not authorized any programs or funding for DOT that can provide emergency relief directly to communities experiencing hardship, so this whole-of-government approach is critical to help the Shiloh community access federal assistance that is not available through DOT alone,” the federal agency said in a statement to AL.com Wednesday.
The Black community of Shiloh is seeking help with flooding issues caused by highway construction and is asking the federal transportation department for compensation for damages to homes and other things before an administration change in Washington come January.
A voluntary agreement between the Alabama Department of Transportation and the federal transportation agency in October provides a path to fix the flooding, which the community says started because of the project to expand Highway 84 beginning in 2018. But the community, which says it has dealt with flooding for six years, wants relief payments beyond the Voluntary Resolution Agreement (VRA).
“Work is already underway to implement the commitments of the VRA, and the Federal Highway Administration is in weekly contact with Alabama DOT to ensure that the actions required under the VRA are implemented,” the federal transportation department said. “The timing of the completion of the improvements will depend on which of the two options identified in the VRA is pursued.”
Timothy Williams, who represents the community, commends the federal transportation agency’s effort to work with other agencies but says time is of the essence.
“They told us they’re doing a whole-of-government approach, that’s good,” Williams said. “What they’re doing, finding other avenues. But that’s not going to solve an emergency situation right now because you have to wait months and years just to get that money,”
“Anything can happen. We’ve got reports showing that the house can collapse any day now. We’re living under the mercies of God. God forbid, if the house collapses and kills people, then the state and ALDOT and U.S. DOT are going to be liable because they know it’s an emergency situation. So grants are good, but the time frame that you have to wait on it.
The community says the requirement to write grants to access federal aid from other agencies is an added burden.
“We’re not grant writers,” Williams said. “We don’t know how to do that stuff. We’re at the mercies of other people. If the community doesn’t know how to do grants and doesn’t have anybody working with them, then they would be left in the cold.”
“They’re working with a government approach. But why make the community try to do grants when we were put in this situation?”
Federal transportation officials say they have been working on behalf of the community for months.
“Since June, DOT has provided enhanced technical assistance to help the Shiloh community access federal resources through DOT’s Thriving Communities initiative and provided a dedicated community liaison to regularly work with the community,” the federal agency said. “DOT staff have convened an interagency group, set up meetings to help identify options to assist the Shiloh community, and been in touch regularly with the community.”
“To date, DOT has helped the Shiloh community meet with the following agencies to access funding and other relief options: