Smiths Station has picked a new mayor following the Friday death of F.L. “Bubba” Copeland.

In a statement released on social media and the city website, Smiths Station announced that Mayor Pro Tem Morris Jackson will take on the office.

“He has been and will continue to be in consultation with our city attorney and the Alabama League of Municipalities to determine the appropriate steps going forward.”

“We are deeply saddened about Mayor Copeland’s tragic death on November 3, 2023,” the statement reads. “He was a champion for the City of Smiths Station and always excited to show off our City to anyone who visited. His passion for the City was infectious, as he loved working for the people of Smiths Station and the surrounding community. The City Council and its employees send our thoughts and prayers to his family.”

Copeland, a 49-year-old father of three, was also a local business owner and pastor of First Baptist Church of Phenix City. His death came two days after 1819 News published photos of him wearing women’s clothing and makeup. 1819 News is a website that was once owned by the Alabama Policy Institute.

According to the city website, Jackson has lived in Smiths Station for most of his life.

A graduate of Wacoochee High School, he served for four years in the U.S. Army, including a one-year deployment to Vietnam.

He was an employee with Georgia Power for 42 years before retiring from the company in 2008.

Jackson was heavily involved in Smiths Station’s incorporation efforts in 2001 and has been a council member since the beginning.

Political leaders have scheduled a prayer service for 6 p.m. today at the Phenix City Amphitheatre as a gesture for area residents to show “more compassion and more love.”

The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Vance Brooks Funeral Home in Phenix City. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday at First Baptist of Phenix City.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, reach out to the 24–hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741; or chat with someone online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours.