Alabama News

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‘Squatters’ captures bold tactics to remove unwanted house guests: How you can stream the new series

The brand new reality series Squatters kicks off with a two-episode premiere on A&E Tuesday, July 1 beginning at 10/9c.

Those hoping to check out the latest A&E series can stream the show even without access to basic cable through Philo (free trial), DirecTV (free trial) or Sling (50% off first month).

What is Squatters about?

The new series highlights dangerous and relentless squatters—people who are taking over homes across the country. With the practice increasing around the nation, a man by the name of Flash Shelton is hard at work to get them out.

With bold tactics and street smarts, Flash and his team face tense and sometimes dangerous situations to help families reclaim their property.

Each episode reveals the emotional and high-stakes battles where the fight for justice can quickly escalate, putting everyone involved at risk. This series highlights the struggle to take back what rightfully belongs to those affected.

The Squatters premiere episode follows Shelton and his team as they head to Conroe, Texas to help a grieving family reclaim their late grandmother’s home from a squatter couple who moved in after her passing.

The second episode in the series, which releases immediately following the debut of the series, shows the team traveling to Garland, Texas to help another family repossess their deceased brother’s home from a squatter who moved in on the day that their brother died.

How to watch Squatters season 1

Those interested in tagging along with Shelton and his team as they travel around the U.S. to help families reclaim what’s rightfully theirs can stream the new A&E series through Philo, DirecTV or Sling.

Both Philo and DirecTV offer free trials while Sling offers those that commit to a paid subscription half off their first month and one month free of AMC+.

Out of the three streaming services mentioned above, Philo is the cheapest option at just $28 a month after its 7-day free trial concludes.

What is Philo?

Philo is considered one of the most affordable streaming platforms on the market. Known as an entertainment-focused streaming service, Philo offers its subscribers access to over 70 top-rated TV channels such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, Investigation Discovery and more.

New users can enjoy Philo’s 7-day free trial and continue to stream top channels, hit TV shows and movies on-demand for just $28 a month once the free trial expires.

Those looking to customize their flow of content even further on Philo can consider including add-ons such as MGM+, STARZ, and AMC+ in their subscription.

What is DirecTV?

DirecTV is a top streaming service perfect for those looking to access a plethora of live TV channels and enjoy helpful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular TV channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNBC, BET, CNN and more.

DirecTV has also recently introduced a lineup of genre packs, which allows subscribers to choose their favorite viewing options based on what genre they watch the most. With genre packs, users can get the channels and content they want without filler channel overload. Packs start at just $34.99 a month.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages and the new genre packs can check them out here.

What is Sling?

Sling is another streaming service to consider if you want to access top-rated TV channels such as A&E. Though no free trial is available to new subscribers, those who commit to a paid plan get half off the first month and one month free of AMC+.

Both the Sling Orange plan and the Sling Blue plan are normally $45.99 a month, but with the current promotion, Sling users will pay just $23 a month for the first month.

For those who wish to access channels from both the Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans can do so by signing up for the Orange + Blue plan, which combines the best of both plans for just $60.99 a month ($30.50 for the first month).

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2 of the fastest growing cities for small business activity are in Alabama

A new analysis by a small business fintech platform shows that two Alabama cities have seen a substantial rise in commercial activity over the last year.

BILL, a provider of cloud-based financial software, says that Birmingham and Tuscaloosa are among the fastest growing cities for small business activity in the U.S., both since the beginning of 2025 and in the past year.

The analysis also shows that business activity in some mid-sized American cities is outpacing that of larger cities.

BILL looked at accounts payable spending, or business-to-business (B2B) payments, sent by businesses with two to 200 employees from the largest 342 U.S. cities with a population of 100,000 or more.

In the survey, a mid-sized city is defined as one with a population of between 499,000 to 100,000, with a large city having more than 500,000 residents.

According to the analysis, two regions have seen the fastest growth in payments by city: the South and the West, with the South leading the way.

What’s driving the growth?

What’s driving that? In part, migration since the COVID-19 pandemic. The South has drawn 2 million people from other regions—more than any other part of the country. And of the 2.1 million people who moved to the U.S. from other countries in 2022, 904,000 settled in the South.

Among the reasons are climate, business-friendly government and more affordable housing, as well as the rise of remote workers.

Birmingham, in particular, showed:

• 50% growth in B2B payments since tariffs were announced in January of this year.
• 131% growth in B2B payments year-over-year.
• 84% growth in B2B payments since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Other Alabama cities have seen similar numbers. Mobile, for example, has recorded a whopping 437% growth in B2B payments since March 2020, and 5% growth since this January.

Montgomery has seen a 50% growth since 2020, while Huntsville has registered a 128% growth since the beginning of the pandemic.

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Controversial television evangelist once embroiled in prostitution scandal dead at 90

Famed television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart has died at 90. The death was announced via Facebook by Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

“Today, our hearts are heavy as we share that Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly race and entered into the presence of His Savior, Jesus Christ. Today was the day he has sung about for decades. He met his beloved Savior and entered the portals of glory. At the same time, we rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day,” the post said.

“He was not just a preacher—he was a worshiper, a warrior, and a witness to the grace and mercy of God. He was a man whose faith was steadfast and always entered whatever door the Lord opened. And the Lord honored that faith,” it added.

Swaggart had been hospitalized since June 15 when he suffered a cardiac arrest at his Louisiana home.

Famous family members

A native of Ferriday, Louisiana, Jimmie Swaggart is the co-pastor of Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge. A fiery orator renowned for his emotionally charged sermons and bombastic musical style, he is the cousin of the late singers Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley, both of whom passed away in 2022.

Sex scandals

At one point, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries receive an estimated $142 million a year in contributions, mostly from television viewers, even as other prominent preachers such as rival televangelist Jim Bakker was brought down by a sex scandal.

In 1988, Swaggart was propelled into the national spotlight when he spoke from the pulpit after he was photographed going into a hotel with a prostitute. saying “I have sinned against you” as he cast his eyes to heaven. The woman in the case, Debra Murphree, said the two did not have sex but Swaggart paid her to pose nude. Swaggart was detained again in 1991 when he was pulled over for driving on the wrong side of the road with another prostitute in the car.

Swaggart was later defrocked by the Assemblies of God and became an independent and non-denominational Pentecostal minister.

In his later years, he remained the head of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, where he was often joined by his son, Donnie, who is also a preacher.

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Woman forced to give birth alone in Etowah County jail shower settles federal lawsuit

An Etowah County woman who claimed she was forced to give birth without any medical help in a jail shower settled a federal civil rights lawsuit against the county, jail officials and doctors this week.

Ashley Caswell was two months into her high-risk pregnancy when she was arrested in March 2021 for using drugs while pregnant. When her water broke in October, her lawyers said she was not taken to the hospital and eventually delivered alone in the shower, where she experienced a life-threatening placental abruption.

“I delivered my own son and had to beg for help,” Caswell told AL.com in 2023.

According to the lawsuit, jail staff looked on as she bled and took pictures of Caswell and her baby, who was still attached to the umbilical cord, before calling for medical help.

Though both Caswell and her baby survived, the lawsuit claimed the jail denied Caswell prenatal care and her physician-prescribed Ibuprofen to manage the pain from her delivery.

“I felt they treated me like I was less than nothing, and I was terrified my baby and I would die. I decided I had to speak up by filing the lawsuit,” said Caswell in a press release.

The lawsuit was filed in October 2023 against Etowah County and officials at the Etowah County Jail, jail medical contractors Doctors’ Care Physicians and some of its employees and CED Mental Health Services.

All defendants entered into settlements, according to Caswell’s lawyers. The terms of the settlements are confidential.

“It wasn’t easy standing up for myself, but reaching this point today lets me know I made the right decision to sue. I hope they’ll take steps to make sure this doesn’t happen to another woman again,” Caswell said.

For years, law enforcement officials in Etowah County kept pregnant women accused of drug use behind bars for months until they could be released to rehab. The practice ended after AL.com reported on legal challenges filed in 2022.

AL.com has written about the county’s abnormally high number of chemical endangerment cases against pregnant women. County officials have said they are trying to protect babies from exposure to drugs, however attorneys from Pregnancy Justice and former inmates have described deplorable conditions and inadequate care for high-risk pregnancies.

Between 2015 and 2023, Etowah County arrested at least 257 pregnant women and new mothers, according to the lawsuit.

Alabama leads the nation in pregnancy-related prosecutions, according to the Pregnancy Justice Center, who represented Caswell in the case, along with co-counsel Southern Poverty Law Center and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.

“This settlement sends a clear message: A person’s carceral status doesn’t make them any less human or less deserving of civil rights,” said Pregnancy Justice Senior Staff Attorney Emma Roth.

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Former SEC defensive tackle hopes to keep scoring touchdowns in NFL

Who will score more touchdowns for the Las Vegas Raiders in his rookie season – Ashston Jeanty or JJ Pegues?

That seems a silly question. Jeanty is an All-American running back who joined the Raiders as the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Pegues is a sixth-round defensive tackle who might never touch the football.

“Me and Ashton were actually just talking about that,” Pegues said during an appearance on “Upon Further Review” on the NFL team’s official website. “He seen a couple highlights of me running the ball, so I said, ‘Man, look, I’ll block for you first. But look, we get to that goal line, I got to get in the end zone.’

“But no, it’s fun. You know, like I said, living every big guy’s dream. You know, high school, I played offense. Like that’s all I played — receiver, quarterback, running back. Never played defense. Came to Auburn, played tight end my freshman year, and then my sophomore year, we got a new coach and I went to defense. And from then I’ve been playing offense and defense.”

As a freshman at Auburn in 2020, Pegues had seven receptions for 57 yards and five rushing attempts for 14 yards. But in 2021, he didn’t have a catch or a carry as he moved to defensive tackle for the Tigers.

A transfer to Ole Miss in 2022 returned Pegues to two-way duty as a short-yardage specialist, and in 2024, the 309-pounder had 21 rushing attempts for 69 yards and seven touchdowns to go with 42 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

“It was just like normal for me,” Pegues said. “Like I know people was like telling me, ‘Oh, you’re going to play defense, you’re going to play defense in college, this and that.’ And in my head, I’m like, ‘I’m an athlete. Like I know I’m just big, but, like, that’s their fault they can’t tackle me, you know?’ …

“But I wasn’t blind to the fact that I knew at one point I was going to make the transition. It was just when did I want to make it, you know? And at that point, Auburn didn’t have enough D-linemen on the roster, so it was me just being selfless and just going to do something that a team needed, our team needed at the time. And that’s when (Ole Miss coach Lane) Kiffin came calling. It was like, ‘Hey, man, you want to do both sides?’ And I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’”

From 2001 through 2006, Kiffin served on the Southern Cal coaching staff of the Raiders’ Pete Carroll.

“Kiffin was with Pete Carroll a little bit,” Pegues said, “so all of his things about winning and just being locked in and stuff like that and competing, I’m kind of used to it. I heard it before. And the practice style is a little bit like Kiffin as well, so I can see where Kiffin gets his coaching from.

“But it’s really just being a pro. I know all the coaches in college always say at the next level, it’s more about being a pro. You’re not going to be in pads a lot or anything like that, so the walkthroughs are important, watching film. …

“Kiffin had a basketball goal in our team meeting room at Ole Miss, and Pete got one as well. So just those small things is definitely something good to be able to see and know that: OK, I am far away, but things don’t really change as much. You know, football is football. And again, like I say, you just got to be a pro.”

For Pegues, that starts with finding his footing in a defensive-line depth chart headed by Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby.

“Maxx and Christian Wilkins, Adam Butler, I always just tell myself, like, I played video games with these guys and stuff like that,” Pegues said. “Like, I see them on TV a lot on Sundays. But no, it’s definitely different, but it holds yourself to a higher standard and they hold you to a higher standard, too. They want to win. They want to see you win, so I feel like, at the end of the day, once you get a team and a group like that that wants to see everybody win and not just money-chasing or trying to get this position — like ultimately the goal you want is a championship, and I feel like that’s a team that’ll do it.”

The Raiders haven’t been near a championship for decades. Since a 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII on Jan. 26, 2003, the franchise’s postseason record is 0-2. Las Vegas had a 4-13 record last season.

On their summer break, the Raiders open training camp when the rookies report on July 17 and the veterans come in on July 22. Las Vegas starts its three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 7 against the Seattle Seahawks and kicks off its regular-season slate on Sept. 7 against the New England Patriots.

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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Children should hear 21,000 words a day. A Birmingham literacy program is trying to make that happen

In a series of stories, AL.com will continue to explore big ideas for transforming Birmingham.

Every morning, Amber Martin sings to and prays over her 5-month-old son. The rest of the day is spent reading aloud, talking and explaining absolutely everything she sees and does.

It’s a routine she started after learning the importance of the number of words her baby hears.

Children’s brains grow the fastest from birth to age five and they should hear 21,000 words a day for optimal development, according to Small Magic, a local, free early literacy program working to help more people learn to read in Birmingham. As Alabama grapples with improving early literacy and the child care industry, Small Magic is focused on helping families. Their next literacy class begins on July 8.

What’s important, Martin said, is “being able to start that learning at home and be the ones that set that foundation for him to say education doesn’t have to be difficult or hard. It doesn’t have to be something that scares you or you’re fearful of. It could absolutely be something that piques your curiosity, that you love, that you enjoy doing.”

The program combines weekly literacy coaching, with tech and data reports to get more children reading.

“We know that this is a critical window in children’s lives, especially when it comes to their development. And so we’re working really hard to capitalize and maximize on their potential early on,” Ruth Ann Moss, Small Magic’s executive director, said.

What is Small Magic and how does it work?

In 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies created a grant to fund the literacy program in five cities across the U.S., including Birmingham.

Of the five cities, which include Detroit and Louisville, Birmingham has become the largest implementer of the program, according to Moss.

Starting with 150 children in 2019, Small Magic is on track to serve 1,600 children this year by working with families and child care providers across the city.

During the two-month-long program, participants use a wearable device that counts how many words their child hears and how many times they go back and forth with adults in conversation.

The device then creates a data report. Small Magic coaches use this report to work with parents and child care workers to identify opportunities to increase learning and engagement.

The program also provides families with free books and toys.

“All throughout the day, I’m talking to him,” Martin said. “It was beautiful to start seeing him coo back even at three months.

“It just reminds you of how important it is to shape and mold from the very beginning, and how important brain development is in those first three years.”

‘It’s rewarding, satisfying and I’m grateful’

After participating in the program, 58% of child care providers and 75% of families said they read to their children more, according to a recent Small Magic report.

Since starting the literacy program, D’Bria and Patrile Stallworth said their children have put down their iPads and picked up books.

Every week, the Stallworths count how many words their 3-year-old daughter hears, finding where they can increase communication.

They say the program has made their children more engaged and imaginative.

“I felt proud to see it happen right before our eyes. Watching them having an aha moment, or a light bulb going off, or them using words that you didn’t know they knew the definition of no matter how big or small the word is, it’s just fascinating,” Patrile Stallworth said.

“It’s just very rewarding as a parent to be able to have those small moments of validation. I’m doing something that can better my child…It’s rewarding, satisfying and I’m grateful.”

According to the report, 91% of providers said the program positively impacted their classroom and 84% of families said they enjoy spending time with their child more as a result of Small Magic.

“I deeply believe these are things that are important for the future of kids in our community,” Moss said.

‘We’ve got to invest in the first five years of their life’

Alabama has long struggled with a child care and literacy crisis.

Low pay for child care workers has left some facilities short-staffed with more employees feeling burnout.

According to a recent National Association for the Education of Young Children survey, 51% of Alabama respondents working in the child care industry said they are more burned out and 27% say their economic situation has worsened post pandemic.

Parents often struggle to find affordable and accessible child care options as a result.

In 2022, almost 85,000 Alabama families needed access to child care but had no affordable, quality options in their communities, according to the Women’s Foundation of Alabama.

Moss said these are issues Small Magic often has to work around to continue to support child care workers, families and children.

“Children don’t just appear at five years old when the government starts dedicating significant funding for them. And so as a community, we’ve got to figure out if we want kids to start kindergarten ready, we’ve got to invest in the first five years of their life in ways that are systemic,” Moss said.

Martin said she joined Small Magic because of its accessibility. As a working mom, she was given the option to take the literacy coaching classes online.

“They have been here for each one of these families, no matter what the circumstance is, low socioeconomic status, no transportation, no matter what it is, they have found a way to navigate through those things and still make it a resource that’s accessible to all these children in here,” Martin said during a Small Magic graduation ceremony in June.

And the program isn’t just supporting families.

“We deeply believe that child care providers across our community are building the future of our community in their classrooms every day…We know that those people are building the brains of our future entrepreneurs, doctors, civic servants,” Moss said.

Raven Johnson, a program director, said Small Magic is helping to break down barriers by providing training to child care workers.

In 2024, 120 early education teachers participated in Small Magic, serving about 1,000 children through the child care provider program.

“This is professional development for their staff. Our coaches are going into these child care centers for five weeks, and they’re coaching teachers on literacy strategies, tools, tips for increasing language in the classroom environment, talking about the reports, setting goals, applying the strategies,” Johnson said.

Small Magic recently launched the Magic Makers Collective, where community members can donate to keep the program free for families and providers.

“We’ve really seen that there’s this appetite for folks in our community to really give kids in their lives the best from the very beginning…Folks are pouring their time and energy into the babies in their life through this,” Moss said.

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Texas-based brunch concept announces Birmingham opening

The Toasted Yolk is ready to open its Birmingham location.

Situated at 231 20th Street South, the restaurant is in the 20 Midtown Apartments of the Five Points South neighborhood.

In a social media post, the brunch and lunch spot announced a pre-opening celebration on Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The food is complementary, but you will need a reservation to take part in the event, which you can schedule here.

Known for its menu of breakfast standards and cocktails, The Toasted Yolk has existing locations in Dothan and Mobile.

The chain began outside of Houston more than 14 years ago and now has spread to 12 states.

Diners can also choose from omelets, power bowls, pancakes, Arnolds (formerly known as Benedicts), salads, sandwiches and specialty drinks.

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22-year-old indicted in Birmingham gas station shooting that killed man, injured woman

A 22-year-old man has been indicted in a 2024 shooting at an east Birmingham gas station that left a man dead, and a woman injured.

A Jefferson County grand jury on June 13 indicted Deeric Mikell Lewis for murder in the slaying of 33-year-old Colby Lemar Cade, and attempted murder for the wounding of the woman who survived, according to court records made public this week.

The incident began around 6:36 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, when gunfire erupted at the Shell station on the corner of Old Springville Road and Brewster Road.

Cade and the female drove off in a sedan and were believed to have been seeking medical attention when they crashed into one of the bay doors at Station 30, which is about a half block away.

No firefighters were injured when the vehicle struck the building.

Both shooting victims were taken to UAB Hospital where Cade was pronounced dead.

Birmingham police took Lewis into custody two days later at a home on Molly Drive in the Grayson Valley area.

Lewis had been held in the Jefferson County Jail since his Feb. 9, 2024 arrest.

A motive has not been disclosed.

A trial date has not yet been set.

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Pope Leo XIV appoints new archbishop for Alabama

Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, today named a new archbishop for the Archdiocese of Mobile.

The pope has named Bishop Mark S. Rivituso, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis since 2017, as the third Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Mobile.

Rivituso, 63, succeeds Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, who submitted his notice of retirement on his 75th birthday, March 27. 2024, as required by Church law.

Archbishop-designate Rivituso will be installed as Archbishop of Mobile by the Papal Nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre. The installation Mass is expected to be in about two months, although no date or location has been finalized.

Pope Leo XIV has named Archbishop Rodi as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Mobile until Archbishop-designate Rivituso’s installation.

“I am most grateful to the Holy Father for sending us this outstanding bishop. I give thanks to God that the Spirit has guided this selection of our new archbishop,” Archbishop Rodi said. “I ask that we all keep Archbishop-designate Rivituso in our prayers as he prepares to serve as our next archbishop.”

Archbishop-designate Rivituso also has a notable link to the Archdiocese of Mobile. He was ordained a priest on Jan. 16, 1988, by Archbishop John L. May, who led the then-Diocese of Mobile from 1969-1980 before being appointed to the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Archbishop-designate Rivituso was born in St. Louis on Sept. 20, 1961, the sixth of eight children to August (Gus) and Rosemary Rivituso. He was baptized in 1961 at St. Wenceslaus Parish in St. Louis and attended St. Wenceslaus School.

Archbishop-designate Rivituso has ministered at several parishes throughout the St. Louis area. He has also served as vicar general for the Archdiocese of St. Louis since 2011. Archbishop-designate Rivituso attended Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary, both in St. Louis. He earned a licentiate in canon and civil law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

Archbishop Rodi will serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Mobile until Archbishop-designate Rivituso’s installation. Archbishop Rodi has served as Archbishop of Mobile for more than 17 years.

Archbishop-designate Rivituso will celebrate the 12:10 p.m. Mass today at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

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Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall calls on governor to reappoint parole board chair

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a formal request Tuesday morning, calling for the governor to reappoint the parole board chair Leigh Gwathney despite “unprecedented and unwarranted criticism by the liberal media.”

Gwathney’s seat on the board expired Monday, but the former assistant attorney general will continue to serve in the role until she is either reappointed by the governor or someone else is nominated.

Marshall included in the press release a letter he sent to Gov. Kay Ivey, praising Gwathney’s leadership on the board. The letter was signed by 76 others in law enforcement, including sheriffs and district attorneys across the state.

“In 2019, we supported your efforts to reform our state’s system of pardons and paroles. While those reforms have been effective, the most consequential decision that you made during that time was to place Ms. Gwathney at the helm of the board,” Marshall wrote.

“Ms. Gwathney’s experience prosecuting violent crimes for both Jefferson County and the Attorney General’s Office makes her uniquely qualified to preside over the parole board. More importantly, her willingness to continue to serve in the face of unprecedented and unwarranted criticism by the liberal media shows a level of courage, conviction, and dedication to the cause that is rarely seen in Montgomery.”

Prior to 2019, the parole rate in Alabama was routinely above 40% and as high as 55% in 2017.

Under Gwathney’s leadership, parole rates fell as low as 8% in 2023, despite the board’s own guidelines showing more than half of eligible inmates should be released. Marshall himself wrote an opinion column that year stating that “there is simply nobody else to ‘reform’” in Alabama prisons.

Under public scrutiny from media and lawmakers, parole rates rose in 2024, coming up to about 20 percent. Gwathney however remains a reliable “no” vote in the vast majority of cases that reach the three member board.

The Alabama Attorney General said Gwathney has earned trust and respect of law enforcement and crime victims.

Marshall described the years prior to Gwathney’s appointment, where the parole rate was routinely above 40% and as high as 55% in 2017, as “misguided” and on a “dangerous trajectory related to crime and punishment.”

He added that nearly 85% of the prison population in Alabama is made up of violent offenders—a legal term that includes charges like third-degree burglary and others—“yet the parole board continues to face relentless pressure to release these offenders en masse.”

“Ms. Gwathney has proven herself to be beyond the influence of the anti-incarceration movement, ready and willing to fight for the law-abiding citizens of this state.”

State law requires a three-person committee, comprised of the speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives, the Senate leader pro tem, and the lieutenant governor, to submit a list of five names to the governor. From that list, the governor selects one person to fill the seat.

“The decision to reappoint Ms. Gwathney will send a clear and unmistakable message that you stand with those who protect the public, and against outside forces and special interests who care little about public safety and more about rhetoric.”

Marshall said in the press release that putting Gwathney back on the board is about protecting the state.

“Ms. Gwathney has never lost sight of what’s at stake: the safety of our citizens and the dignity of those who have suffered at the hands of violent offenders.”

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