Alabama News

A Fultondale man was found dead Sunday inside his private cell at the Jefferson County Jail in downtown Birmingham.

Andre Eugene Hope, 43, was booked into jail on July 1 after his bond was revoked on a sexual misconduct charge from earlier this year, court records show.

At 7:45 a.m. Sunday, July 6, jail staff found Hope unresponsive in his cell. He was pronounced dead at 8:10 a.m.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said an autopsy found no evidence of trauma or foul play. The cause of his death is pending additional laboratory studies.

Following Hope’s arrest on sexual misconduct in February, he was arrested two new times on four charges including aggravated surveillance and third-degree burglary on the same sexual misconduct victim, as well as drug possession charges, according to court records.

Hope was sent to rehabilitation to address addiction issues, records state, but he “walked away” from rehab, a judge wrote.

On Tuesday, Hope went before Jefferson County District Judge Tanita Cain for a bond revocation hearing.

The judge revoked his bond after Hope, while handcuffed, exposed himself during the hearing to a bailiff and his female attorney, Cain wrote.

He was immediately booked back into jail at 10:04 a.m. where he remained until his death.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.

Jake’s Juke Joint, a BBQ and burger spot catered to Northport locals, is set to open for its first public service on Tuesday, July 8.

Jake French, owner of Harry’s Bar on Hargrove Road, a longtime Tuscaloosa fixture, has asked the public to “bring a pocketful of patience and good cheer” as staff works on “getting the kinks out” during its first week of service.

Eventually, Jake’s Juke Joint will offer live music and other local entertainment, including dancing nights, according to French.

Once late-night service starts, the spot will become a 21 and up establishment after 9 p.m., he wrote in a recent Facebook post.

He added that this will be adjusted on Friday nights during football season for high school students and parents.

“I’ve talked to a lot of y’all and I know y’all are hungry after the games,” French wrote.

The menu features a selection of bar food and American classics like BBQ, smashburgers, nachos, and meatloaf.

In another post to Facebook, French added that all but a handful of menu items are currently gluten free.

“We cook fatboy food, that’s what we do,” the post reads.

“But we are using the most natural, unprocessed, non-preservative ladened food we can get our hands on for y’all.”

All of the menu’s fried items will be fried in beef tallow, according to the post.

The restaurant, located on Highway 43, will be open for lunch Tuesday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

The rest of the week’s schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 5 pm-10 pm

Thursday 11 am-10 pm

Friday 11 am-10 pm

Saturday 11 am-10 pm

Sunday 11 am-9 pm

Happy hour will start on Thursday and will go from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. every day, including weekends, according to French.

“I know y’all have been waiting patiently, and I do appreciate it,” he wrote.

“This is the week y’all have been waiting for. Welcome to Jake’s Juke Joint!! A local Joint.”

There has been plenty of excitement from Auburn fans regarding the school’s recent apparel branding switch to Nike. In a social media video posted Monday morning, it’s clear the players share that excitement.

Auburn football posted a video on its various social media pages on Monday that showed the players reacting the new Nike uniforms. The reactions were as expected, filled with excitement and cheering.

“We finna be iced out,” said freshman wide receiver Sam Turner after chest bumping teammate and fellow freshman Blake Woodby.

“You gotta check us out on a Saturday on the Plains, gonna have all the drip on,” said wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr.

Most of the players who walked into the room to see the uniforms immediately let out yells and screams of excitement. The jerseys don’t look too different from the look Auburn sported with Under Armour for many years, but adding the Nike swoosh and new cleats and gloves were the biggest highlights.

“I love seeing the check, you feel me,” running back Damari Alston said.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

Two men were killed in separate Birmingham traffic crashes over the holiday weekend.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Cortez Lowery, 41, and Kedric Lamon Johnson, 49. Both men lived in Birmingham.

Lowery was found dead at 1:49 a.m. Saturday in the 9000 block of Zion City Road.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said there were no witnesses to the crash, and it wasn’t immediately clear when it happened.

Lowery was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle.

Johnson also died following a single-vehicle wreck. That crash happened in the 200 block of Pratt Highway.

He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:02 p.m. Sunday.

Birmingham police are investigating the circumstances surrounding both wrecks.

One of the Birmingham area’s top athletes has earned one more honor before beginning his collegiate football career.

Leeds athlete Conner Nelson has been overwhelmingly voted by fans as Alabama’s overall male athlete of the year.

He received 99% of the overall fan vote in last week’s poll, which included 10 other athletes from across the state.

Jackson football and basketball standout and state champion Landon Duckworth finished second, while Pisgah’s Luke Gilbert finished third; he claimed all-state honors in football, basketball and baseball for the Eagles.

Nelson, who starred in both football and baseball for the Green Wave this season, was also AL.com’s pick for Birmingham Region Male Athlete of the Year.

“He’s just a special kid,” Leeds football coach Jerry Hood said of Nelson last week. “He started as a sophomore at wide receiver and was the best wide receiver on the team and we had some quarterback packages for him that year. He was the quarterback for the past two years, but we needed him to play defense last year. He punted for us, he was a punt returner at times and all that kind of stuff.

“He’s just a selfless individual that will do whatever it takes for the team to win and that’s what made him so special.”

Nelson helped lead Leeds to an appearance in the Class 5A state semifinals this season and was a finalist for Class 5A Back of the Year; he was also offensive MVP on the Birmingham News All-Region football team.

The Southeastern Louisiana football signee ran the ball 219 times for 1,818 yards and 35 touchdowns while throwing for 1,124 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The quarterback picked the Lions of the FCS Southland Conference over other football offers from Samford, Murray State, UT Martin and West Alabama. He also held a baseball offer from Lawson State.

On the baseball field, he helped key Leeds to an appearance in the third round of the Class 5A baseball playoffs and was a first team all-state pick at outfielder. He was also a member of the Birmingham News Terrific 22 Baseball Team.

He batted .427 with 45 RBIs, eight home runs and a 1.322 OPS at the plate while logging 49 1/3 innings of work on the mound. He finished with a 3.26 ERA and an 8-3 record while striking out 88 batters.

“Conner is a tremendous athlete, competitor and person,” Leeds baseball coach and assistant football coach Jake Wingo said. “He has always been a great teammate and a joy to coach. He’s one of those rare athletes that don’t come around very often and we appreciate what he did for Leeds and excited to see what he does in the future.”

A public health alert has been issued for a brand of ready-to-eat beef sticks due to possible plastic contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s alert covers Riverbend Ranch beef jerky sticks. A recall wasn’t issued because the beef sticks are no longer available for purchase but may be in people’s homes. The beef jerky sticks were produced on May 27, 2025 and have an 18-month shelf life.

The public health alert covers two types of Riverbend Ranch beef sticks:

• 6.9 oz. bags containing six 1.15-oz. vacuum-sealed packages of “Riverbend Ranch Original Beef Stick” with a “Best By” date of Nov. 27, 2026.
• 6.9 oz. bags containing six 1.15 oz. vacuum-sealed packages containing of “ Riverbend Ranch Jalapeño Beef Stick” with a “Best By” date of Nov. 27, 2026.

The beef sticks were distributed nationwide.

There have been no confirmed reports of injuries or illnesses related to the products but people who have them are asked to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Chuck E. Cheese is entering a new era: mall arcades.

Created for “lifelong fans” of the child-friendly pizza chain, “Chuck’s Arcade” is designed for adults and will combine video games with Chuck E. Cheese’s iconic animatronic characters.

“Chuck’s Arcade is a modern-day love letter to the games and people who made Chuck E. Cheese great,” the company said in a press release.

“Chuck E. Cheese has spent decades mastering the arcade experience — it’s in our DNA,” David McKillips, CEO of Chuck E. Cheese, said in a press release. “Chuck’s Arcade is a natural evolution — an opportunity to extend our arcade legacy into new formats that engage both lifelong fans and a new generation through a curated mix of retro classics and cutting-edge experiences.”

So far, Chuck’s Arcade locations are now open in major malls across the country, including:

• St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Trumbull, Conn.
• Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.
• Victor, N.Y.
• Buford, Ga.
• El Paso, Texas
• Nashua and Salem, N.H.
• St. Louis, Mo.

CNN reports Chuck E. Cheese’s expansion comes five years after it filed for bankruptcyduring the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 10-year anniversary of Alabama’s 2015 national championship is approaching. So, too, is the 60-year anniversary of the 1965 national championship.

Both will be recognized during the 2025 Alabama football season.

UA announced Monday that Alabama will celebrate the 2015 national championship team during the Tennessee game on Oct. 18. The 1965 team will be honored during the Oklahoma game on Nov. 15, which is also homecoming.

Each of those weekends will serve as a reunion for those teams.

Alabama will also play host to a 1975 SEC Championship reunion during the Wisconsin game on Sept. 13.

The Sept. 6 game against ULM will also be a celebration/recognition of “100 years of Alabama football champions.”

The 2015 team won a national championship during the College Football Playoff era under Nick Saban. Running back Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy that season. The coaching staff featured a handful of future head coaches: Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Mario Cristobal (Miami), Billy Napier (Florida) and Mel Tucker (formerly Michigan State). Scott Cochran, then the strength-and-conditioning coach, is now leading West Alabama. The Crimson Tide beat Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl before defeating Clemson in the national championship game.

Paul “Bear” Bryant coached the 1965 team that won a national championship, as recognized by the AP and Football Writers. Alabama finished 9-1-1 that season, beating Nebraska 39-28 in the Orange Bowl.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

A new location of Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar is planning to open this fall.

The City of Alabaster announced that renovation work is set to wrap by the end of this month.

In a social media post, the city said the restaurant will train employees in August before opening to the public in September.

“We can’t wait!” the city announced.

The Missouri-based franchise will be located in the former O’Charley’s building in Alabaster’s South Promenade shopping center.

The project was first announced last year, which added patio dining areas.

Big Whiskey’s opened a Hoover location in Stadium Trace Village back in July 2020.

There is also a location in Madison, and another one set to open at 6225 Tattersall Blvd. in Hoover.

The franchise, known for cocktails and spirits, was founded in downtown Springfield, Mo. in 2006 and has restaurants in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Florida. It’s menu features lunch, dinner and brunch options, from salads and soups, to steaks, seafood and Southwestern dishes.