ROBERTSDALE, Ala. Have you ever thought of working in EMS, law enforcement, or the fire service?
Maybe you already work in public safety, but you’re looking for a change.
A one-day only Baldwin County Public Safety job fair is being held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Robertsdale Colliseum located at 19477 Fairground Road in Robertsdale.
Bring your resumes and a valid driver’s license with you.
Recruiters from all areas of public safety will be there to help you in your process to enter the exciting field of public safety.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. At approximately 7:50 p.m., Saturday, August 2nd, 2025, the Baldwin County 911 Communications Center received 911 calls reporting that a man had fallen off a scooter and was injured.
Spanish Fort Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to the area of 28597 Turkey Branch Drive, where they found a 20-year-old man who had severe head trauma and serious bleeding coming from the head.
The man, who was riding the small scooter without a helmet, crashed and fell to the ground, hitting his head against the pavement. Witnesses at the scene said that the man lost consciousness and was in bad shape.
A medical helicopter was called in to transport the injured man to an area trauma center.
Police are investigating the wreck.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
CALERA, AL. The police chief in Calera, a town located in Shelby County, just south of Birmingham, is speaking out after a woman was raped by an illegal immigrant who should not have been in this country. The police chief said that this case is a prime example of the need for law enforcement action.
Police investigating the incident executed a search warrant at a home on Village Lane. Roger Delacruz Perez was taken into custody and charged with first-degree rape.
The police department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) and the Crisis Response Tactical Team executed the search warrant.
Chief David Hyche stated that during their investigation that his officers determined that Perez was in the United States illegally and had a firearm.
“Illegal aliens are prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law,” police said in a statement.
Now that Perez is in custody, federal law enforcement has also been contacted regarding federal charges and violations of immigration laws.
“I want to thank our detectives and crime scene investigators who upon learning of this violent crime, worked tirelessly,” said police chief Hyche. “They identified, located, and had this suspect in custody less than 48 hours after the crime was reported. Our tactical team executed the entry and arrest quickly and with great regard for the safety of the neighbors nearby. I know that many of you have varying opinions on law enforcement, immigration, and politics, but this case is a prime example that demonstrates the need for well-trained, adequately staffed, and equipped, proactive law enforcement. This victim and all victims deserve our best.”
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LOXLEY, Ala. While most children in South Alabama got in a few more days of play and fun in the sun before having to head back to school on August 11th, almost 100 police officers who work as School Resource Officers (SROs) throughout the county received an extensive training to help them to be better prepared during this school year.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has a division just for protecting twelve schools throughout the county and their staff was among those who attended the training along with officers from Daphne, Fairhope, Bay Minette, Elberta, Foley, Orange Beach, the Mobile Sheriff’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies.
Baldwin County law enforcement takes protecting our children very seriously, said Baldwin County Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Morrison, who oversees the SRO division.
“Complacency can be an issue in this division because you are dealing with kids,” he explained. “So, we have to keep that edge sharp, which gets encompassed through this training. That’s why we are doing this right before school starts, so it will be fresh on their minds going into the school year.”
School Resource Officers are regular, fully sworn law enforcement officers with all of the same training and authority of any police officer and can be found in schools across the country.
The training consisted of new laws, advanced life-saving techniques, situational awareness, tactics training and various other refresher training.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said the county has 12 school resource officers. Seven of those were able to participate in the training. He said the Mobile County program was one he wanted to put in place well before he became sheriff. However, he said there is still more room to grow. He hopes municipalities will offer SROs for schools as they do in Baldwin County.
“It’s a necessity in this day and time, so I’m all about training, and I want them to have the best training because they’re our first line of defense for the children and staff at our schools,” Burch said. “There are 12 high schools in Mobile County, the deputies are assigned to each one of those high schools and then they rotate through the feeder schools.”
Burch said he hopes one day every school in Mobile County will have an SRO.
The SROs in our area are both nationally certified with NASRO (National Association of School Resource Officers) and state certified with TAASRO (The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers).
Baldwin County is in the process of updating an app that will allow parents to directly communicate with SROs, further enhancing safety and communication.
Although each school year, there are various incidents do happen on school property, from medical emergencies to disturbances, SROs are on the school grounds and able to respond quickly and take control of the incident.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. On 07/31/2025, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office arrested twenty-year-old Jonatan Alberto Campos-Garcia for 4 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
Members of the BCSO Investigative Support Services Division executed a search warrant at Campos-Garcia’s residence, located in the 1000 block of E. Laurel Ave. in Foley, Al.
Campos-Garcia was found to be in possession of several illegal files on his personal device.
This arrest was the result of a two-month long investigation into the online activity of Campos-Garcia. Campos-Garcia is a Honduran national and determined to be in the United States unlawfully.
Sheriff Lowery would like to thank our partners with the Department of Homeland Security Homeland, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for their assistance in this investigation and for helping the BCSO remove predators from our community.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. When people in the area think of drugs and those who illegally use them, many think of marijuana, a few pill poppers, and the occasional stronger drug users of cocaine or methamphetamine, commonly called crystal, meth, ice, glass, and various other slang words for the drug.
A common misconception is that many drug users in the area are out-of-towners, vacationers, spring-breakers, and the occasional resident who gets high every now and again. But, this is not the reality in Baldwin County.
During July, there were almost one hundred drug arrests made in Baldwin County, and many of those faced numerous drug charges. Of those arrested, the majority were area residents, not people in town for a good time. Many had prior arrests for drugs or other crimes.
Drug sales, use, and addiction are the unfortunate facts for communities big and small nationwide, and with a fast-growing community such as Baldwin County, and with many drugs flowing into the area via Interstate 10, Interstate 65, Alabama State Highway 59, and coming from Mobile and Pensacola, and let’s not forget, the waterways that surround the county, it’s easy to understand how drugs of every type can be so easily available to our community.
Another misconception of many is that drug dealers, users, and distributors are members of gangs, dirty, low-life, drug addicts, and people with criminal records a mile long who steal, rob, and do whatever they have to do to get their next fix, but that is also generally not the case. Many involved in using or selling drugs are often your neighbors, coworkers, people that you socialize with, or maybe even your employer. There have even been cases recently in other states where law enforcement and the clergy have been arrested for drug trafficking.
In our area, we have a cross-section of those who are working class, some habitual criminals, a few wannabe gangs, some hardcore drug addicts, and the in-betweeners who both use and sell drugs occasionally. Race, age, occupation, and other demographics are not just one thing or the other, but as recent arrests suggest, users and traffickers are of all races, ages, and come from many backgrounds.
According to police reports and court records, many of those arrested in July were a result of a traffic stop or an interaction with law enforcement involving another situation that resulted in drugs, drug paraphernalia, or evidence of drug trafficking that got the person arrested and not the result of an extensive drug investigations, although I can assure, you, local law enforcement are investng time and resources to arresting drug abusers and drug traffickers.
Drugs can have profound social, economic, and health-related impacts on communities, leading to increased crime, strained public services, and deteriorating family dynamics.
The social impact on drug abuse in a community is both visually measured and physically felt.
Increased Crime: Drug addiction often leads to higher crime rates, including theft, drug trafficking, and violence. Individuals may engage in criminal activities to support their addiction, which poses safety risks to the community and places a burden on law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
Family Dynamics: Families affected by drug addiction experience emotional and psychological strain. Children in these households are at a higher risk of neglect and abuse, which can perpetuate cycles of addiction and dysfunction. The presence of addiction can lead to family breakdowns and increased conflict.
Public Health Concerns: The health consequences of drug use extend beyond the individual, affecting community health systems. Increased drug use can lead to higher rates of infectious diseases, mental health issues, and emergency healthcare needs, straining local health resources.
Workplace Productivity: Drug addiction can lead to decreased workplace productivity due to absenteeism, accidents, and lower job performance. This not only affects individual careers but also impacts overall economic productivity within the community.
Strain on Public Services: Increased crime and health issues related to drug use require more resources for policing, legal proceedings, and healthcare services. This can divert funds from other community needs, leading to a cycle of resource depletion and community decline.
The effects of drug use and addiction on communities are extensive and multifaceted. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive strategies that involve healthcare, law enforcement, and community support systems to mitigate the negative impacts and promote recovery and rehabilitation. By understanding these effects, communities can work towards creating healthier environments for all residents.
Many believe that occasional drug use is no big deal and things like marijuana and THC use are no worse than alcohol, but as we have found over many decades, frequent or excessive use of alcohol is as devastating as the severe use of drugs. Many studies have shown a strong collation between the use of drugs and alcohol, and we know that both can cause social disfunction, lower work productivity, cause criminal behavior, and can cause irreversible physical and mental health harm.
As a community experiencing prosperity, employment opportunities and supported by an influx of year-round tourism, we consider the harm that uncontrolled drug abuse will have on our region. Prevention, treatment, and criminal prosecution through a variety of stakeholders working together must be the immediate recipe to ensure that further harm to people, community, opportunities, and families are prevented.
PART THREE: What works and what doesn’t in the fight against drugs.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
FAIRHOPE, AL. The City of Fairhope has announced that parts of the Fairhope Municipal Pier and the North Beach Park will be temporarily closed nightly next week for a deep cleaning of the fountain area.
The cleaning will happen Monday through Wednesday from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. The park and pier will stay open with limited access, but there will be no traffic or parking during those hours.
The area will reopen to traffic at 5:30 a.m. each day, city officials say.
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BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. On any given day while driving down the streets of Baldwin County, you will probably see a fire truck with sirens blaring and lights flashing, rushing off to yet another emergency.
Almost all of the fire departments in Baldwin County continue to be staffed by unpaid, but highly trained volunteer firefighters, and that includes their chief.
Even in the most rural part of the county, calls for emergencies continue to rise, and while those aren’t always fires, there are plenty of other types of calls that firefighters are dispatched to.
Fire departments are the most frequently dispatched agency when someone calls for help. A tree has fallen onto the roadway. A power line is hanging low. A person is not feeling well, or they are having a heart attack. From medical calls to helping with law enforcement direct traffic at the scene of a crash, to putting out fires, Baldwin County firefighters, even those who aren’t paid, are expected to respond at all hours of the day and night, in all types of weather (like our recent blizzard) and at a moment’s notice.
Fire departments in Styx River, Rosinton, Fairhope, Robertsdale, and even Barnwell are seeing their call volumes increase to a degree where some days, it’s almost impossible to have readily available volunteers standing by to respond to the call, but somehow, they have managed to do just that.
On some days, Fairhope, one of the fastest growing cities in the county, can find the fire department being dispatched from one call to another all day long. The level of service provided to the city by Chief Chris Ellis and a small group of dedicated volunteers is what you might expect from a career fire department that is staffed around the clock by paid firefighters and medics. In fact, in talking with Fairhope residents recently, they stated that they did not know that the fire department was staffed by volunteers.
Rosinton and Styx River fire departments on the east side of the county have also found their call volumes increase steadily in recent years, responding to a large number of medical emergencies, traffic wrecks on Interstate 10, and the busy beach express corridor. In recent months, these volunteer fire departments worked around the clock during the snowstorm, often manning traffic details in the cold and snow on Interstate 10, and most recently, working day and night responding to flooded streets and homes along the Styx River.
Robertsdale, a growing community in the heart of Alabama 59, a major corridor connecting the growing communities of Summerdale, Loxley, Foley, and beyond, has also seen a greater demand for the services of the fire department. The daily calls for this volunteer agency have seen a significant increase in their callouts during the past few years. From car wrecks to medical calls, brush fires, and structure fires, mutual-aid response, and everything in between, the fire department is feeling the pains of the demand for their services.
Some of the county fire departments employ both career paid firefighters while also staffing the department with volunteer firefighters. Bay Minette, Summerdale, Foley, Spanish Fort, are some of those, while Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Daphne have career departments, and the remainder of the county fire departments are staffed completely with volunteers.
At one time, all of Baldwin County counted on local volunteers to provide medical and fire services, but with the explosive growth that the county has had in recent years, that’s no longer possible. A nationwide decline in volunteerism, a larger call volume, and a growing demand for a diversified fire department have led many small cities across the country to go to a fully staffed, career model fire department to ensure that when emergencies happen, trained, on-duty personnel with be available 24/7.
Locally, Fairhope will have little choice but to establish a combination career and volunteer department to provide the services that their rapid growth is demanding of them. Several other local fire departments will also have no choice but to do the same within just a few short years.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE, Ala. The Alabama Department of Transportation has announced that phase 2 of the electrical and lighting upgrades is beginning in the Bankhead Tunnel, and that the road will be closed for several nights and the weekend.
According to an Alabama Department of Transportation news release, the next phase will begin Monday, Aug. 4, and will replace old lighting fixtures and electrical components throughout the tunnel.
The $1.19 million project is being done by Bill Smith Electric Inc., and should be completed by the end of 2025, if weather permits, the release said.
While the tunnel is closed, drivers can take the I-10 Bayway through the Wallace Tunnel, the Cochrane-Africatown USA Bridge via U.S. 90/98, or Africatown Boulevard to I-165, Water Street, and onto Government Boulevard, according to the release.
According ALDOT:
Closures are as follows:
Nightly full closures:
8 p.m. to 5 a.m., beginning Tuesday, Aug. 5, and continuing until Thursday, Aug. 7
Full weekend closures:
Begins at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8 and ends Monday, Aug. 11 at 5 a.m.
Labor Day schedule:
No closures are scheduled during Labor Day weekend to accommodate holiday travel
Find out about all traffic impacts by visiting the ALDOT traffic website.
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LOXLEY Ala. A near-drowning of a child sent multiple emergency agencies to a home on Longview Drive Tuesday evening, July 29th, 2025, at around 6:30 p.m.
The small child was said to have been found under water in a swimming pool and not breathing. Someone at the residence quickly pulled the child from the water.
Loxley police and fire departments, and an ambulance were dispatched to the home, and when they arrived on the scene, they found several people were assisting with resuscitating the child.
The child was said to have been breathing before being transported to an area hospital.
Near-drowning is defined as survival after suffocation caused by submersion in water. It is a critical condition that occurs when a person is unable to breathe while underwater, leading to a lack of oxygen in the body.
This is the third “near-drowning” in our area during the past few months.
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FOLEY, Ala. The Foley Police Department has arrested a woman in connection with the discovery of a deceased man inside her apartment.
On July 28th, at approximately 10:50 a.m., Foley Police responded to a welfare check at a unit within the Alison Pointe Apartments in Foley. Upon arrival, officers located the body of a male who appeared to have been deceased for an extended period.
The initial investigation led to the arrest of Valerie Bonner, 54, of Foley.
She has been charged with Abuse of a Corpse, a felony under Alabama state law. This charge stems from her deliberate failure to notify authorities of the death and allowing the body to remain in the residence without reporting it. She was also charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence, a misdemeanor.
Detectives are continuing to work with the Baldwin District Attorney’s Office as they gather more information in this case.
Investigators are still working to determine the man’s identity.
An autopsy is scheduled to determine the official cause of death.
At this time, however, foul play is not suspected in the cause of death, but the investigation remains ongoing.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is also assisting the Foley Police in their investigation.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Foley Police Department at tips@foleypolice.org.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
PELHAM, AL. A large scam involving fraudulent gift cards was uncovered recently in Shelby County, Alabama.
The case originated in Hoover on Friday, June 20th, when a CVS store manager reported suspicious activity involving the two men. According to the manager, two men were seen removing approximately 25 gift cards from a kiosk and replacing them with similar-looking cards they brought with them.
The manager provided Hoover Police with a vehicle description and license plate number. Authorities issued a Be On the Lookout for the SUV, and on the following day, Saturday, June 21, Pelham Police located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop for a violation. During the stop, officers discovered several boxes containing thousands of gift cards.
During the officer’s investigation, they discovered that the two Chinese men were involved in counterfeiting gift cards on a large scale.
Jiandong Cao and Xuejun Zheng were both arrested by the Pelham Police Department for possessing 15 counterfeit devices after being suspected of switching out gift cards at local stores.
According to their indictment, Cao is a Chinese illegal alien, and Zheng is a Chinese citizen with a protected asylum immigration status.
The Pelham police, with assistance from federal law enforcement, unraveled the scheme to take the counterfeited gift cards and replace them for the real gift cards.
Authorities said that they found 5,078 gift cards in their possession during a search of their vehicle.
Federal authorities said that they are continuing their investigation, which may include others involved in the scheme.
“On June 25, 2025, USSS Birmingham Field Office Special Agents and Investigative Analysts began to inventory and inspect each of the 5,078 gift cards. The cards were from various retailers that included Amazon, Home Depot, Dicks Sporting Goods, Nike, Lululemon, Sephora, Macy’s, and Nordstrom/Nordstrom Rack. While inventorying the cards, it was discovered that over 300 cards, including Home Depot, Amazon, Sephora and Macy’s, and Nike cards that were altered. Each card package had been resealed with glue, and, upon opening each of them, it was discovered that parts of the gift card numbers and/or PIN numbers on the cards had been obliterated/altered,” according to the indictment.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
IRVINGTON, AL. A grandmother is dead, and her granddaughter is behind bars charged with her death.
It all started on Saturday, July 26, 2025, when EMA and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office responded to a medical emergency at 10355 Beverly Road, Irvington, Alabama.
According to the sheriff’s department, upon deputies’ arrival, Diane Marrow Trest (DOB 12/07/1954) was found unresponsive in her front yard with head trauma. EMS and firefighters could not revive Trest, and she was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Deputies said that they observed a mallet that was lying near her.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Major Crime Unit was called in and detectives interviewed witnesses and gathered evidence.
Two individuals reported being flagged down by a female who stated Diane Trest had been beaten to death by her own granddaughter who they identified as Jailen Mia Lupton. The driver then called 911.
Another witness, a neighbor, stated Lupton forced her way into her home, pushed her down, and demanded car keys, claiming she had just killed her grandmother.
Deputies arrested Jailen Ma Lupton (DOB 06/10/2007) and have charged her with Murder and Burglary.
If anyone has any additional information about this crime, please call 251-574-8633 or go to our website www.mobileso.com/crimetips/
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. Some call it a vacation haven situated along a beautiful stretch of the Gulf Coast, while 268,000 others call it home, and those numbers continue to grow by leaps and bounds every year.
According to the United States Census Bureau data, Baldwin County is now the seventh fastest-growing metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, with a population growth that’s up 27.2%.
The Mobile Metropolitan Area and Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Metropolitan Area, which comprises all of Baldwin County, together make up the Mobile–Daphne–Fairhope Combined Statistical Area, with a population in 2023 of 703,354. And if we factor in the Pensacola GSA population of approximately 600,000 people, it’s clear to see that this part of the Gulf region is not becoming a large metropolitan area because we’re already there.
Crime is one of those things that is part of growth, and if it’s not controlled, it can soon become unmanageable.
One of these includes drug addiction, drug sales, and drug-related crimes, which can often spread like wildfire if it’s left unchecked. For smaller communities, these crimes frequently overwhelm law enforcement agencies that are often not accustomed to the many faces of drug trafficking and addiction, and without using outside resources, can easily take control of a community.
Baldwin County, which is still mostly rural with pockets of rapid growth and urban sprawl, has had its share of battles with drug sales, drug trafficking, drug use, and drug addictions. While mostly kept quiet and out of sight of tourists and residents, the problem has progressively become worse, as the area’s growth and popularity for vacationers, snowbirds, and people on the run from the law, have found their way south to Alabama.
During this year’s three-day July 4th holiday, we tracked drug arrests in Baldwin and Mobile County using arrest records, jail logs, and court records. In Baldwin County, there were more than forty arrests made by state troopers, deputy sheriffs, and local police. These arrests consisted mainly of “secondary” arrests, meaning that the arrestee was not specially targeted or being investigated for a drug crime, but that they were stopped by law enforcement for a separate offense, and that drugs were found during the police interaction. Of those arrested, there were over seventy criminal charges filed against the arrestees, meaning that numerous persons arrested were facing multiple charges. The surprising fact to some might be the type of drugs found on those arrested during those three days. The drugs ranged from marijuana to cocaine, synthetic drugs, and beyond.
Of those arrested so far this month in Baldwin County on drug charges, some might categorize themselves as casual users, while others might say they were experimenting or just having a good time. Almost all would not admit that they’re addicts or drug traffickers or abusers of illicit narcotics, but the facts are, most are already in the danger zone and either can’t see it or are afraid to admit it. There are seven categories of drug abuse, and we will expound on those later in this series.
Living in such a beautiful area like the Alabama Gulf Coast can be both a blessing and a curse. Beach communities have long been known for wild spring breakers with parties that include lots of alcohol and drugs, and the laid-back vibe of anything goes. A friend once told me that once people cross the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge that you can almost hear the beer cans popping open, and that for many, the party had begun.
The unlawful use of drugs, ranging from weed to popping pills, shooting up heroin, fentanyl, or a synthetic drug, drastically affects not only the user but their families and the communities where they live.
Drugs can have profound social, economic, and health-related impacts on communities, leading to increased crime, strained public services, and deteriorating family dynamics.
While many within a community may not personally witness a drug sale or addiction, nor understand how drug abuse can deteriorate and devastate families and communities, the fact is that drug use, addiction, and illegal sales can tear apart the fiber of a town, destroy families, friendships, and the user’s own life.
In part two, we’ll look at how the poison of widespread drug abuse can affect crime, family dynamics, professions, public health, workplace productivity, healthcare costs, and our world.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BESSEMER Ala. At least six people in Alabama have died this year after being mauled to death by dogs, including two in the past week.
The latest victim was a woman who was found dead in a grassy lot in Bessemer, a city just west of Birmingham.
A woman found dead in a grassy lot in Bessemer was fatally mauled by dogs, authorities announced Friday morning.
The victim, identified as Delores M. Musgrove, was found lying in the lot, and police and emergency personnel were called to the scene.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said that Musgrove, 50, lived in Adger and died after being attacked by several dogs.
It’s unknown how long the woman had been lying in the lot, but Bessemer police said that they responded just before 7 a.m. Thursday to a report of a person down in the 100 block of Martin Street. Det. Justin Burmeister said officers arrived to find the woman in a grass lot. She was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:28 a.m.
Musgrove is at least the second person in Alabama killed in a dog attack this week, and the fourth this year.
On Tuesday, a 7-year-old boy was killed in an attack on the property where he lived in Chilton County. In that case, the owner surrendered nine dogs to Chilton County Animal Control where they were euthanized.
The breeds of those nine dogs included Shepherd mix, Pit Bull Terrier mix, Lab mix and Hound mix. Six of the dogs were 6 months old and the other ages ranged from 1 to 3.
In March, a bay just six months old, identified as Ember Southard, was killed in a dog attack inside an Alabaster home.
A 46-year-old woman was killed in February when she was mauled by a pack of dogs at a Tuscaloosa County home. The attack happened in the yard and on the property of the dogs’ owners. The victim had gone to the residence to feed the dogs for the owner, who was out of town.
In the United States, an average of 30 to 50 people are killed annually by dog attacks. The number of fatalities has been on the rise, with some years seeing numbers closer to 100. While the specific number varies, fatal dog attacks are a relatively rare but serious event.
Approximately 4.5 million people in the United States are bitten by dogs each year, according to the CDC and the Humane Society. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates that around 800,000 of those bites result in injuries that require medical attention.
Musgrove’s death remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Bessemer police at 205-425-2411, the Tip Line at 205-428-3541 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
ELSANOR, Ala. A severe crash Saturday night at the Grand River Motorsports Complex critically injured one person at around 6:00 p.m.
The Baldwin County Communications Center received several 911 calls reporting that a side-by-side ATV rollover crash had entrapped one person in the vehicle and that they were seriously injured.
The 911 center dispatched the Elesanor, Robertsdale, and Summerdale Fire Departments and an ambulance to the complex located at 25726 County Road 87.
The patient, who has not been identified, reportedly had several injuries, which included a possible skull fracture.
A medical helicopter was immediately dispatched to the scene and transported the patient to an area trauma center.
On January 4th, 2025, at around 4:30 p.m., authorities reported that a female was also seriously injured at the Grand River Motorsports Complex located off of County Road 87 in the Elsanor Community. Emergency responders, including the local fire department, an ambulance, and a medical helicopter, were dispatched to the business after receiving 911 calls that a thirty-six-year-old woman had received leg injuries during a crash.
There have also been at least two other serious wrecks in the complex during the past three years.
Because the Grand River Motorsports complex is private property, we do not know if law enforcement responded or if the crash is under investigation by any agency.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. A Scottsboro police officer has been shot in the line of duty, and after a short manhunt, police have the shooter is in custody.
Police said that the search for the suspect accused of shooting the police officer ended abruptly on Saturday night just after 10:00 p.m. and that Daniel Victor McCarn, the shooter was in custody.
At a press conference at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Lt. Coty Durham said a business on Old Larkinsville Road called in a tip that they believed McCarn was nearby. After checking surveillance video, police confirmed that McCarn was indeed the person spotted. Officers launched a drone with heat tracking technology and were able to track him to a wooded area near some railroad tracks.
McCarn was taken into custody without incident. The spot of his capture on old Larkinsville Road is about 5 miles from his last confirmed location early Saturday morning near Highway 72 and County Park Road.
Before police captured him, Durham stated that investigators had no reason to believe that McCarn had gotten very far from the scene. “Within a very minimal timeframe, we rendered aid and set up a perimeter to try to contain the suspect” Durham told reporters. “We felt like he could potentially be there, so we didn’t want to leave that area until we had some type of extra or outlying information that he could have potentially gotten out of that area.”
This all started just before 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, when officers responded to a domestic incident on Ruth Street.
Authorities said a suspect fled the scene, prompting a police pursuit.
According to the Scottsboro Police, the suspect crashed his car at the intersection of U.S. Highway 72 and County Park Road.
Officers said the suspect began firing shots, which hit an officer involved in the pursuit. Then the suspect fled on foot.
The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Daniel Victor McCarn of Huntsville. Durham said the Scottsboro Police Department has no record of any previous interactions with him. A search of Alabama court records shows only two minor traffic violations. Both were in Jackson County – one in 2017 and another in 2022.
According to Scottsboro Police, the officer who was shot is being treated at Huntsville Hospital. The officer’s injuries are non-life-threatening. “He is doing okay” Durham said Saturday night. “He had to undergo a procedure earlier, but the injuries he sustained were not life threatening so he’s hopeful to make a recovery and we hope to be seeing him real soon.”
Durham says the search grid did not change much during the manhunt. “The football stadium, Piggly Wiggly, Foodland, County Park Taco Bell area, the wooded area, that’s where we set our original perimeter.” Durham said Saturday night, less than an hour before the capture.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. Some Huntsville residents were caught off guard last month when a bear was spotted on video roaming through a neighborhood in the Rocket City.
Less than a week later, police in Athens warned residents not to feed or take selfies with a bear spotted within their city limits. And unlike Huntsville, Athens isn’t known for wooded or mountainous areas.
While bear sightings are rare, local and state animal control and wildlife officials aren’t surprised they are showing up in fast-growing neighborhoods. And that also applies to other forms of wildlife.
“The Madison-Huntsville area is developing at an exponential rate,” said Nick Wirwa, a biologist at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. “Many of these areas are adjacent to Wheeler. Because of this the refuge expects there to be impacts and is currently anticipating, planning and working with officials to account for the growth.”
Wirwa said that in recent years black bears have steadily migrated from northwest Georgia into northeast Alabama, establishing a small, but viable population in primarily in DeKalb, Cherokee and Etowah counties.
Although a bear was caught on video roaming through a yard in a Marina Park neighborhood of Huntsville, the city’s animal services department has not received any calls about sightings within the city limits.
“A number of years ago, there was one seen in Morgan County in Lacey’s Spring (near where Huntsville recently annexed 1,000 acres),” said Melissa Horne, veterinarian for Huntsville Animal Services. “We do have bears. We just don’t commonly see them. There’s not many.”
Like Athens police, she suggests leaving them alone.
“Simply seeing these animals is no cause for alarm, it simply means you live in Alabama – which provides suitable habitat for multiple species,” adds Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Division.
The sight of an alligator along the banks of the Tennessee River used to surprise residents who thought the climate too cold for a species known for thriving in the swamps of Louisiana, Florida and southern parts of Alabama and Mississippi.
But south Huntsville residents have been spotting alligators floating around in ponds and other locations near the Hays Farm development, Redstone Arsenal and Zierdt Road.
People fishing and swimming have also seen them on Swan Creek and in creeks in the Mooresville area in Limestone County. Golfers and campers occasionally see alligators along the river near the campground and golf course at Point Mallard Park in Decatur. They’ve also been spotted in Flint Creek between Decatur and Hartselle.
Back in 2008, Decatur police had to remove one from heavily traveled Danville Road in the southwest part of the city. A 6-foot alligator was killed just weeks before by someone driving on Alabama 20.
They have been spotted further west, too, at the TVA trails in Muscle Shoals.
Huntsville Animal Services occasionally get calls about alligators, but they leave the task of relocating them to state wildlife officials.
“Unfortunately, there was a Grissom student on a kayak trying to aggravate a gator, catch it or do something like that,” said Horne, the vet at the city shelter. “It’s best just to leave them alone. You’re putting yourself in danger. When you start feeding wildlife, they are going to start losing their natural fear of people. They’re going to be coming into closer proximity to people.”
In May, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources had to euthanize a 10-foot alligator in south Huntsville because it was “acting abnormally.” That led wildlife officials to believe residents had been feeding it.
The largest concentration of alligators is believed to be on the 35,000-acre Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge between Huntsville and Decatur.
“The alligator population is estimated to be stable,” said Wirwa, the biologist at Wheeler. “A study in 2017, estimated the population on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge to be around 55-60.”
Bobcats have also been spotted on Land Trust of North Alabama trails and on the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and beyond.
It might surprise people that there have been no sightings of bears or alligators on the Land Trust of North Alabama’s 10 nature preserves that span 10,000 acres.
“We regularly have bobcats and coyotes,” said Executive Director Marie Bostick. “Flying squirrels are fun, too.”
Bobcats are “stealthy and secretive,” said Gauldin, from the state wildlife division, but you might see one hunting around the edge of a field of neighborhood.
“They are often confused with mountain lions, which have not been documented in our state for about 80 years,” Gauldin said.
“I’ve been here four years, and I’ve seen one coyote that’s come in here injured,” Horne said. “It was hit by a car, so we euthanized them. We don’t get many coyote calls, but we know they are out there, and you do read about them on Nextdoor.”
They were a problem in Decatur a few years ago with coyotes preying on small pets.
Horne said Huntsville does get calls for possums and raccoons.
“We see a lot of distemper virus in raccoons,” she said. “Occasionally, we get bats. Of course, all the bats have to be tested for rabies. The wildlife laws in Alabama basically say you are to leave them alone. Legally, you can’t treat them. When we get injured by wildlife, we do have to euthanize them. The best thing to do is to not feed them. You leave food out, especially the raccoons are going to come out.”
Horne said that usually occurs when people put food out for cats.
In addition to raccoons, bats and possums, Horne said Huntsville residents may also see an occasional red fox roaming around neighborhoods. She said that is more common in the county, especially in the Meridianville area.
“There’s quite a bit there,” she said.
Horne said animals considered wildlife can be found in every part of Alabama’s largest city. But deer are usually found mainly around Green Mountain.
Horne also said the Huntsville area is home to a number of raptors, including owls and hawks. She said Animal Services will work with the rehabilitation center at Auburn University when it receives a call about an injured raptor.
Residents may spot the nation’s most well-known raptor – the bald eagle – at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and other spots along the Tennessee River, including Lake Guntersville and Waterloo in the Shoals.
“Because the refuge is located along the Tennessee River and its tributaries, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge provides great habitat for bald eagles,” Wirwa said. “Currently there are several known bald eagle nests on the refuge. Because bald eagles migrate and spend the winter around Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge utilizing its food resources, winter is the best season to view bald eagles on the refuge.”
Bald Eagles can also be spotted at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Guntersville and other spots along the Tennessee River.
Wirwa said the area’s population growth is having an impact on the wildlife near the refuge. The massive Greenbrier Preserve currently under construction in west Huntsville borders the refuge, with developers listing the refuge among the development’s amenities. A proposed Village of Providence-type development at the Interstate 65-565 interchange also borders the refuge.
And the growth of Town Madison and Hays Farm developments in south Huntsville could mean more encounters with wildlife such as alligators.
Wirwa said the refuge tries to work with developers building subdivisions that border the refuge. And Bostick said in a previous interview with AL.com the Land Trust of North Alabama also tries to work with developers to preserve areas around Huntsville.
And while wildlife officials encourage residents to avoid wildlife that shows up in their neighborhoods, Wirwa said the refuge does provide a place where residents can observe wildlife.
Oddly enough, despite sightings in some neighborhoods, Wirwa said there haven’t been any known sightings of bears at the refuge recently.
“Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to view a variety of wildlife, including waterfowl, cranes, deer, amphibians and birds,” he said. “During the winter, the refuge is home to thousands of sandhill cranes and a small number of whooping cranes. Tens of thousands of ducks and geese also winter here and can be seen throughout the refuge. The fall and spring migrations bring numerous songbirds and wading birds to the refuge.”
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BALDWIN COUNTY, AL. On July 24 at around 9 A.M., a Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Uniformed Services Deputy initiated a traffic stop on State Highway 59 near County Road 55 in the Loxley area.
The stop was for a violation of having an Expired license plate and for a violation of Driving on the Right Side of the Roadway (32-5A-80).
The driver of the vehicle did not yield to blue lights and sirens and led deputies on a pursuit for approximately 2 miles.
The driver, Martin Nicholas III, then stopped in the center turn lane on State Highway 59, just north of County Road 54 in the Robertsdale area.
The uniform deputy approached the car, identified himself, and requested identification and proof of insurance. The driver refused to present identification and insurance and refused to identify himself.
The driver then drove away from the traffic stop and continued southbound on State Highway 59.
The deputy pursued Nicholas, along with other law enforcement officers, and when the traffic and road conditions were conducive, the deputy performed a successful Pursuit Intervention Technique, bringing the pursuit to an end.
Nicholas still refused to comply as the deputy attempted to take Nicholas into custody.
Nicholas was eventually taken into custody and charged with Attempting to Elude, Obstructing Governmental Operations, and Resisting Arrest.
He was transported to the Baldwin County Detention Center, where he is being held on bond.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
