The family of an Alabama teen fatally shot by police in a Homewood soccer park said he was not armed, not aggressive and did not resist police.
Jabari Latrell Peoples, 18, of Aliceville, died at UAB Hospital in Birmingham less than hour after police say he was armed and struggled with an officer who then shot him.
“We will pursue this case until the truth is fully exposed, and justice is served,” according to the family’s statement posted on Facebook, “not only for Jabari, but for every family who’s been forced to bury a loved one without answers.”
Sgt. Mark Trippe said a Homewood officer was investigating a suspicious vehicle at the park. The park was otherwise empty at the time, police said.
Peoples, police said, was inside the vehicle in question and engaged in a physical altercation and then pulled a gun.
The officer then shot Peoples.
He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:06 p.m.
Per department policy, the investigation was turned over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation.
In a Tuesday night statement, ALEA officials echoed Homewood’s account of the incident, and said the officer was treated on the scene for injuries.
The family’s statement said they were not notified by law enforcement or medical personnel but instead learned of People’s death at 10 a.m. Tuesday when they were notified by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
Efforts by AL.com to contact the family were not immediately successful.
By the time they were contacted, the family statement said, his body had already been transported, and an autopsy had been conducted without their knowledge or consent.
They were instructed to send a funeral home to retrieve his body.
“We were denied the right to identify him. We were denied the right to be present,” the statement read. “We were denied basic dignity.”
The family said Peoples’ was approached by an individual in an unmarked vehicle, with no lights, no sirens, and no visible identification. That officer exited the car, tapped on the window, and told the occupants to exit.
“They followed directions,” the family said. “Jabari complied — and within seconds, he was taken to the ground and shot.”
“A witness was present. That person saw everything,” they said. “There was no weapon. There was no threat.”
The family said the officer took no life-saving action and left Peoples to die. “He was left to bleed out on the street,” the statement continued.
“Jabari was a college student,” according to the statement. “He had a family. He had a future.”
The family said they have not received a police report or seen video footage of the incident or heard from Homewood police.
“But we have heard the lies. We’ve read the headlines — and we’ve watched attempts to twist this narrative,’’ the statement said.
“Let us be clear: This was not just negligence. It was a violation of Jabari’s civil rights, of our family’s human rights, of due process and decency,” the statement read.
The statement said the family is demanding public release of the full police report, all available body cam and dash cam footage, identification of the officer, and a full, independent investigation.
“His life mattered. His death will not be ignored,” the family said, “and his story will not be rewritten.”
Christian rock group Newsboys claimed that they’ve been dropped from their record label following former lead singer Michael Tait’s confession earlier this month that allegations of unwanted groping of young men and abuse were largely true.
Newsboys, consisting of Adam Agee, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein and Jody Davis, took the stage at Arizona’s Elevate Music Festival on Sunday, where they stated that they had been dropped from Capitol Christian Music Group in the fallout from Tait’s announcement.
“As a result of all this, and the things that have come out that he’s done, he’s confessed, we’ve been dropped from our record label,” said Agee, who stepped in as lead singer of the group following Tait’s departure in January.
“We had radio stations pull our music and we’ve been canceled by promoters and venues all over the world. But not tonight.”
The label did not respond to Variety‘s request for confirmation, and Newsboys is no longer listed on the site’s artist roster, where they were featured as recently as April.
“A couple of weeks ago, our world was rocked by the devastating news about what that confession and what that double life really was,” Agee told the crowd.
“We were shocked because in January, he had mentioned a few things about substance abuse and some personal struggles he was having at home when he wasn’t on the road, but never anything of the magnitude of what we read and what was reported and never anything, ever just anything, that could have made us ever think that he could possibly be a danger to others or anything like that.”
Tait abruptly quit Newsboys in January after being the face of the veteran group for the last 16 years. On June 4, Christian site Roys Report published a lengthy article describing “Nashville’s worst-kept secret” and detailing a pattern of “predatory grooming” as well as drug abuse.
The following day, Newsboys issued a statement on its Instagram, writing, “When he left the band in January, Michael confessed to us and our management that he ‘had been living a double-life’ but we never imagined that it could be this bad.”
Days later, Tait himself responded to the report and confirmed that the allegations in the article were largely true. “For some two decades I used and abused cocaine, consumed far too much alcohol, and, at times, touched men in an unwanted sensual way,” he wrote.
“I am ashamed of my life choices and actions, and make no excuses for them. I will simply call it what God calls it — sin. I don’t blame anyone or anything but myself. While I might dispute certain details in the accusations against me, I do not dispute the substance of them…”
“I hope the CCM industry crumbles,” she wrote on social media. “And f..k all of you who knew and didn’t do a damn thing. I bet I’ve got your number. And btw if you’re not angry too then maybe it’s time to question why.”
A top Justice Department official suggested the Trump administration might have to ignore court orders as it prepared to deport Venezuelan migrants it accused of being gang members, a fired department lawyer alleged in a whistleblower complaint made public Tuesday.
The whistleblower’s claims about Principal Assistant Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove come a day before Bove is set to face lawmakers Wednesday for his confirmation hearing to become a federal appeals court judge.
In a letter seeking a congressional and Justice Department watchdog investigation, the former government lawyer, Erez Reuveni, alleges he was pushed out and publicly disparaged after resisting efforts to defy judges and make arguments in court that were false or had no legal basis.
The most explosive allegation in the letter from Reuveni’s lawyers centers around a Justice Department meeting in March concerning President Donald Trump’s plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act over what the president claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Reuveni says Bove raised the possibility that a court might block the deportations before they could happen. Reuveni claims Bove used a profanity, saying the department would need to consider telling the courts “f— you,” and “ignore any such order,” according to the filing.
“Mr. Reuveni was stunned by Bove’s statement because, to Mr. Reuveni’s knowledge, no one in DOJ leadership – in any Administration – had ever suggested the Department of Justice could blatantly ignore court orders, especially with” an expletive, the filing says. In the weeks following the meeting, Reuveni says he raised concerns in several cases about efforts to violate court orders through “lack of candor, deliberate delay and disinformation.”
Reuveni’s claims were first reported Tuesday by The New York Times.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the allegations “utterly false,” saying that he was at the March meeting and “at no time did anyone suggest a court order should not be followed.”
“Planting a false hit piece the day before a confirmation hearing is something we have come to expect from the media, but it does not mean it should be tolerated,” Blanche wrote in a post on X.
Reuveni had been promoted under the Trump administration to serve as acting deputy director of the Office of Immigration Litigation after working for the Justice Department for nearly 15 years under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Reuveni’s firing came after he conceded in an April court hearing that a Salvadoran man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, should not have been deported to an El Salvador prison, and expressed frustration over a lack of information about the administration’s actions. After that hearing, Reuveni says he refused to sign onto an appeal brief in Abrego Garcia’s case that included arguments that were “contrary to law, frivolous, and untrue.”
“The consequences of DOJ’s actions Mr. Reuveni reports have grave impacts not only for the safety of individuals removed from the country in violation of court orders, but also for the constitutional rights and protections of all persons — citizen and noncitizen alike — who are potential victims of flagrant deliberate disregard of due process and the rule of law by the agency charged with upholding it,” Reuveni’s lawyers wrote.
U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg in April found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for violating his order not to deport anyone in its custody under the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg had told the administration to turn around any planes that already headed to El Salvador, but that did not happen.
The administration has argued it did not violate any orders, saying it didn’t apply to planes that had already left U.S. airspace by the time his command came down.
Trump nominated Bove last month to fill a vacancy on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He was already expected to face tough questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee given his role in some of the department’s most scrutinized actions since Trump’s return to the White House in January.
The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, said Tuesday that the allegations from Reuveni are part of a “broader pattern by President Trump and his allies to undermine the Justice Department’s commitment to the rule of law.”
“I want to thank Mr. Reuveni for exercising his right to speak up and bring accountability to Mr. Bove,” Durbin said in a statement. ”And I implore my Senate Republican colleagues: do not turn a blind eye to the dire consequences of confirming Mr. Bove to a lifetime position as a circuit court judge.”
During an appearance on the Zach Gelb Show, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers made it clear that he still respects the Tide.
“Shoot, Alabama’s still Alabama to me,” Sellers said. “They were good last year. They’re a good team. They’re big, strong and fast. That’s how I remember watching them growing up, and I don’t really think they’ve changed that much. Obviously they’ve got a new coaching staff and all that, but that’s still SEC ball, that’s still Alabama.”
Sellers got to see Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama up close last season. The Gamecocks lost a nailbiter in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and almost certainly would have made the College Football Playoff if they had beaten the Crimson Tide.
The QB threw for 238 yards, two touchdowns and a costly interception last year in Tuscaloosa. He and South Carolina will see the Tide in Columbia this season.
Sellers comments come after Castellanos, who joined Florida State as a transfer from Boston College this offseason, disparaged Alabama in an interview with On3.
“I’m excited, man,” Castellanos told On3. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
The Crimson Tide will likely be favored against the Seminoles to open the season. FSU struggled last year, finishing 2-10, with just one win over an FBS opponent, a one-score victory over Cal.
Alabama will begin preseason camp in early August. The Crimson Tide will make the trip to Tallahassee to face Florida State on Aug. 30.
Last summer, when Joe Mauer earned his place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, headlines celebrated St. Paul, Minnesota, for punching above its weight with four homegrown Cooperstown inductees.
But as local TV anchor Peter Albrecht put it, another city still wears the crown.
“They know that Mobile is No. 1 when it comes to baseball Hall of Famers,” Albrecht said Tuesday, as Mobile, Alabama, threw a full-blown celebration of its outsized impact on professional sports with the official opening of its new $11 million Hall of Fame Walk.
Mobiel, the city that’s smaller than St. Paul, Chicago, New York, or L.A., leads the pack in Hall of Famers per capita.
Chicago Cubs great Billy Williams, a Whistler native inducted in 1987, had a simple answer as to how Mobile is at the top of the heap: “I tell them it’s in the water.”
Unmatched legacy
NFL Hall of Famer Robert Brazile greets his fans with his imposing “Dr. Doom” statue in the background following the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. It officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in downtown Mobile, Ala. The park features six bronze statues, each 9-foot tall. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame for Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
With two of the city’s three living sports Hall of Famers in attendance, Mobile honored its storied athletic legacy with the debut of a park featuring six towering bronze statues — each nine feet tall — immortalizing native Mobilians who rose to the top of their games.
Williams, 87, and Robert Brazile, 72, addressed a cheering crowd at the ribbon-cutting.
Brazile, the city’s lone Pro Football Hall of Famer, stood beside his statue, took pictures with his fans and looked to the future: “We’ll be here for generations and generations,” he said.
Williams, during his speech, encouraged youngsters to not give up on their dreams about being a professional sports ballplayer. He said the statues of each ballplayer can serve as a testament for what can be achieved.
“You see Rookies of the Year, Most Valuable Players, Hall of Famers, Gold Gloves, and an All-Pro in Robert Brazile,” Williams said, adding that the city has also contributed other professional sports superstars like the entire 1969 New York Mets World Series championship outfield – Amos Otis, Tommy Agee and Cleon Jones.
“We have more Hall of Famers down here than any one city,” Williams said, referring to the enshrinements of native residents into Cooperstown, N.Y., on a per capita basis. “Not only Hall of Famers, but players who played in the Major Leagues and made a great contribution to every ballclub. I wish this gets more exposure and that we can let the country know we were good.”
Jones, celebrating his 83rd birthday, was honored by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson with an exceptional citizen award. Jones then recognized former St. Louis Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith, the lone living Hall of Famer who was not in attendance.
The other Hall of Famers recognized with statues, and who were recognized by family members or friends, included:
Hank Aaron, the 25-time All-Star who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1973. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1982.
Satchel Paige, regarded as among the best pitchers to ever live, was the first predominately Negro League player to enter the MLB Hall of Fame in 1971.
Willie McCovey, once regarded by Bob Gibson as the “scariest hitter of all time,” was a six-time All-Star and former MVP with the Giants organization.
Park features
Artist Brett Grill listens to the speakers during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center in downtown Mobile, Ala. The park was officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. It features six bronze statues, each around 9-foot tall, which Grill created. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
All six statues were sculpted by artist Brett Grill of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Grill called the project a “dream” and one that connected his work back to his childhood growing up “obsessed with baseball” in the late 80s.
“I had a paper route, collected baseball cards and nearly every dollar I earned went to baseball activities,” Grill said. “Meeting Billye Aaron (Hank Aaron’s widow), Ozzie Smith, and Cleon Jones was meaningful as I heard their firsthand stories.”
The Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center, officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in downtown Mobile, Ala. The park features six bronze statues, each 9-foot tall. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame for Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
Aside from statues, the park includes new landscaping, hardscaping, built-in seating, and a new water feature. Its location is highly visible at the front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center along Water Street, and next to a future train stop that will accommodate the revitalized Amtrak route from Mobile to New Orleans.
The ceremony drew some notable names including Brazile’s former Houston Oilers teammates – Vernon Perry and NFL Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell. Also in attendance were Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, and former NFL offensive lineman Willie Anderson.
The park was inspired by an idea from Jones, who has long wanted to create a “Field of Dreams” in a prominent location in Mobile celebrating the city’s rich sports heritage that, for years, has often gone unnoticed even among city residents.
Future development
New York Mets Hall of Famer and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson share a moment on stage during a luncheon ahead of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. The park was officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. It features six bronze statues, each around 9-foot tall. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
The overall project remains incomplete. Stimpson, during a luncheon ahead of the ribbon cutting ceremony, vowed to Jones that he would like to get his Field of Dreams addition started before his time as mayor ends in early November.
Stimpson also said an empty pedestal will be added within the park, as part of an idea by former Mobile City Councilman John Williams, that will serve as a place where people can stand and take pictures among the statues.
The mayor offered high praise to Jones and his wife, Angela, for the work they do in the city’s historic Africatown community approximately six miles north of downtown. That includes mowing yards, fixing roofs, tending to a food pantry, and repairing homes.
“What an example of someone who could have chosen another pathway in life but returned home and has given back to the City of Mobile,” Stimpson said.
He then vowed to make the Field of Dreams addition to the park a reality.
He said the location could be near the McCovey statue and would feature acknowledgements to other athletic superstars from the city including Jones and the 1969 Mets outfield. Other possible additions could span the generations from Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe of the Negro Leagues to Peavy, the standout pitcher from multiple world championship teams in recent years.
Jones, who seemed to relish Stimpson’s pledge, said the public should expect more additions and hopefully see them completed quicker than the seven years it took to get the park completed.
“It took us seven years to put this together,” he said. “This is seven years of perfection. There is more to come.”
A controversial Decatur City councilman both announced and then withdrew his candidacy for mayor in an apparent stunt to prove a point.
Hunter Pepper, who represents District 4 on the Decatur City Council, initially announced Tuesday on Facebook that he was running to become mayor of the city, according to WAFF.
“I think it’s time for someone to step up to the plate and get this city to where it needs to be,” Pepper said in the now deleted post. “I am not running for council, but I am humbly asking for your vote for Mayor of our great city.”
In another Facebook post in the afternoon Pepper shared the “method to the madness” and withdrew from the mayoral race.
‘Today, I qualified for mayor to prove a point,“ Pepper said. ”Anyone with $50 (or for free) can walk into a clerks office, “qualify” for mayor and get 15 minutes of fame. Do. Your. Research. Choose a candidate who is going to continue to make our city prosperous and a better place. Our city needs leadership that i do not have the ability or knowledge to give.”
But Pepper also signaled that he may also be stepping down from his public office in District 4 saying, “I feel as if my time in municipal government has come to an end.”
Pepper was 18 when he was elected to the city council in 2020, unseating a long-time incumbent and becoming the city’s youngest-ever councilman.
During his tenure Pepper has been part of several controversies and received national news attention.
In 2021, after voting to end the city’s mask mandate, Pepper was diagnosed with COVID. He went on to encourage others to get vaccinated.
He has had several run ins with Steve Perkins protesters due to his support for the police and comments targeted at demonstrators.
Perkins was shot and killed by a Decatur police officer in September of 2023, setting off a wave of protests in the city calling for changes and accountability from police.
The Seattle Seahawks’ defensive improvement led a second-half turnaround during the 2024 NFL season. In 2025, Seahawks defensive lineman Jarran Reed hopes the unit will have a season-long role in propelling Seattle back to the playoffs.
“I think that everybody, well, my side of the ball, wants the defense to be the reason why,” Reed said. “Defense wins championships. Offense wins games. That just is what it is. We want to put the team on our back, and we want to be the one and want to be the reason why we win games.”
The Seahawks went from 25th in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed among the NFL’s 32 teams in 2023 to 11th in points allowed and 14th in yards allowed in 2024. But the improvement didn’t happen all at once.
When Seattle reached the bye week of its 2024 season, the Seahawks had a 4-5 record and were allowing an average of 24.6 points and 357.6 yards per game.
After its open date, Seattle won six of its eight games and allowed an average of 18.4 points and 304.8 yards per game.
The surge still didn’t get the Seahawks into the playoffs in their first season since 2009 without Pete Carroll as their head coach. Former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald took the reins in Seattle in 2024, but the 10-7 record in his inaugural season left the Seahawks as the only NFC team with a winning record that missed the postseason.
“Just communication and be able to play faster than what we was playing,” Reed said about his team’s improvement in 2024. “When we came in at first, it is a big playbook, so it’s a lot to learn. I think that now, just banging off last year, growing what we already know, coming in and then redoing it. It’s like reading the same book over and over again. And so now we get to go out on the field and just play fast. And I think that plays a huge part into being successful in executing our plays.”
Reed said the aim of Seattle’s offseason program was “to continue building off that.”
“Definitely getting more comfortable,” Reed said during OTAs. “It’s a big playbook, so definitely being able to just play fast right now, I think is the main thing. And I think that’s the thing with everybody, especially the back end.”
While the players learned the playbook in 2024, the coaches learned the players, Reed said, helping to spark improvement.
“They’re more intentional with what they expect from us,” Reed said about Macdonald’s second-year staff. “I think everybody kind of just deflated the balloon a little bit because last year, we weren’t holding our breath, but nobody knew what to expect. It was a new staff, and for us, we were new players. And for us, to them, it was new coaching staff. So everybody had to learn each other, learn our likes, what we like, how we play. And I think it’s the main thing.
“It seems like everybody now is just meshing and jelling together. And I’m really excited to see how this season goes.”
The Seahawks have completed their offseason program. They return from summer break for training camp when the rookies report on July 15 and the veterans come in on July 22. Seattle starts its three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Reed is preparing for his 10th NFL season and eighth with the Seahawks after signing a three-year, $22 million contract in March that kept him from reaching free agency this offseason.
Among former Alabama players who spent their entire NFL careers as defensive linemen, his 139 games is tied for fourth with Jess Richardson, and he could be up to second by the end of the 2025 season. Mike Pitts played in 169 NFL regular-season games, Marty Lyons 147 and Cornelius Griffin 146.
Reed also could become the Alabama alumnus with the most games with Seattle during 2025, too. Reed has played 105 games with the Seahawks. The only former Crimson Tide player ahead of Reed on Seattle’s all-time games list is running back Shaun Alexander with 119.
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.
Saraland quarterback Jamison Roberts knows exactly the type of weapon he has in senior wide receiver DeShawn Spencer.
“He’s a go-get-it wide receiver,” Roberts said. “I feel like if I place it anywhere in his vicinity he’s going to go get it.”
That was certainly the case in the Class 6A state title game against Parker.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Spencer caught a pair of touchdown passes from then-quarterback KJ Lacey in the Spartans’ 28-17 loss. He was covered on both plays by top 2025 prospect and Oregon signee Na’eem Offord.
“I put the work in. I work hard,” Spencer said recently. “Knowing I was able to make that impact and get myself out there in the championship game means a lot to me.”
Saraland’s DeShawn Spencer gets fired up after his second touchdown catch during the AHSAA Super 7 Class 6A championship at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.
(Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Spencer’s two receptions in the championship game totaled 76 yards. The running back-turned-wide receiver finished his junior season with 54 receptions for 1,037 yards and 13 TDs. He also rushed for 193 yards and a pair of scores.
With 2024 All-State wide receiver CD Gill now in college, Spencer should become even more of a focal point of Saraland’s offense this fall.
“We are going to do a lot of different things with him,” Saraland coach Jeff Kelly said. “I think back to some of the different ways (Alabama wide receiver) Ryan (Williams) affected games a few years ago. They are both extremely smart players that you have the ability to do different things with.
“Deshawn has worked himself into being a dynamic, explosive receiver. We have some other guys too that not a lot of guys know about that really get me excited about that receiving corps. I know defenses will try to do things to take DeShawn out of games. It’s our job as coaches to put him in situations and defenses in situations where they can’t do that.”
Spencer made the transition from running back to wide receiver prior to the 2024 season after Williams, the state’s only two-time Mr. Football, graduated early and left for Alabama.
“It wasn’t really that tough,” he said of the move. “At wide receiver, you are more 1-on-1 a lot, so you have to know how to win, to get open and create space between you and the sideline. It’s just like being on an island by yourself. That does make it a little different than being in the backfield all the time.”
The 247 composite rankings have Spencer as the No. 19 senior recruit in the state. He told AL.com last week he has narrowed his potential college list down to the two schools that have prioritized him most – Duke and Maryland.
He plans to announce a commitment in the next week.
“He’s going to be outstanding no matter where he goes,” Roberts said.
Kelly said Spencer has the ability to play inside or outside on the next level.
“A lot of people see him as a slot receiver, but I think he is as effective or more effective as an outside guy,” Kelly said. “A lot of people see the way he runs with the football after he catches it. After he catches it, he kind of runs like a running back. He has a lot of versatility. He will grow and develop and put on size. I think he will be one of those guys who can do both.”
Saraland opens the season at reigning 4A champ Jackson on Aug. 22 in a star-studded game that will also include Jackson stars Landon Duckworth, EJ Crowell and Keeyun Chapman.
The Spartans have played in the last three Class 6A title games, and Spencer said the team goals this year haven’t changed.
“I expect the same thing,” he said. “Our goal is always to go undefeated and get to the state championship. We try to take it day by day. Coach Kelly says every day, ‘Let’s get 1 percent better.’ Last year was last year. If we want to get back, we have to work hard to get there.”
A Dothan woman died Monday, three days after police say she overdosed on fentanyl.
Police on Tuesday charged two men with manslaughter in the death of 32-year-old Torie Lynn Strickland.
Officers and fire medics were dispatched at 4:30 p.m. Friday to a medical call at a trailer park in the 2200 block of South Oates Street.
According to the caller, Strickland was unresponsive outside the mobile home. Police immediately began life-saving measures, which included Narcan.
Strickland was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead Monday.
Police Chief William E. Benny said evidence on the scene led officers and investigators to determine it was likely a drug overdose. Strickland’s body will be transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.
The joint investigation with Houston County Sheriff’s Office into Strickland’s death revealed that two Dothan men – George Trierweiler, 44, and Mitchel Folds, 32 – supplied Strickland with fentanyl, which ultimately caused her death.
Both men are being held in the Houston County Jail.
Additionally, Folds and 33-year-old Madalynn Mae Bean were also charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance by the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force following a search of the residence.
A law signed by Gov. Ivey last year makes it a criminal offense to knowingly furnish a substance known to contain fentanyl to someone who dies as a proximate result of the use of the substance.
“The goal of the law was to hold those accountable for distributing this dangerous substance in our community,” Benny said. “The possession and distribution of this dangerous drug will not be overlooked in the City of Dothan, and the Dothan Police Department will vigorously support prosecutions for those involved in possessing or dealing fentanyl.”
“Our thoughts and prayers,” Benny said, “are with Strickland’s family and friends as they mourn this terrible tragedy.”
An updated report from the National Weather Service was issued on Tuesday at 6:22 p.m. for strong thunderstorms until 7 p.m. for Mobile County.
Wind gusts of up to 30 mph and marble-sized hail (0.5 inches) are predicted.
“At 6:22 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm 5 miles east of Lucedale, moving west at 15 mph,” according to the weather service. “Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.”
The alert is for Lucedale, Tanner Williams and Wilmer.
The weather service states, “If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.”
When lightning looms: Expert safety tips for thunderstorms
Lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times each year, with the bulk of these electrical discharges occurring during the summer months. Tragically, lightning claims the lives of about 20 individuals annually, as reported by the weather service. The risk of lightning-related incidents escalates as thunderstorms draw near, reaching its peak when the storm directly looms overhead. However, it gradually recedes as the tempest moves away.
To guarantee your safety in the midst of a thunderstorm, take into account the following recommendations:
Lightning safety plan:
When venturing outdoors, it’s vital to establish a clear plan for seeking shelter in case of lightning.
Monitor the sky for threatening signs and listen for the sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it’s an indication that lightning is nearby.
Seek shelter promptly in a safe location, preferably indoors.
Indoors safety measures:
Once you’re indoors, avoid using corded phones, electrical devices, plumbing fixtures, and stay away from windows and doors.
Lightning can follow conductive pathways, and these precautions reduce the risk of electrical surges.
Wait for the all-clear:
After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities.
Lightning can strike even when a storm has seemingly passed, so exercise caution.
When indoor shelter isn’t available:
If you find yourself outdoors with no access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety:
Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, which expose you to greater lightning risk.
Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In wooded areas, stay close to lower stands of trees.
If you’re in a group, ensure that individuals are spaced out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people.
Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If you have no alternative, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. It’s crucial to note that a tent provides no protection against lightning.
Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. While water and metal don’t attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks.
In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, preparedness and vigilance are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of lightning-related incidents and prioritize your safety.
Driving through downpours: Safety guidelines for wet roads
When heavy rain strikes, safety is paramount. Equip yourself with these guidelines from the weather service to navigate wet roads and avoid hazards:
Beware of swollen waterways:
Avoid parking or walking in close proximity to culverts or drainage ditches, as the swiftly moving water during heavy rain can potentially carry you away.
Maintain safe driving distances:
Adhere to the two-second rule for maintaining a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front of you. In heavy rain, allow an additional two seconds of distance to compensate for reduced traction and braking effectiveness.
Slow down and drive with care:
If it is raining and the roads are wet, slow down. Take your foot off the accelerator and let your speed drop gradually. Never use the brakes suddenly because this may cause the car to skid.
Choose your lane wisely:
Stay toward the middle lanes – water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
Visibility matters:
Turn on your headlights and be careful of other vehicles to the rear and in blind spot areas as they are especially difficult to see through rain-spattered windows.
Watch out for slippery roads:
The first half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mix of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period.
Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:
Don’t follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.
Mind your windshield wipers:
Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or sheltered spots.
If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.
In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.
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.
