OPELIKA, Ala. An Alabama woman accused of selling a teen for sex repeatedly online has been sentenced to 11 years behind bars after reaching a plea agreement.
U.S. Attorney Thomas Govan announced that Jada Renee Coggins, 24, who is accused in a commercial sex trafficking scheme involving a minor will also be on probation for five years after her release and will have to register as a sex offender for life.
“Commercial sex trafficking inflicts deep and lasting harm, especially when minors are involved,” said Govan. “Removing those who exploit minors from our streets makes our communities safer and protects future potential victims. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute individuals who participate in these schemes and seek justice for the victims.”
According to law enforcement, Coggins conspired with a co-defendant to traffic a 17-year-old. She photographed the teen and used those images to advertise sex online. She then transported the girl to engage in those commercial sex acts and collected the money from those transactions.
The co-defendant, Chloe Michelle Alexander, 31, of Opelika, also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in August.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Opelika Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz, J. Patrick Lamb, and Russell T. Duraski prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section to combat child sexual exploitation through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies.
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SPANISH FORT, Ala. A Sunday afternoon crash on US Highway 31 has left a motorcyclist injured.
The wreck occurred at approximately 2:08 p.m. near Declaration Drive after a vehicle and motorcycle collided according to authorities.
The operator of the motorcycle was seen lying on the ground not moving according to a witness.
The Spanish Fort Fire Department, EMS and police responded, and the motorcyclist was treated on-scene and then transported to an area hospital. The condition of the person is not known at this time.
The wreck is under investigation.
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A two-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. Sunday, June 7, 2-26 has claimed the life of a Jackson man according to ALEA.
Multiple first responders were dispatched to the wreck on Alabama 17 near the 55 mile marker, approximately three miles south of the Chatom city limits, in Washington County.
Tha’one S. Johnson, 32, was fatally injured when the 2010 Ford Mustang he was driving collided head-on with the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by Caleb B. Davis, 20, of Tibbie. Johnson was not using a seat belt at the time of the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Davis was also injured and transported to University (USA) Hospital in Mobile for treatment.
Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate.
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MOBILE, Ala. The Trump administration is placing restrictions on grocery store items that can be purchased with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Restrictions primarily cover snack foods including chips, candy and sweets, sodas and other similar items.
Information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lists 23 states that are restricting the purchase of non-nutritious items and those that cause obesity.
The USDA called it “a key step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP.”
Each state has its own restrictions on SNAP-eligible foods, with some only opting to restrict soda while others are restricting candy, energy drinks, prepared desserts and more.
Each state has a different target date for implementing the new guidelines. Many target dates have already passed, while others are coming up this summer and fall.
The states that have approved restrictions for SNAP-eligible foods include:
Arkansas
Colorado
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
Wyoming
For information about exactly what products each state is restricting, visit the USDA website.
According to the Associated Press, SNAP is a major part of the U.S. social safety net, helping about 39 million Americans (about 1 in 9) buy groceries.
Beneficiaries decreased by nearly 4.3 million from January 2025 to January 2026, according to preliminary government data released by the USDA. Experts say new requirements, mandated by a massive tax and spending cut bill Republicans pushed through Congress last summer, are the primary reasons.
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A small fire broke out on Sunday, June 7th, 2026, at the AMC theaters in Daphne.
According to authorities, the 911 call came into the county dispatch at around 10:45 p.m.
The Daphne police and fire departments were immediately dispatched to business as an evacuation was underway.
Daphne Fire Engine 1, Engine 2, Engine 3, T-4 multistory ladder truck, several Fire support vehicles, along with one Fire Engine from Spanish Fort, Medstar, and several Daphne Police units.
While the small fire was contained, the business was temporarily closed.
There were no reports of any injuries, and the cause of the fire has not been released.
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MOBILE, AL. Mobile police said that a weekend road rage incident injured one man and that a suspect has been arrested in the incident.
According to police, officers were called to the 6000 block of Airport Boulevard just before 10:15 p.m. Saturday in reference to an assault.
When officers arrived, they found a man with a minor, non-life-threatening injury.
Police also said that a second man was on the scene and after an investigation h was arrested.
Detectives determined that the injury was a result of a road rage incident that became physical when someone hit the victim in the head with a handgun and pointed the gun at other people, according to police.
Derek Sullivan, 33, of Mount Vernon, was that person and police arrested him, and he has been charged with second-degree assault and two counts of menacing.
Sullivan was taken to Metro Jail but has since been released on bond.
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MOBILE, AL. On June 8, 2026, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office ICAC Unit arrested William Dawson Castle on 5 charges of Possession of Child Pornography after receiving several Cyber Tips from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
No other information was released on this arrest.
ICAC, Internet Crimes Against Children, is a National network of 61 coordinated task forces, representing over 5,400 Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. These agencies are dedicated to investigating, prosecuting and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children. Educating the public through the development and delivery of public awareness and prevention programs is also one of the main important initiatives of the ICAC Task Force Program.
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MOBILE AL. Police officers on routine patrol spotted a vehicle known to have been stolen and on Monday, June 8, 2026, at approximately 11:00 a.m., officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled leading Mobile police on a pursuit.
The driver, later identified as Johhny Shannon, 45, continued fleeing that ended in the area of Halls Mill Road and W. I-65 Service Road S. when the male subject bailed from the vehicle.
Police said that officers apprehended him a short time later.
Upon further investigation, officers discovered the subject used the victim’s credit card at various locations.
Shannon was arrested and transported to Metro Jail.
He has been charged with Theft of Property 1st, Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card (x4), Attempting to Elude, Trafficking Stolen Identities and is being held at metro jail.
Police later discovered that he was wanted for multiple crimes in Texas.
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MOBILE, AL. An unidentified female has lost her life in Mobile after she was struck and killed while walking overnight on Sunday.
The female pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and died on scene. The roadway was shit down for hours as Mobile police and county deputies investigated the collision.
Mobile police said that the road was reopened at around 6 a.m.
Police, mobile Fire-Rescue and EMS responded near the intersection of Rangeline Road and Hamilton Boulevard, but police indicated that the crash happened on the bridge south of Rangeline and Hamilton.
The name of the female has not been released yet.
Police said that they are continuing to investigate the city’s latest traffic fatality.
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BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. Have you ever stopped for a moment to consider what chemicals cross our path daily by rail, water and interstate highways?
Every minute of every hour, some type of hazardous material is passing through Baldwin County, and the amount continues to rise with the increase of industrial businesses moving into the state, the increased rail, marine and vehicle transportation of hazardous materials including solid and liquid waste and the loads of waste that’s heading someplace to be disposed of. Truthfully, we don’t know the real amount or destination of these poisons.
The other chemical hazards in our neighborhoods could be right next door to you with the increase of large quantities of pesticides, chemicals used in farming, manufacturing and let’s not forget about the illegal drug labs. In fact the manufacturing of drugs such as Methamphetamine being made in clandestine labs have been on the rise for more than twenty years. Synthetic drugs is the latest and greatest drug to hit the streets because it’s easy and pretty cheap to make and can be quickly made in hotel rooms, homes and even in vehicles and they’re easy to sell. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and local police say they are seeing these drugs being possessed and sold more frequently. Check the daily jail log and you’re bound to see at least a few synthetic drug arrests weekly.
One of the reasons that Alabama sees so much hazardous and dangerous material flowing through our state is the connections that can be made on our North-South corridor (Interstate 65) and our West to East corridor (Interstate 10) which can easily bring any vehicle to a large area of our country.
While there are state and federal regulations such as hazardous markers must be on trucks, rail cars and vessels, but not all companies comply with these laws making things dangerous for people living, working or even driving in the path of these shipments.
In Alabama, the key regulations regarding Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety are primarily governed by the Alabama Hazardous Materials Transportation Act. This act ensures the safe transportation of hazardous materials within the state of Alabama and addresses various aspects related to the handling, labeling, packaging, and transportation of hazardous materials.
The Act outlines specific training requirements for individuals involved in the transportation of hazardous materials to ensure they have the necessary knowledge and skills to handle such materials safely.
It also includes provisions for the proper labeling and placarding of vehicles carrying hazardous materials to communicate the potential hazards to emergency responders and the public.
Additionally, the Act addresses the reporting requirements in the event of a hazardous materials spill or release, including the responsibilities of the parties involved in the transportation process.
Overall, the Alabama Hazardous Materials Transportation Act plays a critical role in ensuring the safe transportation of hazardous materials within the state and protecting the public, the environment, and transportation workers from the potential risks associated with these substances.
But the state admits that they don’t have enough staff to police the amount of hazardous material that flows through Alabama every day.
The US Coast Guard and other federal agencies police everything that’s transported by vessels, frequently boarding the ships and doing inspections but they too can’t be everywhere all of the time and a lot of hazardous materials, including those that can cause serious illnesses and even death make their way across the state without being checked.
And of course, at the Port of Mobile, containers of chemicals, hazardous materials and waste are often offloaded and loaded on trucks from the vessels and vise-versa.
For Alabama, chemicals, poisons, hazardous waste and the unknowns, will continue to increase and flow though our hometowns and the best that we can hope for is that the checks and balances are in place and that our community will stay safe.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
LOXLEY, Ala. Two people were injured in an ATV wreck early Sunday morning and had to be rushed to an area hospital.
Loxley Police Department officers and first responders were called out to the wreck near Styx River.
From what police have pieced together, a man who has not been identified was driving the ATV with his wife’s friend around 12:45 a.m. on June 7, 2026, when he crashed the ATV.
Police said that the driver of the ATV then fled and drove home leaving the injured female behind and someone passing by stopped and assisted the female who has also not been identified by police.
The woman was taken to Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola, while the man was taken to USA Hospital in Mobile.
Both people have “significant” injuries but are in stable condition, police said.
At this time police are still investigating, and the driver could face criminal charges but at this time, police have not made an arrest as they are continuing their investigation.
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MOBILE, Ala. On Thursday, June 4, 2026, at approximately 4:49 a.m., officers responded to Moffett Road at Howells Ferry Road in reference to a traffic accident.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a motorcyclist was traveling east on Moffett Road when he collided with another vehicle at the intersection.
The motorcyclist was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
He’s been identified as Douglas Baxter, 75.
The female driver of the other vehicle was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
This remains an active investigation.
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SEMMES, Ala. An employee of the City of Semmes is in critical condition after being injured on the job.
According to police, the city employee was hit by a truck while cutting grass on Thursday afternoon.
According to Semmes Mayor Brandon Van Hook, the Public Works employee was on a lawnmower and cutting grass on the right-of-way near Howells Ferry Road and Firetower Road.
EMS, firefighters and police rushed to the scene and transported the worker to an area hospital where he currently is being treated. His name has not been released.
The driver of the vehicle was also transported but his injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.
Police are continuing their investigation.
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FOLEY, Ala. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide that took place on Friday, June 5, 2026, at approximately 5:30 p.m.
After receiving a 911 call, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies responded to Doc McDuffie Road in Foley in reference to a male who had been shot.
Upon arrival, deputies immediately rendered life-saving measures; however, the victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Deputies were able to detain a suspect at the scene.
Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office responded and began interviewing witnesses, while Crime Scene Investigators began processing the scene.
The decedent’s information is being withheld pending notification of his family.
The suspect, later identified as Patrick Beasley, has been charged with murder and was transported to the Baldwin County Corrections Center.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office at 251-937-0202. Questions may be directed to Captain Justin Correa of the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Command.
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BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. A single-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 2026, has claimed the life of a Florida man.
Robert D. Cates, 39, of Freeport, Fla., was fatally injured when the 2012 Nissan Titan he was driving left the roadway, struck several trees and overturned.
Emergency responders, including area fire departments, EMS and police responded to the scene but Cates succumbed to his injuries at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt according to ALEA.
The crash occurred on Interstate 10 near the 64-mile marker, approximately 11 miles east of the Robertsdale city limits, in Baldwin County.
Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate.
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