Alabama News

Dear Eric: I live in a fairly upscale apartment building of a few hundred units located in a fairly upscale part of a city. It’s quite a nice, new building and I enjoy living there.

But one apartment on the first floor has a bad odor that emanates from it when walking past the door. Because the apartment also opens from the back to the pool, the odor is heavy across a large swath of the lounging area.

The smell is revolting. The best way to describe it (and I’m not exaggerating) is a combination of rotting garbage mixed with dirty diapers that somebody is trying to cover up with cheap fabric softener. I am sure of which apartment it is coming from, because one day I was passing by the door just as the 20-something female tenant was going in and the very recognizable putrid stench blasted out like a wrecking ball slamming me in the gut.

I’m a bit older, in my early 50s. In an era in which anybody like me who complains gets labeled as an entitled “Karen,” I hate to report it to the young “agents” who staff the leasing office. I just suspect they’ll scoff at the old guy and do nothing. I also have a heart and don’t want to mortify the young woman.

I’m stunned that nobody else has complained. But maybe they’re like me and have no idea what to do. Do you?

– Revolted Neighbor

Dear Neighbor: At the risk of getting on a soapbox, I have to say that the term “Karen” has outlived its usefulness, if it ever had any. It’s an imprecise catchall and these days we’d all benefit from being clearer in our language and intent. (Not to mention, it makes life annoying for a number of people named Karen whom I quite like.)

All that to say, alert building management, if for no other reason than if the smell is that bad and that consistent, it strongly suggests a larger problem that could put the resident or other residents at risk. For her safety and yours, say something to someone who has the authority to respectfully investigate.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every day until Aug. 29, Creg Stephenson is counting down significant numbers in Alabama football history, both in the lead-up to the 2025 football season and in commemoration of the Crimson Tide’s first national championship 100 years ago. The number could be attached to a year, a uniform number or even a football-specific statistic. We hope you enjoy.

Few who saw the walk-on running back from tiny Sulligent High School in the fall of 2004 would have guessed that he would become a team captain and first-team All-American by the time his career ended at Alabama.

But that’s exactly what happened with Rashad Johnson, who after moving to defense in 2006 became one of the stars of the early Nick Saban era with the Crimson Tide. He later played nine years in the NFL and now makes his living as a coach.

Johnson was a fine high school player at Sulligent, but his best scholarship offer came from then-Division II North Alabama. Instead of going the small-college route, however, he bet on himself and walked on with the Crimson Tide under then-head coach Mike Shula.

“I was fortunate enough that my parents allowed me to step out on my dream, on what I wanted to do,” Johnson said in 2016 radio interview. “And I just chased it. It was an interesting transition from being a walk-on and having to go through the stages of being a walk-on, but I just kept my faith. I’ve always been a man of God, always been a faithful man that understands there’s going to be trials, there’s going to be hard times, but there’s always victory on the other side of it. So I just continued to endure. I just continued to push forward and did what I knew was right.”

After redshirting as a true freshman, Johnson played in all 13 games at Alabama in 2005 on kick-coverage units while still working as a scout-team running back. Shula and the other Alabama coaches convinced him to move to defense as a redshirt sophomore and he totaled 33 tackles and two forced fumbles in a reserve role in 2006.

But things took off for Johnson upon Saban’s arrival prior to the 2007 season. As starting free safety for the Crimson Tide, he totaled 94 tackles, six tackles for loss and an SEC-best six interceptions — securing first-team all-conference honors.

“He’s instinctive, he’s got really good range, he’s got great understanding of football in general,” Saban told the Montgomery Advertiser in 2008. “And he’s got good hands and good ball judgment. So all those combinations of things are going to put him in the right place to make plays a lot of the time.”

Alabama won the SEC West title in Johnson’s senior season of 2008, and he again had an outstanding year. He totaled 89 tackles, five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and five interceptions — two of which he returned for touchdowns.

Johnson had a career day in a 27-21 overtime win over LSU in early November — Saban’s first journey back to Baton Rouge as Alabama’s coach. Johnson had a pick-six early in the game, and a game-clinching interception in overtime.

After the season, Johnson was named a first-team All-American. He’d quit playing in the kicking game by that time, but Saban noted “he’d be the best special teams player on our team if we played him on special teams.”Johnson was also recognized for his leadership, and was named a permanent team captain in each of his final two college seasons. “I would be pleased if my children had the character of Rashad,” Saban once said.

Johnson was a third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2009, and played eight seasons with that team and one with the Tennessee Titans before hanging up his helmet. Famously, he lost the tip of his left middle finger following an injury suffered during a game with the New Orleans Saints in 2013.

Johnson later spent four years as Alabama’s radio sideline reporter and as a member of the program’s support staff. He left Tuscaloosa in 2022 to become assistant secondary coach of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a position he still holds.

Johnson’s rise as a star player coincided with Saban’s arrival at Alabama in 2007. But even Johnson said he never foresaw nearly two decades of national championship contention for the Crimson Tide.

“I knew the turn was happening when Coach Saban got there,” Johnson told AL.com in 2019. “It was maybe a couple of weeks into it, just seeing the way he did things. He was the standard. He didn’t slow down. He was there 15 hours a day, putting in the work.

“You knew ‘this thing is going to go places,’ because the guy in charge is putting in just as much work as the guys around him, and forcing everybody else to get into that grind as well. I don’t know if I saw the sustainability of what we have now, but I definitely saw championships coming.”

Coming Sunday: Our countdown to kickoff continues with No. 48, when the SEC’s greatest football rivalry was reborn.

DEAR ABBY: I’m 55 and have been married for 15 years. I have two kids, ages 22 and 25. Both are on their own, living their own lives. My wife is 45. She has a 25-year-old son who has a four-year degree in computer science and claims he can’t find a job.

He refuses to look for other employment to fill in until something opens up in computers. He stays up half the night getting high and playing games online, and sleeps until noon. He has a considerable amount in his savings and is able to play the stock market, so it’s not like he’s broke and can’t start living on his own.

My wife won’t let go because he’s her only child. She and I have no alone time, no romantic nights and no dinners without him included. He’s always here and involved in everything, and I’m tired of it. I have reached a point in my life where I want to enjoy my time with my wife alone.

We are shopping for a new house, but I’m ready to say we buy a house together alone, just the two of us, or I’m filing for divorce and buying a house by myself. I feel it’s way past time for him to be weaned from his mother and get his own life. Do you agree or am I being overly sensitive? — OVER IT IN ARIZONA

DEAR OVER IT: You are not being overly sensitive. Your wife appears to have a serious case of separation anxiety when it comes to her son, which is healthy for neither. I assume you have discussed this with her to no avail. If that’s not true, you should.

If it IS true, then it’s time for marriage and family therapy with someone who is licensed. If your wife refuses to go, the alternative would be to schedule an appointment with an attorney who can help you “untie the knot.”

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Dear Eric: By the time I was 8, I knew something was wrong with me. Babies that couldn’t be told not to would stare at my odd face. Sometimes I’d catch adults doing the same. It made me very uncomfortable.

I felt sick all of the time. No one knew why, but as a teen my deformities spread, and I had to have two grueling surgeries for spinal abnormalities. Afterward, I came up with elaborate ways to make up my face, do my hair and dress to disguise my oddities.

Through the years, other rare seemingly unrelated health problems arose. I have had to have nearly 20 more surgeries, two that literally saved my life.

The problem is that I brought all of my damaging coping behaviors into the life of my daughter. The pressure I inadvertently put on her to look pretty only made her terribly insecure. Forty years later, the additional effects of aging and childbearing have convinced her she’s so ugly and unattractive that she might as well give up. Even though she’s a good-looking woman! She is now severely obese and wears rags for clothing that reinforce her thinking.

This breaks my heart. Because I got so messed up myself, I do not know how to help her.

– Sad and Confused

Dear Sad and Confused: First, please work on forgiving yourself for not giving your daughter what you didn’t have to give. While you may have put pressure on her or allowed some of the pain you were processing to impact her, you were and still are also a person trying to navigate the world as best you can. So, grant yourself some grace.

And grant your daughter grace, too. No one is created in a vacuum. You didn’t single-handedly shape her personality, and you don’t have the power to single-handedly change her mind about herself.

But there’s incredible power in vulnerability and honesty. It can transform the relationship you have with your daughter and the relationship you have with yourself. First, if you’re not already doing so, work on processing the trauma you’ve experienced around your health and body image with a counselor. Once you’ve made some progress, you’ll be in a good state of mind to share with your daughter what you experienced and what you wish you had done differently.

The goal, however, shouldn’t be making her change. That’s her work to do. And if you are sharing with her with the intention that she behave or think differently, it’s likely to have a negative impact on her. Instead, try to work toward accepting her for who she is. That will have the most meaningful impact.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

Dear Annie: My sister lives across the country and recently lost her husband. She doesn’t have much of a support system nearby, and she’s not in good health and can’t get around well at all. She can barely take care of herself, never mind her little dog. Her home has serious issues because it’s been poorly maintained. I haven’t been able to go see her, but even if I could visit, I wouldn’t be much help with the house problems. Still, I care deeply about her and worry about her mental and physical health.

I call her several times a week, but lately, I’ve grown more concerned. I reached out to someone I know who occasionally visits her, hoping they could give me a better sense of how she’s really doing. That person never called me back — but they did call my sister and told her I’d called them. My sister told this third party not to contact me. Now she’s upset with me for “going behind her back,” and we haven’t spoken in over a week.

I can understand why she might be upset with me, but my call wasn’t done out of malice. I’m genuinely concerned for her welfare. I just wanted to make sure she was OK. Now our relationship is strained. Was it wrong to contact someone else out of concern for her safety and health? — Worried and Shutout

Dear Worried and Shutout: You weren’t wrong. From a distance, it can be hard to tell how serious a situation is, and your heart was in the right place. Still, it’s understandable why your sister felt blindsided. Having someone check up on her without her knowledge probably felt embarrassing and like a breach of trust. And since she’s still coping with the loss of her husband, she’s likely feeling more vulnerable these days.

It’s not so much about who was right or wrong as it is about moving past this incident and mending your relationship. Send your sister a message, not to defend yourself or rehash what happened, but simply to say you’re sorry for upsetting her and that when she’s ready to reconnect, you’ll be there. It may take her some time to get back on the same page, but with space and grace, I’m sure she’ll come around.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“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].

This Saturn Retrograde celebrates the relationship between discipline and problems. Problems give discipline something to shape itself around. Discipline is how we court the problem long enough to learn from it. A problem isn’t a failure of discipline; it’s the forge in which discipline is made. Don’t wish your problems away. The problem is the way.

 ARIES (March 21-April 19). The plan isn’t the problem; it’s how tightly you’re gripping it. Relax your hold, and something better might slip in. Flexibility isn’t failure; it’s intelligence. You’ll pivot at just the right moment and impress even yourself.

 TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re doing so much better than you think. Even when you’re hurting, you know there’s nothing wrong with you for feeling that way. You are a soul in the middle of a day and you’re being so brave just by not turning away.

 GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A little patience goes a long way. It’s easier to extend grace to others when you remember your own quirks and blind spots. Today, your compassion will earn you goodwill — and possibly the same kindness in return.

 CANCER (June 22-July 22). A chance encounter has more to it. Don’t brush it off. There’s potential in the moment — maybe for friendship, maybe for something different and even more beneficial to you. No assumptions. Stay open and let curiosity lead.

 LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Refinement doesn’t always look glamorous. It can be repetitive and make your muscles sore, your eyes blurry, your energy feeling misplaced on something that’s not so much hard as it is tedious. But refinement is also what will set your work, and you, apart.

 VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Sometimes you identify as a pleaser, but even then you know you don’t have to act on every request. You’ll be more “pleasing” by picking only the request that resonated with you as something you might enjoy or learn from or both.

 LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The fun is back, but it’s got layers now. You’re not just entertaining people; you’re building momentum, connection and possibly your next opportunity. Play and purpose are aligned.

 SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ve been in observe-and-absorb mode, but now it’s time to speak. You’ve got a take no one else does, and it’s needed. Say it your way — not louder, just clearer. Your voice adds texture to the moment and moves things forward.

 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). A job half-finished drains more energy than one fully complete. Today’s joy comes from follow-through. Button it up. Sweep the corners. You’ll sleep better knowing you brought it all the way home.

 CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Some people confuse need with want, and their excess spills into everything. Stay grounded. Your clarity around simplicity and moderation will help you avoid drama — and may even inspire others to choose elegance, or at least a less chaotic path.

 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). People trust you with their subtext, which you read as though it’s as obvious as the story on the surface. You’ll handle people’s quirks and wants with humor and grace. People will trust you enough to eventually let you know their inner world.

 PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ve been too close to this puzzle. Step back — way back. The big picture only becomes visible when you detach from the outcome. It’s a mental shift, a little sacrifice of desire that buys you perspective.

 TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 12). This year brings the joy that isn’t just a treat; it’s a flare from your creative core, proof that your spark is catching and you’re using your power in a way that matters. You’ll know the resonance of connecting deeply with people who truly get you. More highlights: a renovation, domestic glow-up and personal strength-building mission. The cause you adopt thrives. A risk pays off with surprising momentum in both love and livelihood. Pisces and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 17, 25, 33 and 47.

 CELEBRITY PROFILES: Michelle Rodriguez is known for playing tough, complex characters in action films like “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. Her Cancer sun speaks through the fierce loyalty and emotional intensity she brings to every role. Behind the grit is a deep sensitivity; Rodriguez often champions causes related to animal rights, indigenous cultures and environmental preservation. She’s trading action scenes for scenes of action — behind the scenes, where she’s crafting stories with her signature force and fire.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

NEW YORK (AP) — Katie Taylor beat Amanda Serrano for the third time, winning a majority decision on Friday night to remain the undisputed 140-pound champion.

Taylor won by scores of 97-93 on two judges’ cards, while the third had it even at 95-95. It was the third straight narrow decision between the two, after Taylor won a split decision in their first bout and a narrow unanimous decision in the rematch.

Back in Madison Square Garden, site of their first bout, Taylor improved to 25-1 in a fight that perhaps wasn’t as exciting as their first two, but once again was almost too close to call.

Serrano (47-4-1) never really hurt Taylor this time, the expected final fight between the two, the way she did a couple times in the previous fights and held her hands over her eyes when the first score announced was the even card, perhaps knowing already then, she hadn’t done enough to pull it out.

The Associated Press scored it 95-95.

It was the same festive atmosphere in front of another sold-out crowd split between Irish and Puerto Rican fans, just the way it was when they first fought here on April 30, 2022, in what was the first women’s boxing match to headline the arena.

This time, the arena hosted its first all-women’s card, many of the fighters saying during the leadup they owed their opportunity to the interest created by the Taylor-Serrano trilogy.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

During an interview on Peacock’s coverage of the American Century Championship on Friday, Charles Barkley said about the annual celebrity golf event: “This is my 30th year. I look forward to coming here every year.”

And is he ever looking forward to Round 2 on Saturday.

From 2014 through 2018, Barkley had the worst score among the golfers who complete all three rounds annually except in 2015, when he finished next-to-last.

But the perennial also-ran with a swing that spawned jokes completed the first round of the 2025 tournament on Friday tied for 24th among the 90 competitors.

“I had a great day today,” Barkley said. “I had a lot of fun. I played with Nate Bargatze and Larry the Cable Guy, two of the best dudes. But I’ve put a lot of time and effort in, and I was very happy with the way I played today.”

Barkley shot a 9-over-par 81 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada. But that wasn’t his score. The American Century Championship uses the Modified Stableford scoring system. A double eagle is worth 10 points, a hole-in-one eight, an eagle six, a birdie three and a par one. A double-bogey or worse is minus-2 points.

Barkley finished with nine points on Friday.

Barkley holed out from 88 yards on the par-4 second hole for a six-point eagle. He birdied the par-3 seventh and parred eight holes. Four double-bogeys took eight points off his score.

“I thought I would play well,” Barkley told former Vestavia Hills High School star Smylie Kaufman in an interview during Peacock’s coverage. “I didn’t think I would play this well. What I’m really trying to work on is tempo. Every time I try to hit the ball hard, bad stuff happens, so I told myself the last couple of weeks, ‘Man, you’re a big, old, fat dude. Just make a pass at it. It’s going to go.’ That’s what I tell myself, Smylie: ‘You’re a big, old, fat dude. If you just make a nice pass at it, with that big ass you got, the ball’s going to go off the club.’ So I’m really just concentrating, honestly, on tempo.”

Barkley had his best showing at the tournament last year, when he came in 58th at minus-4. He had never had a score better than minus-26 previously.

Former NHL player Joe Pavelski holds the lead after the first round with 23 points, one point ahead of 2022 winner Vinny Del Negro, a former NBA player and coach. Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry, the 2023 winner, is tied for third with 21 points.

A former Leeds High School and Auburn basketball standout, Barkley is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after a 16-year NBA career that included 11 All-Star selections.

An Auburn alumnus has won the American Century Championship. Football kicker Al Del Greco took the title in 2000.

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

It didn’t take Helena long to find its new baseball coach.

Just days after P.J. Guy announced his move to Oak Mountain, the Huskies announced they have hired former Major League player Mitch Moreland as their next head coach.

Moreland lives in Helena with his wife Susan and the couple’s three children.

A native of Mississippi, Moreland played college baseball at Mississippi State. As a junior, he hit .343 with 10 home runs and also went 2-0 as a pitcher.

The Texas Rangers selected him in the 17th round of the 2007 MLB Draft.

He made his MLB debut for the Rangers on July 29, 2010.

His 12-year career also included stops with the Red Sox – where he won a World Series in 2018, the Padres and the Athletics. Moreland was a career .251 hitter with 186 home runs and 618 RBIs.

He won a Gold Glove in 2016 and made the All-Star team in 2018.

Moreland takes over a Helena program that won the 6A championship in 2017 and finished as runner-up in both 2015 and 2018.

Helena will have a player meeting at 9:30 a.m. July 18.

Eddie Santana Sr. is the latest member of a family of four to be recovered after deadly flooding in Texas last week caused them to disappear, according to an Alabama news station.

According to Fox10 News, a family member confirmed that Eddie’s body was found on Friday.

Eddie, a 69-year-old from Mobile, was staying at a riverside cabin in Kerrville when he was swept away along with his wife, Ileana Santana, 6-year-old granddaughter, Mila Rose Santana, and Mila’s parents, Camille Santana and Eddie Santana Jr.

Eddie Jr. was found alive and discharged from a hospital on July 6.

Camille’s body was found on July 8 by rescuers and she died due to injuries sustained during the flood, according to her brother-in-law Michael Santana.

The search continues to find Ileana and Mila who remain missing a week after the floods began.

The devastating floods caused over 120 people to die.

Sarah Marsh, an eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, was among the victims.