Alabama News

Whitman, Alabama refuses simple categorization.

It’s part documentary, part literature, part civic ritual. Blending journalism, poetry, and art, Whitman, Alabama offers a portrait of America built one encounter at a time. In it, 21st-century Alabamians voice lines from Walt Whitman’s epic American poem Song of Myself. The words of a Northern poet enmesh with Southern lives, revealing who we are as Americans—past, present, and future. The project asks a radical question: Can we understand America by listening closely to just one state?

Whitman, Alabama answers: yes.

You can’t find Whitman, Alabama on a map—no matter how hard you look.

Yet it exists.

It exists when real people across Alabama do something they wouldn’t normally do: recite poetry while complete strangers record them on camera. They say yes to the moment—and we never stop being surprised, or grateful, for their generosity.

It takes time out of their day. Requires vulnerability and a leap of faith—trusting us to make something meaningful with their voice and their image.

At its core, Whitman, Alabama is about expanding our sense of self—how large we are. Or, as Whitman put it, recognizing that we “contain multitudes.”

I love comic books and have very specific opinions on gummy bears and donuts. I speak a little Dutch, laugh with a wheeze, and have broken a heart or two (had mine broken as well). I grew up on football and think raw hot dogs taste good. I’m also a woman, bi-racial, and gay.

People are complicated and surprising. Once we accept that, we’re more likely to find opportunities to connect and understand each other.

In Whitman, Alabama, we live—and invite others to live—in a different kind of space.

The language is different. The vibe is different. The ethos is different. And people are responding to that.

Some Alabamians who no longer live in the state have told us it made them yearn for home.

People who’ve never been to Alabama are telling us they plan to visit.

So many have said it made them fall in love with their fellow Americans again.

The participants in this project are truly brave. They’re put in the spotlight, working with antiquated poetic language—words far from most people’s daily speech. Some stumble, mispronounce, start over—and keep going. Others deliver the poem as if poetry is their mother tongue. All of them bring something real.

And then, something unexpected emerges on camera. What you see isn’t them declaring who they are. It’s them, stepping into who they could be.

Welcome to Whitman, Alabama—not a real city with traffic tickets and junk mail, census boxes and soundbites, but a place built on community, poetic exchange, and shared humanity. Here, we win by showing up—fully, bravely, and as ourselves.

Auburn men’s basketball isn’t resting on its laurels following a Final Four run in 2025.

After the successful season that featured arguably the toughest schedule in program history, the Tigers are set to face another gauntlet in the 2025-2026 season. It includes nonconference games against Houston, Purdue, Arizona, Michigan, Oregon and NC State, followed by the grind of the Southeastern Conference.

The difference this season is that Auburn will do so with a revamped and brand-new team.

Last year, the Tigers felt equipped to handle the daunting nonconference schedule with an experienced team and a group that had continuity. Associate head coach Steven Pearl didn’t suggest that this year’s team can’t handle it, but it’s a different kind of challenge.

“Some people think, ‘Oh, it’s not as tough as last year.’ I disagree, because the competition is just as good, but we’re playing with 10 new guys,” Pearl said at the Auburn Ambush event in Alexander City. “I feel like it was even harder than it was a year ago, just based on what our roster is like.”

Star point guard Tahaad Pettiford is the only scholarship returner from last year’s Final Four team. The group Auburn brought in around him is talented, but doesn’t have the experience playing together that last year’s team did.

That can make the heavyweight bouts that Auburn will have in the beginning of the season tough, as the team will still be in the early stages of learning how to play together.

On the other side of that coin, it’s arguably the fastest way for a team to learn how to play together, even if it results in a couple of early losses.

“We’ll obviously be really challenged heading into another really challenging SEC schedule,” Pearl said. “It’s going to be daunting, but it will obviously help us get ready for league play — and it will obviously help us get ready for the tournament.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at@peter_rauterkusor email him at[email protected]m

The Alabama Supreme Court Thursday let stand a lower court’s ruling to reject an injunction request involving the former Baptist Montclair hospital property in Birmingham.

At issue was an appeal by the 790 Montclair office property, which had sought a preliminary injunction against The Station at Crestline Heights, a $60 million, 277-unit apartment complex.

Back in 2021, The Station requested a “curb cut” or entrance to connect the Station’s property to Dan Hudson Drive South, to allow more than one entrance for emergency vehicles. The City of Birmingham approved the request.

But 790 Montclair said that violated a 2018 reciprocal agreement by Baptist Health System Properties by altering the sidewalk on Dan Hudson Drive South without 790 Montclair’s prior permission.

790 Montclair sought the injunction some seven months after the “curb cut,” according to court documents.

The Supreme Court, in its 15-page opinion, agreed with the trial court’s ruling that the 2018 agreement was never meant to restrict access to properties along the road.

Baptist Montclair, later Trinity Medical Center, has been the site of development over the last decade. The medical center closed in 2015 and relocated to a new facility – Grandview Medical Center – on U.S. 280.

A previous plan to develop the Trinity property was scuttled in 2018. Another plan was announced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, Avondale’s Redeemer Community Church announced it was working to acquire part of the old Trinity Medical Center campus for use as an expanded sanctuary.

Auburn football shocked the transfer landscape signing former Texas A&M safety Jacoby Mathews.

After playing in 21 games with the Aggies, Mathews totaled 66 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception. Following the 2023 season, Matthews left the A&M program, spending last season in junior college.

“Jacoby, talent-wise the guy’s a five-star talent. Obviously, he did not own up to the responsibilities you have and the accountability that you should have,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said Wednesday. “We’ve had some great heart-to-hearts. I believe with all my heart that he understands this is his last chance.”

“And he didn’t do anything — he just did not receive the blessing that he had at his previous school, and I think he’s learned a lesson and adding another elite safety to that group is beneficial to us. We’re excited to give him a chance.”

Mathews enters a loaded position group with six other safeties on the roster. Entering fall camp, he has the most career snaps logged in the Auburn safety room despite missing 2024.

In 2023 he received a coverage grade of 80.8 per PFF. He also finished with a 38.2 NFL QBR allowed when targeted that same season.

Ranked as the safety in the class of 2022, Mathews is set to reunite with Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who also coached him at Texas A&M.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

The 2025 WNBA season has a slew of games this weekend, one of them being the Indiana Fever taking on the Los Angeles Sparks at home on Saturday night.

The Fever are coming off of their 2025 Commissioner’s Cup title earlier in the week, as they took down the Minnesota Lynx 74-59. Caitlin Clark didn’t play due to a groin injury, but the Fever showed they can still score without her. Aari McDonald has proven to be a jolt of electricity, as they’ve fared well with her in the starting lineup.

On the other hand, the Sparks haven’t been able to find their groove this season so far. Despite adding veteran guard Kelsey Plum, it’s been tough for Los Angeles to stack wins together consistently.

Both teams met last week, with the Sparks winning 85-75.

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

Here’s everything you need to know before the Fever and Sparks tipoff:

When: Saturday, July 5, 2025

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

Time: 7 p.m. E.T.

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

A pair of Alabama coaches were among five nationwide first-year high school coaches recognized by Rivals this week.

Hoover’s Chip English and UMS-Wright’s Sam Williams were two of the coaches Rivals expects to make a big impact on their program in 2025.

English took over at Hoover on an interim basis in 2024 and led the Bucs to a 10-3 record, a Class 7A, Region 3 title and an appearance in the state semifinals. He was named the school’s full-time head coach in December.

Williams was hired by UMS in March to take over for one of Alabama’s all-time winningest coaches, Terry Curtis. The Mississippi native and former Mississippi State wide receiver spent the last four years as head coach at Brandon, Miss.

“I’m excited about new opportunities and fired up about where we are as a program,” Williams said in a social media post. “We have assembled a top-notch staff and have unbelievable kids and support.”

Curtis spent 26 years at UMS, winning 8 state titles along the way. His final team went 6-7 and lost in the Class 5A quarterfinals to Vigor. The Williams’ era officially opens Aug. 22 at home against rival St. Paul’s.

Of replacing Curtis, Rivals states: “Needless to say, we think Williams is up for the challenge after what he was able to do at Brandon. UMS-Wright won six games last season, and Williams should be able to improve on that right away.”

English’s first season as Hoover’s full-time coach and second overall opens against national power IMG Academy on Aug. 21. As interim coach in 2024, he steadied the program after Drew Gilmer’s sudden resignation in August following a practice incident.

“That’s the same thing we told him (English) when it happened,” Hoover AD Harley Lamey said when announcing English as the full-time coach. “You got the perfect opportunity. Nobody gets this. Usually it’s a 45-minute interview and that’s it. This guy had an opportunity to interview for the whole season. Here’s the keys to the Ferrari, let’s see what you can do with it. Through that, he proved he was the right candidate for the job.”

Rivals expects him to prove that again in 2025.

“With the way English has this program moving, we expect him to return Hoover to the top,” the article states.

The Bucs’ last state title came in 2017 under former coach Josh Niblett.

The other three coaches on Rivals’ list of impact hires were Jordan Gill of Gunter, Texas; former USC and Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer of Santa Margarita Catholic, California; and Greg Studrawa of IMG Academy.

https://www.al.com/highschoolsports/2024/08/hoover-football-coaches-drew-gilmer-adam-helms-resign-in-wake-of-practice-videos.html

A matchup between Montgomery area volleyball powers Trinity and Prattville Christian always stirs interest.

Prattville Christian won last year’s Class 4A title and the Class 3A crown in 2022 while Trinity captured the Class 3A championships in 2020 and 2021. Trinity holds a 9-4 advantage in matches since 2020, but the Panthers earned a split with Trinity last season.

Trinity parent Dave Reichert approached coach Sarah Dubberley with an idea to create even more excitement for the Oct. 4 match against Prattville Christian.

Reichert proposed playing the match outdoors, calling it Showdown at Sunset.

“I think it’s super exciting,” Dubberley said. “Bringing some attention to volleyball in general and Alabama will be awesome overall.

“We’re trying to make it a big thing not just for the school, but for girls volleyball. Volleyball is growing rapidly, but I don’t necessarily see that reflection in Montgomery, and I mean, girls are playing, but I don’t see the girls getting a lot of attention for it.”

The original idea was to play on the football field like Nebraska did against Omaha in 2023 when more than 92,000 fans came to see the match, but Trinity’s football field has a crown so the court will be brought in and set up on the softball field. Trinity is adding lights and more bleachers.

It’s the first AHSAA sanctioned outdoor match in the state while high schools in Texas and Ohio have also played outdoors.

“This just adds to the fun of it,” said Prattville Christian coach Kaylon Cantrell. “Obviously both of us want to win, but I think it’s more than winning for this event. Hopefully it gets our area really excited about the sport, just getting our girls exposure, just letting people know that volleyball has some really amazing athletes.

“We’re excited. It’s going to be a really neat thing.”

Volleyball is the top high school and college girls participatory sport, but this experience should be special. Outdoors, the lights, the elements and fans all add to the event.

“A lot of the girls play beach just for fun in the summer, but it will be different,” Dubberley said. “They’ll be used to the outdoor elements minus the stands so I’ll be intrigued. Who knows how it’ll go, but they’ll get out there and they’ll have fun.”

A federal judge heard arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit alleging that anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) law signed by Gov. Kay Ivey last year violates the constitutional rights of professors and students.

The lawsuit, brought by professors and students in the University of Alabama System against Gov. Kay Ivey and the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, alleges that SB 129 stifled instructional activity and violated the First and Fourteenth amendment rights of the plaintiffs.

A two-day evidentiary hearing was held last week.

SB 129 bans public funding of DEI and the teaching of so-called “divisive concepts,” such as people of one race are “inherently responsible” for past crimes committed by members of that race. Critics say the legislation was vaguely written and threatened the teaching of Black history in schools.

Antonio Ingram, counsel for the plaintiffs, began oral arguments Wednesday by arguing that SB 129 prevents debates from happening in the classroom and prevents students from learning, citing as an example a course that could bring up the idea of paying reparations to Black Americans for centuries of slavery, segregation and voting disenfranchisement.

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“Let’s say you’re in that reparations course, can a professor now not divide the class into two and have people take different positions?” Ingram asked.

Ingram specifically mentioned a project Cassandra Simon, a social work professor at the University of Alabama, had students complete for a grade involving a sit-in objecting to SB 129 which was cancelled while other protests on the campus were permitted by the college.

U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor, who is presiding over the case, said there could have been an “opt out provision” in place because it wasn’t clear if all of the students in the class agreed on the topic or not.

“Didn’t the administration give Dr. Simon feedback on how you can avoid that?” Proctor asked Ingram. “You can have opt out options, you can have students do a different protest.”

Jay Ezelle, an attorney representing the UA Board of Trustees, said some students could have been pressured to do the sit-in protest that was canceled.

“Where I would disagree and do disagree with Dr. Simon, is I don’t think that appreciates the pressure of the majority of students in class and the minority of students in class,” he said.

The professors in the University of Alabama system have a “credible fear of enforcement” of the law because of student complaints and investigations that have been conducted by the universities on their professors, Ingram said.

He cited testimony from Dana Patton, a political science professor and director of the Witt Fellows Program at UA, who said she was investigated over the books she assigned for her courses and due to not wanting to be investigated again, she is now afraid to teach certain topics.

Proctor pushed back, saying there was no adverse action taken against Patton and that there is always going to be a potential for student complaints.

Dan Cantor, another counsel member for the plaintiffs, argued on behalf of the students who had been affected by SB 129.

Cantor clarified statements made during Sydney Testman’s, a former financial coordination for the UAB Social Justice Advisory Council (SJAC), testimony last week stating that not only did the SJAC lose $10,000 and their University Funded Organization Status, but Testman also lost her $600 stipend due to her role as a financial coordinator being dissolved due to SB 129.

Cantor also said in court that while SJAC could have still applied to be a Registered Student Organization (RSO), it would have only been $100 the organization could receive and this funding was not secure.

The attorney also cited testimony from UAB employee Mary Wallace, who said some RSOs cannot get funding because of the University of Alabama Birmingham’s guidance following the passing of SB 129 which states that the institution cannot provide funding for “DEI related organizations.”

Cantor also provided clarification on testimony from UAB student Miguel Luna, who testified last week that his organization, Esperanza, lost funding due to SB 129. The attorney said Wednesday Esperanza also lost funding when SJAC did due to Esperanza using funding from SJAC to host events.

Counsel for Ivey did agree with the plaintiffs that Testman suffered due to the removal of her stipend, but argued Luna’s claim wasn’t reasonable because it’s more difficult to determine.

Cantor said the UA chapter of the NAACP has also been negatively impacted by SB 129 due to the closure of the Black Student Union and Safe Zone spaces which were used by multiple members of the organization. He argued these two spaces were closed due to UA assuming they would violate the bill because of the vague wording.

“UA doesn’t have to provide space, but once they do, they can’t discriminate based on viewpoint,” Cantor said.

The UA chapter of the NAACP is worried it might be completely shut down due to SB 129 according to Cantor. He said the organization is at risk of not receiving funding and they aren’t able to recruit members and leaders because of the BSU space being closed.

In their presentation, lawyers for Gov. Ivey argued that the professors are not advocating to teach divisive concepts, but instead are worried about student complaints and not actual enforcement.

Defense for Ivey also said the language in the bill isn’t vague and certain topics like political and social science need limits.

“You can always talk yourself into thinking a statute is vague,” counsel said.

Proctor is still indicating that he wants to decide whether an injunction should be issued before classes start in August. He also told both sides to discuss institutional neutrality and implementations to be on the same page. Cross briefings are set to start in three weeks.

The stylish Brooks Glycerin Max running shoe, known for its super tall outsole and superb cushioning system, is now available in all new colors perfect for summertime.

The women’s Glycerin Max is now available in a new design Brooks calls Coconut/Alloy/Rose. This is a soft, neutral design featuring a creamy coconut base, cool alloy gray overlay and subtle rose pink accents perfect for runners who prefer a light, feminine look. It is also available in the new Blue Heron/Diva Pink/White style which combines a dusky blue heron upper with vibrant diva pink pops and clean white detailing, making it both sporty and stylish.

Meanwhile, the men’s Glycerin Max sneaker is also available in two new colors. The first is the Grey/Black/Nightlife design which features a neutral grey upper with black overlays and deep nightlife-blue accents. The sneaker now also comes in a neon green Lime / Navy Peony / White which features a zesty lime base contrasted by navy-peony panels and crisp white details.

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The Brooks Glycerin Max running shoe features an impressive 6mm midsole drop, which caters to neutral foot strides and makes it ideal for road running. This sneaker also incorporates a unique dual nitrogen-infused foam known as DNA Tuned, providing exceptional cushioning and responsiveness when running.

A standout feature of the Brooks Glycerin Max is its DNA Tuned cushioning system. This next-generation technology employs dual-sized nitrogen-infused foam cells to optimize comfort and responsiveness. The larger cells in the heel provide plush landings, while the smaller cells in the forefoot deliver responsive toe-offs. This innovative cushioning creates a seamless and dynamic running experience that minimizes the impact on the body, enhancing both performance and comfort.

Meanwhile, Glycerin Max’s unique GlideRoll Rocker design allows for effortless heel-to-toe transitions during runs. This feature is achieved through a carefully sculpted bevel and toe spring geometry that facilitates a smooth running motion, contributing to less stress on the joints while ensuring a more efficient stride. This design aspect is especially beneficial for long-distance runners seeking comfort and minimizing fatigue during their runs.

Those interested can checkout the men’s Glycerin Max here and women’s Glycerin Max here.