Alabama News

General

Alabama man bilked elderly victim out of $8.4M; built mansion, bought luxury cars, AG says

An Alabama man has been convicted of stealing $8.4 million from an elderly victim through a complex Ponzi scheme.

James Dean “Jimmy” Bulger, 60, was convicted of first-degree theft by deception, aggravated theft by deception, and first-degree financial exploitation of the elderly, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Friday.

“This wasn’t a lapse in judgment, it was a calculated, predatory scheme that stole nearly $9 million from an elderly man who trusted him,” Marshall said in a press release.

Bulger, authorities said, stole the millions from the elderly man over the course of more than two years.

The Deatsville man, according to the AG’s office, manipulated the victim’s advanced age and trust, convincing him to reinvest what he believed were profits — when in fact he was simply receiving his own funds.

Bulger used the stolen money to fund an extravagant lifestyle, purchasing luxury vehicles, designer goods, and constructing an 8,000-square foot mansion, according to Marshall’s office.

Following his indictment for the charges on which he was found guilty, Bulger tried to entice the victim to drop the criminal case in exchange for $1 million, authorities said.

“James Bulger saw vulnerability and exploited it for personal gain, living lavishly while destroying his victim’s financial future,” Marshall said. “His conviction is a powerful reminder that we will not hesitate to hold con artists and manipulators accountable, especially when they target our seniors.”

Bulger was convicted following a six-day trial in Montgomery County. He was initially indicted in 2023.

The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division, including Assistant Attorneys General Kyle Beckman, Alana Cammack, and Jasper Roberts.

Sentencing for Bulger is set for July 21. He is held in the Montgomery County Detention Center.

Read More

General

Seattle Storm vs Las Vegas Aces free livestream: How to watch, date, time

The 2025 WNBA season continues with a strong slate of games heading into the weekend. An intriguing matchup will be between the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces on Friday night. Most would’ve expected the Aces to be the way better team heading into this one, but it’s quite the opposite.

The Storm are currently 7-5 due to the stellar play from their veterans. Skylar Diggins and NNeka Ogwumike lead the team in points, rebounds and assists per game. Another veteran in Erica Wheeler is also providing a solid 10 points per game off the bench.

The Aces haven’t been so hot this season, which is surprising considering they’ve been dominant in season’s past. Reigning MVP A’Ja Wilson is leading the team in every major statistical category, but the Aces are just 5-6.

Fans looking to tune into the Storm vs Aces game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Storm and Aces tipoff:

When: Friday, June 20, 2025

Where: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Time: 10 p.m. E.T.

Fans looking to tune into the Storm vs Aces game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Read More

General

Beloved Bessemer Cajun restaurant reopens after 5 years: ‘Today is a new day’

A Bessemer Cajun restaurant shuttered for more than five years reopened this week to the delight of diners.

Boateng’s Cajun Creations, at 2 19th Street North, had announced last year plans to reopen, but began serving again on June 17.

“Today is a new day. Hope to see you all again soon. Have a wonderfully blessed day,” the restaurant announced after its first day back.

That was good news for some diners, like Robbie Jacks. “I can’t wait till I come home for some of the best food on this planet!” Jacks announced on Facebook.

The restaurant opened at Bessemer’s Watermark Place back in 2007 and moved about four years later.

Boateng’s closed back in 2019, announcing it would be back after a remodel.

Platters, pastas and Po-Boys are on the menu, along with bisques, gumbo, soups, salads, burgers and fajitas.

The news is a bright spot to fans of Cajun cuisine in the Birmingham, who lost two mainstays this month. Birmingham’s Creole Connection closed June 15, citing economic concerns.

And Crazy Cajun’s Boiling Pot, located at 125 Inverness Plaza, announced its last day of business will be Saturday.

Read More

General

Bad Bunny reinvigorates salsa, packing studios and clubs with newcomers

By Kiara Alfonseca | Edited by Patricia Guadalupe

Bad Bunny – or, at least, a photo of him – watches over the streams of salsa newcomers packing into a warmly lit dance studio at Salsa In Queens. It’s a fitting name for a dance school in Queens, New York.

The studio has seen an uptick in interest for their salsa class offerings since Bad Bunny’s latest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, was released in January. The album’s references to salsa classics of the ‘70s and its homage to his Puerto Rican heritage have led to a renewed wave of recognition for the Afro-Caribbean dance styling.

Salsa In Queens, which has been in business for eight years now, also noticed a recent rise in students with Hispanic roots looking to reconnect with their heritage from around the time the album dropped.

“I’ve heard plenty of students that either grew up or were born here, but are of Hispanic descent, and have felt separated from their culture enough that they want to do something about it now,” founder and lead instructor Jean Franco Vergaray told palabra.

They’ve seen so many new Latino clients that they’ve even begun hosting bilingual dance classes to cater to the growing interest from non-English speaking community members looking to take a class.

“I was very receptive to Bad Bunny’s new album because it was a great canvas to open this salsa world to a group of people that probably were standing at an arm’s length,” said Vergaray, adding, “They knew (salsa) existed, they heard of it, but they were never interested enough to even look that way directly.”

Bad Bunny’s latest album is filled to the brim with political and personal messages about his heritage and the issues plaguing the island. Though the album is in part a call to action against gentrification and colonialism, the musical history lesson also memorializes Bad Bunny’s roots and the impact of those who came before him.

“The whole album functions as this warning that the influx of Americans and the kind of hyper-gentrification of this island, that the culture and land of the island itself are at risk,” said Petra Rivera-Rideau, a professor of American Studies at Wellesley College who created the Bad Bunny Syllabus, an online document that explores the historical symbolism and references within Bad Bunny’s artistry and the cultural significance of how he engages social politics within his music.

Bad Bunny told Billboard Magazine that he hopes the album can facilitate connections between different generations; it’s a goal seen in the references to island music genres such as bomba y plena and música jíbara, along with classic salsa songs, and comforting references to life back home in Puerto Rico.

When the album came out, Rivera-Rideau experienced these bonds forming in her own family.

“From the perspective of my children, it’s like a cool thing by this rapper that they love to listen to. And then, from the perspective of my father, a song that pulled from these very traditional musical elements, it fostered that conversation where he could explain it to my kids,” she said.

These themes hit home not just for Puerto Ricans, but those from across Latin America.

Brianna Ochoa is the Ecuadorian owner and instructor of Bri’LaFlor Dance Studio in Dover, New Jersey, and she made what she calls an unexpected but welcome mistake when she first advertised her Bad Bunny-themed salsa class on social media with the hopes of enticing a few new students.

In just one day, the post earned thousands of views online, and 150 people had signed up for the class, though her studio can really only comfortably fit 85. Her regular students couldn’t even sign up through the online portal: “I couldn’t recognize one name on the whole list,” she said.

“Everyone was connecting with each other,” Ochoa added. “They were all there to take a class, but it felt like a club. Everyone was bumping and dancing before anything even started.”

So, she did what she had to do: plan more classes.

For Vergaray, his classes aren’t just about the technicalities of the dance, but about that social community which is inherent to the traditions of salsa.

It’s evident in the way strangers-turned-classmates spill out of the studio during the class break, opening up to one another about their motivations for taking the class or the trouble they’re having with their footwork.

“The most rewarding part, when I look at the studio and the impact that we’ve made, is the micro cluster of communities that start to form,” says Vergaray.

Fans continue to pack album listening parties and themed DJ sets around the country as Bad Bunny prepares for his summer concert dates in Puerto Rico and a fall world tour that will take him to Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, and Tokyo, among other cities.

Salsa feels like it’s everywhere now. For Jacob Lugo, a Puerto Rican salsa instructor in New York City, it’s a welcome sight (and sound).

“When I’m eating at a restaurant, when I’m sitting outside and people are playing music somewhere – there’s salsa,” Lugo said. “It’s bigger than just music. It’s bringing us back to our roots.”

He continued, “For me, it’s always going to go back to connecting with people. It’s very common in the Latin scene that we just play music, where you could dance with each other. You don’t have to dance by yourself all the time. You can actually connect with someone and share a song together, share a memory together through that music.”

Read More

General

NBA Draft: Alabama, Auburn produce their first first-round picks

The NBA will hold its 79th draft on Wednesday and Thursday. Thirty first-round picks will be made starting at 7 p.m. CDT Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBA teams have drafted 49 players from Alabama high schools and colleges in the first round, and AL.com is counting down to the 2025 draft with a decade-by-decade look at the state’s first-rounders, including the 1970s:

Either the NBA discovered Alabama or Alabama discovered the NBA in the 1970s.

In the first 25 NBA drafts, two players from Alabama high schools and colleges were chosen in the first round. But in 1972, two more prospects with Alabama basketball roots went in the first round, and by the end of the 1970s, six more had followed.

The first-round selections in the 1970s who had played at Alabama high schools and colleges included:

1972: Bud Stallworth (Morgan County Training School), No. 7 by the Seattle Supersonics

The small forward from Hartselle starred at Kansas, where he averaged 25.3 points per game and won the Big Eight Player of the Year Award for the 1971-72 season. A year earlier, the Jayhawks had reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. After averaging 6.3 points per game in both of his seasons with Seattle, Stallworth was chosen by the New Orleans Jazz in the NBA expansion draft. The 6-foot-5 forward played three seasons with New Orleans before a back injury from an automobile accident ended his career prematurely. In 313 NBA regular-season games, Stallworth averaged 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds.

1972: Travis Grant (Barbour County Training School), No. 13 by the Los Angeles Lakers

Grant led Kentucky State to NAIA tournament championships in 1970, 1971 and 1972 as he scored 4,045 points for the Thorobreds – 378 more than LSU’s Pete Maravich had scored at LSU to set the NCAA scoring record. Grant’s record for the most points in college basketball stood until 1990. “Machine Gun” didn’t do much for the Lakers. But the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 25.2 points for the ABA’s San Diego Conquistadors in the 1974-75 season. In 36 NBA regular-season games, Grant averaged 3.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists. In 165 ABA regular-season games, Grant averaged 16.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

1975: Joe Meriweather (Central High School in Phenix City), No. 11 by the Houston Rockets

In four seasons at Southern Illinois, the 6-foot-10 center averaged 19.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Meriweather earned All-Rookie recognition in 1975-76, when he averaged 10.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots in 81 games. But after one season, Houston sent Meriweather to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that brought the top pick in 1976 NBA Draft to the Rockets, who used it on Maryland guard John Lucas. Meriweather spent 10 seasons in the NBA as a noted shot-blocker, with a high average of 2.2 per game for the New Orleans Jazz in the 1977-78 season. In 670 NBA regular-season games, Meriweather averaged 8.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

1975: Tom Boswell (Carver High School in Montgomery), No. 17 by the Boston Celtics

After averaging 18.0 points and 13.0 rebounds in two seasons at South Carolina State, Boswell averaged 16.5 points and 8.7 rebounds in 27 games for South Carolina before departing for the NBA. The 6-foot-9 power forward was a member of an NBA championship team as a rookie and appeared in six NBA seasons. In 366 NBA regular-season games, Boswell averaged 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He averaged 17.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for the Denver Nuggets in the 1979 playoffs.

1976: Leon Douglas (Colbert County High School, Alabama), No. 4 by the Detroit Pistons

Douglas averaged 20.7 points and 13.1 rebounds per game in 1974-75 for the first Alabama team to reach the NCAA tournament and 20.6 points and 12.4 rebounds per game for the first Crimson Tide squad to post an NCAA tournament victory in 1975-76. That was his springboard to become the first Alabama player drafted in the first round. Douglas provided muscle as a 6-foot-10 center for the Pistons and Kansas City Kings in seven NBA seasons before spending another nine seasons playing overseas. In 456 NBA regular-season games, Douglas averaged 7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

1978: Mike Mitchell (Auburn), No. 15 by the Cleveland Cavaliers

The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds across four seasons for Auburn. After scoring at a 24.9-point clip in his senior season for the Tigers, Mitchell became the first player from Auburn chosen in the first round of the NBA Draft. In his second through eighth NBA seasons, Mitchell averaged 22.3 points per game with the Cavs and San Antonio Spurs. In 1981, he scored 14 points in the NBA All-Star Game. In 759 NBA regular-season games, Mitchell averaged 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists. After his NBA career, Mitchell played another 11 seasons overseas.

1979: Reggie King (Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, Alabama), No. 18 by Kansas City Kings

After averaging 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in four seasons for Alabama, “Mule” played four seasons for the Kings and two for the Seattle Supersonics. The 6-foot-6 forward reached career highs with averages of 14.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in 1980-81 for Kansas City, then averaged 21.3 points and 9.9 rebounds as the Kings reached the Western Conference Finals. In 438 NBA regular-season games, King averaged 8.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

1979: Wiley Peck (Lee High School in Montgomery), No. 19 by the San Antonio Spurs

The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 14.5 points and 11.3 rebounds for Mississippi State as a senior to get into the first round. In 52 NBA regular-season games, Peck averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. After his rookie season with the Spurs, Peck went to the Dallas Mavericks in the expansion draft, was then traded to the Phoenix Suns and never played in the NBA again.

By the final draft of the 1970s, the first round featured 22 picks. Next week’s first round will have 30 selections.

Four other players with Alabama basketball roots went with selections in the 1970s that would be in the first round of the 2025 draft.

In 1971, the Cincinnati Royals picked Auburn guard John Mengelt at No. 21.

In 1973, the Chicago Bulls picked Alabama forward Wendell Hudson from Parker High School in Birmingham at No. 30.

In 1974, the Atlanta Hawks picked Gardner-Webb forward John Drew from J.F. Shields High School in Beatrice at No. 25.

In 1979, the Phoenix Suns picked Nevada guard Johnny High from Jones Valley High School in Birmingham at No. 24.

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

Read More

General

Washington Mystics vs Atlanta Dream free livestream: How to watch, date, time

The 2025 WNBA season continues with a strong slate of games heading into the weekend. First up on the docket is the young Washington Mystics taking on the Atlanta Dream on Friday night. The Dream currently have the fourth-best record in the league at 8-4, jumping out to a hot start.

The Mystics are young and feisty. Despite their 5-7 record, the rookies have shined. Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Lucy Olsen have all played their roles well early into their careers.

Atlanta’s coming off of a narrow loss to the New York Liberty, 86-81. The Mystics, however, won their last matchup earlier in the week against the Chicago Sky.

Fans looking to tune into the Mystics vs Dream game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Mystics and Dream tipoff:

When: Friday, June 20, 2025

Where: Gateway Center Arena, Atlanta, GA

Time: 7 p.m. E.T.

Fans looking to tune into the Mystics vs Dream game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Read More

General

Alabama housing market surges back in May

May was a very merry month for Alabama’s housing market.

The Alabama Association of Realtors’ monthly report showed both home sales and other values surged over the previous month and year, while listings hit a five-year high.

Last month, Alabama’s 6,214 home sales registered a healthy 7.3% increase from April, and a 6.5% increase year-over-year.

The median home price in May was $230,130, a 2.3% bump compared to the previous month and 6.7% over 2024, meaning $14,510 higher.

But the real action was in the overall picture. The total value of homes closed was $1.7 billion in May, which represented a not-too-shabby 10.4% increase over April and a monumental 26.9% rise over the same period in 2024.

Realtors economist Evan Moore said the signs show Alabama’s housing market may be hitting its stride for those on the hunt.

“Buyers continue to enjoy an increased number of listings in the state while sellers saw an increase in the median sales price in May, but market conditions will likely continue to favor buyers over the next few months as listings are at their highest level in more than five years,” he said.

Homes in Alabama remained on the market one day longer in May as compared to April, at an average of 58 days.

Economists predict that figure to hold in the near future under the current financial conditions.

Read More

General

Heat advisory in place for West Central Alabama for Saturday

The National Weather Service released a heat advisory at 11:34 a.m. on Friday valid for Saturday between noon and 7 p.m. for Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Sumter, Greene and Hale counties.

The weather service describes, “Heat index values in excess of 105 degrees expected.”

“Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses,” adds the weather service.

Heat wave safety tips: Stay safe with these recommendations from the weather service

• Stay hydrated: Remember to drink plenty of fluids.
• Find cool shelter: Opt for an air-conditioned room to stay comfortable.
• Avoid sun exposure: Stay out of the sun, and make sure to check up on relatives and neighbors.
• Child and pet safety: Do not leave young children and pets unattended in vehicles when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.
• Caution outdoors: When working or spending time outside, take extra precautions.
• Time your activities wisely: If possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening when the heat is less intense.
• Recognize heat-related issues: Familiarize yourself with warning signs and how tp recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
• Stay cool with clothing: Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.

Additional tips for outdoor workers:

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas for outdoor workers.
• If someone is overwhelmed by the heat, swiftly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.
• In emergency situations, dial 911 for immediate assistance.

These NWS heat safety directives are essential for safeguarding your well-being when facing high temperatures. Stay well-informed and take the necessary precautions to shield yourself and others from the potential hazards of extreme heat.

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.

Read More

General

Trump’s effort to ‘whitewash history’ at national parks is backfiring

A new Trump administration policy urging national park visitors to flag “negative” information about America at the sites is backfiring.

Instead of reporting the disparaging information on signage throughout the parks, visitors are criticizing the policy, according to Government Executive.

Of the nearly first 200 responses the National Parks Service received about the new policy “no single submission pointed to any such examples” of the negative information, the outlet reported.

“Instead, in the nearly 200 submissions NPS received in the first days since the solicitations were posted, visitors implored the administration not to erase U.S. history and praised agency staff for improving their experiences,” according to Government Executive.

The Trump administration policy is a follow-up to a March executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”

“It is the policy of my Administration to restore Federal sites dedicated to history, including parks and museums, to solemn and uplifting public monuments that remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing,” the order states.

“Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history.”

The order directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to implement the order.

NPS units are “required to post signage that will encourage public feedback via QR code and other methods that are viable,” NPR reported.

One such sign, is posted at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in Missouri, the site of the second major battle of the Civil War, the outlet reported.

Visitors there were encouraged to report “any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur, and abundance of landscapes and other natural features.”

Newsweek reported the administration also removed mentions of transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument website, despite a transgender woman being the person initiating the riot.

Visitors at national sites across the country are not complying with the directive, according to Government Executive.

A visitor to Yosemite National Park wrote: “The executive order to asking for feedback is s—,” according to Government Executive.

“Parks already do an amazing job telling stories that contain hard truths and everyone is entitled to the truth to make better decisions in our lives,” the visitor wrote. “So what if people feel bad?”

“It seems like a clear attempt to whitewash history,” said Dennis Arguelles with the National Parks Conservation Association told CBS News.

“To erase narratives from the past that they feel don’t fit the narratives that they want to see portrayed, and probably most dangerously, omit aspects of our history that are really important for us to understand and learn from.”

Read More

General

‘Hee Haw’ actor, star of ‘Fried Green Tomatoes,’ dead at 78: ‘Will be greatly missed’

Gailard Sartain, known for his roles in “Hee Haw” and “Friend Green Tomatoes,” died at the age of 78.

The Tulsa World first reported the news.

Teresa Knox, CEO of The Church Studio in Tulsa, told TMZ Gailard passed away this week after his health declined, but no official cause of death was given.

Sartain, who joined “Hee Haw” in 1972, had more than 60 roles in TV and film, including “The Outsiders,” “The Buddy Holly Story,” “Mississippi Burning” and “Ernest Goes to Jail.”

News On 6 reports the Outsiders House Museum called Sartain “a proud Okie and one-of-a-kind talent,” adding, “He’ll be dearly missed and always remembered. Stay gold, Gailard.”

TMZ reports the Church Studio — where Sartain’s wife Mary Jo volunteered — called Gailard “an extraordinary actor, artist, and comedian.”

“I knew he wasn’t in good health and hadn’t been for a while,” Victoria Hallman, who played Miss Honeydew on the TV show, told TMZ.

Earlier this year, Lulu Roman, the brash Hee Haw comedian turned inspirational gospel singer, died at 78 in Bellingham, Washington.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

Read More