MOBILE, AL. A grand jury has handed down two manslaughter indictments for separate drivers involved in fatal car crashes.
According to law enforcement, Christopher Douglas Smith was charged with reckless manslaughter following a January 4, 2025, single-vehicle crash that killed his passenger, Michael Ficke. At that time, police said that he was driving recklessly when the crash occurred, causing the death.
Prosecutors allege Smith was speeding, failing to stay in his lane, and driving under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabinoids when he hit a tree.
In a separate indictment, the grand jury found probable cause to hand down an indictment for Sally Ann Lambert on one count of reckless manslaughter for an October 4, 2025, crash that killed driver Ronald Marvin Greenlee.
In this indictment, it’s alleged that Lambert was driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on the wrong side of the road, and holding or using her cell phone when her vehicle collided with Greenlee’s car.
Bail for each driver has been set at $30,000.
A check of the jail records show that neither person is being held in custody at this time.
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SUMMERDALE, Ala. Police are investigating after a vehicle collision on Wednesday in Summerdale sent a vehicle into a ditch and on its side.
The wreck occurred on Alabama 59 at around 11:20 a.m. and good Samaritans came to the aid of several people who were trapped inside.
Several drivers pulled over and ran to the vehicle and ripped the glass from the sunroof to help extricate the teen girl and a woman who were trapped inside the vehicle. Firefighters also assisted in the rescue. All of this happened while others kept them calm during the rescue.
The Summerdale Fire Rescue and police responded to the wreck along with MedStar. The Robertsdale Fire Department was also dispatched to the scene. A medical helicopter was also dispatched but canceled prior to arriving.
According to authorities, both occupants only had minor injuries and were transported by ambulance to Baldwin Health to be evaluated.
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BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. Six Alabamians lost their lives in traffic accidents over Labor Day weekend in 2026, the same number of traffic fatalities recorded over the four-day period last year, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).
The traffic fatalities were reported in Baldwin, Cleburne, Colbert, Shelby, and Lauderdale counties.
Statewide, there were also 322 traffic crashes and 107 injuries from Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7, 2026.
These were only the wrecks that ALEA responded and investigated but do not include the wrecks that occurred within city limits or where other law enforcement agencies responded.
ALEA also reported that troopers issued 2,481 citations for traffic violations, 1,369 warnings and made 34 DUI arrests over the holiday weekend.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor gave his condolences to the families who lost loved ones and urged residents to continue safe driving practices year-round.
“Every number in these statistics represents a person, a family or a community impacted by what happened on Alabama’s roadways and waterways this weekend,” said Taylor. “While we are thankful no lives were lost on the water, six families are now facing an unimaginable loss following traffic crashes. We extend our deepest condolences to them and ask everyone to carry the same safety mindset beyond the holiday weekend. Slow down, buckle up, put distractions away and never drive impaired. The most important drive is always the one that gets you home safely.”
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SEMMES, AL. For the past few years, the city has loosely talked about the possibilities of exploring the possibilities of exiting the Mobile County school system and establishing their own school district, something that we have seen similar cities in Baldwin County do in recent years.
As with the City of Fairhope, who recently sent out questionnaires and hired several companies to do a feasibility study, Semmes conducted a community survey to gauge interest in creating its own school system, and the response was clear.
The response from our residents was overwhelming for the city of Semmes wanting to have a school system,” Semmes Mayor Brandon Van Hook said.
Semmes, a growing city but small city of approximately 7000, has for years sent their children to schools operated by Mobile County, including Semmes Elementary, Semmes Middle and Mary G. Montgomery High School.
But that might change, sooner than later but as Van Hook explains, that local control would come with a cost. He says about 95% of the revenue the city currently operates on comes from sales tax. A standalone school system would require a new source of funding, likely an ad valorem property tax.
Of course, the ad valorem question was asked. Some people wanted to know more about the ad valorem, and we’ll have some folks opposed, and then we’ll have some who will pay whatever if it gives us more local control,” Van Hook said.
An ad valorem property tax is a yearly tax charged by local governments based on the fair market value of real estate or personal property. The phrase “ad valorem” is Latin for “according to value”.
Without having an additional annual revenue that would help support our school system, it just wouldn’t work.
Fairhope, a city of almost 28,000 people, also sought residents feedback on starting their own school system and it had a mixed reaction. Like Semmes, city students attend local schools that are part of the Baldwin County School System and funding for those schools come from property taxes, passed on to the county school system.
In 2023, Semmes fully funded their police department which now employs sixteen officers and a police chief. Prior to establishing their own police force, the city contracted their law enforcement services to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
The issue of controlling our own destiny is one that small to midsize cities are facing statewide as more people are moving from the cities to smaller communities and rural areas of the counties. With the growth comes the responsibility of providing services such as police and fire, public utilities and educational facilities said Jimmy Stand, a Rural Sociologist, who has studied the migration of people for over thirty years.
Van Hook said that it’ll be up to the residents to determine what they’re willing to spend on the future of the city and of their children’s education.
Exactly how much residents could pay is one of the questions a feasibility study is expected to answer. While the city waits on the study’s findings, they’ve approved the hire of a local attorney, Nash Campbell, to continue guiding them in the right direction of a city school system.
According to Van Hook, besides the cost, there’s another hurdle. The schools serving Semmes are currently located within Mobile city limits, meaning the city will need to look at annexation if it ultimately wants those school properties under a new Semmes school system.
“That’s one of the reasons we hired Nash. He can help guide us through this process. Hopefully when the feasibility study is completed and we have the information needed to show that we can create and implement a school system, sustain a school system then we can get that property annexed in,” Van Hook said.
Though the response of the residents was positive and exciting, there is still a lot of work to be done before we can move forward, the mayor said.
Mayor Van Hook says the city expects to have the results of the feasibility study by the end of November.
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FOLEY, Ala. On September 9, 2026, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Foley Police Department officers responded to an activated security alarm at Benson’s Appliance Center.
Upon arrival, officers discovered signs of forced entry and confirmed that an unknown subject was inside the closed business. Officers established a perimeter with assistance from the Foley Police Department K-9 Unit and was able to safely take 33-year-old Mendrell Dewayne-Marion Porter of Foley into custody without incident or injury.
While canvassing the immediate area for additional property damage, officers discovered a second forced entry at the Foley Service Center across the street. Foley Police Department Detectives and Crime Scene Technicians responded to process both scenes.
During a subsequent interview with detectives, Porter confessed to committing both burglaries that evening, as well as an additional commercial burglary and a vehicle break-in earlier this month.
Porter was transported to the Baldwin County Correction Center and charged with the following:
Burglary 3rd Degree (3 counts)
Unlawful Breaking and Entering of a Vehicle
Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree
Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree
Theft of Property 4th Degree
Tampering with Physical Evidence
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MOBILE, AL. The Mobile police and fire department responded to a serious traffic collision on Friday, September 4, 2026, at around 9:29 p.m. in the area of I-65 NB off ramp and Springhill Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a male victim deceased and a second male victim with life-threatening injuries.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered a vehicle exiting from I-65 NB to Springhill Avenue struck the victims who were walking in the roadway.
Mobile police conducted a traffic investigation and identified the deceased victim as Thomas Purifoy, 63. The second victim’s identity has not been released as of yet.
The driver of the vehicle has been cooperating with officers.
This remains an active investigation.
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. Police recently conducted an investigation of a solicitation of a child online and made an arrest in the case.
Although limited information has been released, we know that ALEA conducted the investigation and made the arrest of the local schoolteacher who has been identified as Joshua Feemster, 33.
Huntsville City Schools said it is aware of the arrest and confirmed his employment at Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School, saying he is now on leave and banned from all school district campuses until further notice.
“The district will cooperate with law enforcement authorities throughout the investigative process and will take any additional steps necessary based on information provided through the investigation,” the school system said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our students remains our highest priority.”
The district confirmed he has worked in the theater department since July 2017. Before Feemster’s school profile was removed, it stated he was a teaching artist.
According to public records, Feemster posted a $15,000 bail at the Madison County jail and was released pending a court date.
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ROBERTSDALE, Ala. A hit and run crash on Wednesday morning caused only minor injuries, although one person was trapped inside the vehicle that was on its side.
The Baldwin County 911 Communications Center received calls about the traffic collision that was in the area of the Dollar General Store, 15795 State Highway 57 at around 11:18 a.m.
Multiple fire departments, police and Medstar were dispatched to the scene.
Fire personnel were able to assist extricating the person out of the vehicle and assessed them to only have minor injuries.
A medical helicopter dispatched to the scene was canceled.
It was reported that one vehicle fled the scene and police are searching for that driver.
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MOBILE, AL. A Mobile fire apparatus was involved in a traffic collision on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, just after 6 a.m.
Mobile police and Mobile Fire-Rescue personnel responded to the area of 6008 Howell’s Ferry Road after a vehicle and fire truck collided, according to the Mobile Police Department.
A Mobile police officer stated that no one was injured but the road was partially blocked.
According to a police officer on the scene, a Ford Taurus reportedly sideswiped the fire engine. The roadway was then cleared up.
It is not known if the firefighters were responding to an emergency call at the time of the crash.
Police are investigating the crash according to Mobile Police.
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SPANISH FORT, Ala. An arrest over the weekend has law enforcement nationwide outraged while others shake their heads in disbelief.
For some in law enforcement, the arrest of Homeland Security Special Agent Kent Blacklidge who is accused of rape and incest is a betrayal of his oath and his profession. Local law enforcement have actually taken training led by Blacklidge on the very area of crimes that he now stands charged with.
Blackridge taught a class in Baldwin County on how to spot child predators. “I work these cases more often than not,” said Blacklidge. In his class he pointed out telltale signs and how to interview suspects involved in sex crimes against children.
“Nobody is more outraged at seeing a bad cop arrested than a good cop,” added Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber. He said the investigation began in January when the victim reported the allegations to his investigators. This was an eight-month investigation which led to almost a dozen charges and Blacklidge’s arrest, Chief Barber said.
“It is so profoundly disappointing and frankly disgusting to stand here today and tell you that we have now charged him,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at a Tuesday morning press conference in Spanish Fort.
Due to the sensitive nature of the case, law enforcement cannot release many of the details but we do know that after Spanish Fort Police began their investigation, they determined enough evidence to present to a Baldwin County grand jury and they returned indictments for rape, sodomy, child sex abuse and incest.
Rather than law enforcement serving the warrants on Blacklidge, he was allowed to turn himself in to authorities over the weekend.
“His conduct is reprehensible,” said Marshall. “The ability, in one hand, to train, to find those that would prey upon our kids to do the same thing himself.”
“No one is above the law, and the badge is not a shield from accountability,” said Barber, who added he believes this is an isolated case with only a single victim.
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MOBILE, Ala. A homeowner in Mobile called police after shooting and killing a person who broke into his home through a window.
The incident happened on Monday, September 7, 2026, shortly after 9 p.m. on Calgary Drive and according to the homeowner, 37-year-old David Lee Jr. was burglarizing his home when the owner fired several shots at him, leaving him dead.
Police have not arrested the homeowner, instead handing the case over to the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office who is now reviewing a possible self-defense case.
Under Alabama’s stand your ground law, a homeowner does not have to retreat before using force against someone who breaks into their home.
The D.A.’s office will review the facts of the case and ensure that the response of the homeowner meets the standard and requires of self-defense in this situation.
One neighbor said it’s sad someone died, but they believe the homeowner did what they had to do to protect their family.
Thirty states have explicit laws or statutes removing the duty to retreat in public places:
Thirty states have explicit laws or statutes removing the duty to retreat in public places:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming.
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FOLEY, Ala. Ever wondered what it’s really like to work in law enforcement? Have you thought about learning more about police work in your community?
Well, now might be a good time to step out and learn what happens at the Foley Police Department because they are offering a behind the scenes look at what they do with the Citizens Police Academy.
According to Foley Police, the department is offering a free, 8-week “backstage pass” to what goes on in law enforcement.
“Forget what you see on TV. This is your chance to learn about daily operations directly from the officers serving your community,” the Foley P.D. said.
Those interested can fill out an interest form. Registration closes Sept. 25.
People keep spending beyond their means and are frequently faced with the dreaded bankruptcy way out of debt.
Alabama is one of those states, where many continue to take the path of least resistance and the number of bankruptcy filings are climbing higher and higher.
According to a recent study, the state had the nation’s highest bankruptcy filing rate every year from 2020 through 2025, reaching nearly 400 filings per 100,000 residents in 2025.
And it looks like 2026, might join those numbers as well.
That’s according to data from the U.S. Courts and Census Bureau population estimates, which shows Alabama’s bankruptcy filing rate is roughly 142% higher than the national average.
While jobs are coming to the state, wages are still comparatively lower than many states but that really isn’t the cause of personal debt, said one bankruptcy attorney. He said it’s the people who can’t control their spending and live outside of their means. People buy things on credit today and don’t worry about it until the bills start coming in.
In fact, most states fall between 80 and 180 filings per 100,000 residents, so Alabama isn’t just at the top of bankruptcy cases, it’s in a different tier entirely.
Compared to other Southern states, Mississippi wasn’t too far off with a filing rate of 330 per 100,000 residents, followed by Tennessee, which had a rate of 296 and Georgia with 280.
The report showed that even though Alabama has had a steady climb over the past four years, 2025’s bankruptcy filings were still roughly 25% below the 2017 peak, when the rate hit 554 filings per 100,000 residents.
For the 12-month period which ended Sept. 30, 2025, the total cumulative filings for all U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia were 557,376.1 This represents a 10.6% increase over the prior 12-months.
Alabama showed signs of recovery from bankruptcy filing highs of the pandemic, after pandemic relief programs like stimulus payments and loan forbearance helped a lot of Alabamians stay out of bankruptcy court.
Filings fell roughly 20% from about 18,400 in 2020 to about 14,900 in 2021, with the filing rate dropping along with it, from nearly 366 to 296 filings per 100,000 residents. That figure is the lowest dip the state has seen in a decade.
But things are rapidly going back the other way economists say and it’s not just in personal debt. Businesses of all sizes have seen a steady increase in bankruptcy filings during the past three years as well.
Total bankruptcy filings in Alabama from 2020 to 2025 were:
2020: 18,412
2021: 14,940
2022: 16,561
2023: 17,887
2024: 19,395
2025: 20,636
Still 98% of bankruptcy filings every year from 2015 to 2025 have been non-business related, while total filings went up nearly 6% year-over-year.
That imbalance between personal and business bankruptcy filings means it’s not companies who are struggling, it’s individuals.
In Alabama and nationwide, Chapter 7 is the most filed version of bankruptcy protection, with Chapters 13 and 11 in second and third place, respectively. A Chapter 7 will wipe most debt clean and give the person a low credit score while putting them in a high-risk category for any type of credit. Chapter 13 enables individuals with regular income to develop a plan to repay all or part of their debts, thereby keeping their credit alive but still damaged. And a Chapter 11 generally provides for reorganization, usually involving a corporation or partnership.
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BARNWELL COMMUNITY, Ala. A Tuesday morning traffic collision has injured several people in the Barnwell Community, and one person was in serious condition.
The head-on collision occurred at approximately 9:15 a.m. near 16193 S Greeno Rd/US 98 South near the B&B Pecan Company.
The Barnwell Volunteer Fire Department, EMS and ALEA troopers responded to the scene.
Firefighters were able to extricate one person from one of the vehicles.
A medical helicopter landed nearby, and a critically injured person was flown to Sacred Heart Hospital, Trauma Unit in Pensacola Florida.
At least one other person was also injured and transported by EMS.
The cause of the crash is unknown but is being investigated by ALEA.
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ROBERTSDALE, Ala. A head-on collision on the Baldwin Beach Express has claimed the lives of two people, according to the Robertsdale Police Department.
The victims have been identified as the victims as 28-year-old Braxton Freckman of Spanish Fort, and 33-year-old Kimberly Moody of Mobile.
Police reported that the collision occurred Sunday evening at around 7 p.m., September 6, 2026,
Multiple fire departments, police and EMS responded to the scene between Est Silverhill and Fairgrounds Road and found two vehicles that had crashed head-on into each other with several people pinned.
The fatal crash caused the roadway to be shut down on both the northbound and southbound sides for several hours during the extrication and investigation.
The Robertsdale Police Department is investigating the crash.
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DAPHNE, Ala. State Highway 181 traffic wrecks occur daily, and often times, two, three and four times a day.
Most, like this weekend’s crash on Highway 181 and US 90, are results of people speeding, running red lights and inattentive driving.
State troopers spent several days last week running radar and stopping vehicles along a stretch of Hwy 181 near Jubilee Farms, a high traffic area near churches and multiple subdivisions.
Although parts of the highway are in Spanish Fort, Daphne, Fairhope, and Baldwin County which covers four police jurisdictions, and with a speed limit of 55 m.p.h., enforcement along the stretch is still infrequent.
A few new traffic lights have been added in the area recently to reduce the crashes that happened from turning from the side roads onto Hwy 181, but as soon as the light turns back to green, for many drivers it’s back to the races.
With more residential communities and commercial businesses building from Barnwell to Spanish Fort, and traffic spilling out onto State Highway 181 from all of those feeder roads, things are only gonna go from bad to extreme worse.
All that you have to do is look at US 98 to see what Hwy 181 is becoming.
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MOBILE, AL. A Mobile grand jury has handed down an indictment charging a woman with murder and assault charges that stemmed from a fatality traffic wreck in early February that was in the area of Callahan Drive and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Shurmeeka Hall now faces charges of two counts of reckless murder and one count of first-degree assault. The allegations are that Hall was driving under the influence, speeding and driving recklessly when her vehicle left the road and hit a power pole, throwing two people in the back seat out of the vehicle.
Henry Johnson and David Parker died. A third man who has not been identified, was also injured.
Reckless murder is a Class A felony, punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
Police also said that Hall was driving on a suspended license and was in possession of a substantial amount of marijuana at the time of the crash.
Currently Hall is being held at the metro jail without bond.
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MOBILE, AL. Mobile police continue to investigate a Friday night traffic fatality that took the life of a man and injured another person.
According to the Mobile Police Department, officers responded to the area of Interstate 65 Northbound and the off-ramp to Springhill Avenue just before 9:30 p.m. Friday.
Th Mobile Fire-Rescue, EMS and Mobile police all responded to the scene and discovered that one person was deceased and another man suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a hospital for treatment.
At this time the name of the deceased male has not been released.
This investigation is ongoing.
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