BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. The Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office has announced that a man previously arrested for sexually abusing a child has been found guilty.
During a court trial, Ugur Tufekcioglu, was found guilty of one count of first-degree sodomy, one count of sexual abuse of a child less than 12, and one count of second-degree sexual abuse.
Baldwin County Circuit Court Judge Byron Brackin presided over the trial.
The case was investigated by Lieutenant Paul Overstreet of theRobertsdale Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kristi Hagood and Sydnee Corello. Forensic interviews for the child victim were conducted at the Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center. Additional assistance in the case was provided by Victim Service Officer Lindsey Davis, Trial Coordinator Brianna Morgan, and Investigator Tucker Davison. The Office of Prosecution Services provided the use of Platano (“Platty”), a facility dog used for reducing the stress of the victim who testified at trial. Brandilyn Lascari is Platty’s certified handler.
Sentencing for Tufekcioglu is scheduled for January 2026.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
JACKSON COUNTY, MS. A deputy with the Jackson County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office has died in a wreck while heading home from his shift.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, 45-year-old Deputy Joshua Brashears was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 15 near the Harrison and Stone County line at around 5:45 a.m. on Friday.
Brashears was taken to Biloxi Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the release.
“Deputy Brashears faithfully served the residents of Jackson County since joining the Sheriff’s Office in 2023,” read the release. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss and extend our deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers to his family.”
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FOLEY, Ala. Two persons of interest and wanted for questioning in the Sunday night drive-by shooting in Foley have been apprehended in Jacksonville, Florida.
Detectives from the Foley Police Department went to Florida on Wednesday to interview the two 15-year-old juveniles and have now charged both of the teens with the attempted murder of Amiid Dujari Houston, 20, of Foley.
Police were called to a drive-by shooting on Sunday, October 12th, 2025, in the area of the 1000 block of East Azalea Avenue.
Foley police said that the shooter fired into a crowd in front of a house, hitting Houston, who remains in critical condition.
Additionally, the Jacksonville Police Department reportedly seized a vehicle as possible evidence in the case.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
A Friday night high school football game between Williamson and Vigor High Schools will not have any tailgating in the parking lot.
A notice sent out by Ladd-Peebles Stadium stating that there is absolutely no tailgating and anyone involved in such activity would be removed from the property has upset students, parents and even some teachers.
The message from the stadium, which the school system owns, was blunt: “THERE IS NO TAILGATING FOR THIS GAME! Anyone trying to tailgate will be removed from the property immediately, you’ve been warned.
Who authorized the Facebook page and why is in question, especially since there has never been tailgating allowed at the stadium.
Some are calling it a racial insult since both schools are predominantly black. Others have said that it was disrespectful and insulting.
Wednesday afternoon, an edited version listing game day security rules has replaced the original post. School system spokeswoman Rena Philips said the district had not approved the original message.
Shootings in Leland Mississippi over the weekend may have prompted the message stated one social media commenter.
Five people have now been arrested in that mass shooting that left six dead and others injured.
But Sherry Dillihay-McDade, the school board member who represents the area that includes Ladd, said this was a decision made by the administration at Williamson because it is standardized testing week. She said normally, people buy tailgating passes, which requires teachers to go to the stadium early to set up and then clean up afterward. She said that it would be too much of a distraction during test week.
Shootings have occurred in Mobile during high school football games in the past.
In 2019, gunfire erupted inside Ladd-Peebles Stadium during a game between LeFlore and Williamson High Schools. Ten teenagers, all between the ages of 15 and 18, were injured. Six were shot, and others were hurt in the ensuing chaos. A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with nine counts of attempted murder. The shooting was believed to stem from neighborhood disputes being brought to the public event.
On October 15, 2021, there was another shooting that occurred at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, this time on an exit ramp outside the venue as a game between Williamson and Vigor high schools was ending. Five people were shot, including three juveniles. Four victims were taken to the hospital by ambulance, and one was transported privately. One person was arrested and charged with five counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors later stated that the shooting was the result of a dispute that had begun weeks earlier.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE, Ala. Correctional professionals from across the Southern Regional will descend on Mobile this month for JAILCON25 Southern Regional Conference.
Organized by the National Institute for Jail Operations (NIJO), this 2½‑day event promises “legal‑based training tailored for the corrections field,” along with an exhibitor hall of corrections-related products and services and networking opportunities for sheriffs, jail administrators, officers, civilian staff, and medical personnel.
This marks the second year JAILCON has been held in Mobile, the ninth consecutive year it has been held in the Southern region, and the twenty-second nationwide!
The success of JAILCON25 would not be possible without the incredible support and collaboration from Alabama Jail Administrators Council and our host agency, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, who have once again gone above and beyond.
We are honored to welcome Dean Stott as this year’s keynote speaker—a world renowned adventurer, former UK Special Forces operative, and best-selling author. Dean has completed record-breaking expeditions, including cycling the entire length of the Pan-American Highway in under 100 days, while raising millions for charity. His work extends beyond physical feats—he is a trusted security consultant to governments, corporations, and dignitaries around the globe.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office is excited to host this event for the 2nd year in a row, and will throw another “MOBILE WELCOME” by hosting a MARDI GRAS PARADE ON OCTOBER 14, 2025, rolling at 6:30 pm.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT LORI MYLES
251-391-8303.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. A company named Nebius has just bought 79 acres in Birmingham in a $90 million deal to build a new data center. The company, which already has data storage facilities in other states, and it’s said that they are planning to build its newest location in Jefferson County.
All of this sounds good for the State of Alabama. No doubt it will bring some jobs, opportunities and more revenue to the state. But is this really the type of business that’s good for the state?
Earlier this year, Meta announced a new 715,000-square-foot data center would be built off Interstate 65, across from the Hyundai automotive assembly plant. It will join the company’s other Alabama data center campus, located in Huntsville.
Alabama is already home to twenty-six large data campuses and some of the largest and most notable is located in Huntsville (Meta) and Bridgeport (Google). Other major providers with a presence in the state include DC BLOX and AUBix.
Nationwide, data centers employ only a few handful of employees at each data center while most of the work is done by robots, electronics and automation. While a specific total number of employees currently working at Alabama data centers isn’t available, Alabama’s data center employment is growing and includes over 300 operational jobs at the Meta facility in Huntsville, 100 operational jobs planned for a Meta facility in Montgomery, and 20 planned full-time jobs for a Core Scientific data center in Auburn. Data centers typically employ fewer people than many other industries after construction, but the jobs are often higher-paying, and the overall sector is expanding due to increasing demand for cloud computing and AI services according to national data resources.
However, there are hidden problems with data centers not only in Alabama but across the country. Besides the fact that data centers only employ a few dozen people at each facility, they also eat up a large percentage of electricity that is produced by local power companies and
In 2023, U.S. data centers consumed approximately 176 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, which is about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity consumption. This figure represents a significant increase from 2014, when data centers consumed around 70 TWh. The growth in energy consumption is projected to continue, with estimates suggesting that data centers could consume between 325 to 580 TWh by 2028, potentially accounting for up to 12% of U.S. electricity use. The increase in energy consumption is driven by the growing demand for data center internet services, particularly the integration of artificial intelligence technology.
Some areas with large numbers of data centers have already experienced electricity interruptions and issues that are on the rise.
Data Centers have high Around-the-Clock Energy Demand, and their computers run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year and there’s no denying that data centers consume an immense amount of power. This power usage is primarily driven by servers/computing and cooling systems, followed by usage for networking equipment and storage drives.
AI data centers, one of the primary drivers of the explosive demand, are different. Due to constant demand for their use, AI operations have sustained high levels of power needs and demand power availability in excess of 99.9%. Such a level of availability is more than a single generation source (or the grid) can generally provide, and thus redundant power supplies are typically required.
Recent incidents involving data centers have highlighted the potential for brownouts and blackouts due to their significant power consumption. These events have been caused by data centers disconnecting from the grid, which can lead to a surge of excess electricity on the grid. The grid operators have had to take drastic action to prevent widespread outages, indicating the need for better preparedness and infrastructure to handle such events.
In many areas of the country, power production is already strained by population growth and extending services to a large area.
Sixty data centers in Northern Virginia using 1,500MW of power dropped off the grid simultaneously last summer, forcing the network operators to take drastic action to avoid widespread blackouts in the region. The near-miss incident, revealed in regulatory filings and first reported by Reuters, saw the data centers in Fairfax County all switched to backup generators en masse as a result of an equipment fault on the grid. Grid operator PJM Interconnection and local utility company Dominion were forced to quickly scale back the volume of energy going into the network from power stations. If left unattended, such a rapid increase in the amount of available power could have triggered a surge and caused systems to trip out, potentially leading to blackouts across Virginia.
Northern Virginia is the world’s busiest data center market and continues to attract new developments despite constraints on the grid.
High density population growth, straining systems already having difficulties in production and delivery of power services and the continual demand for constant data center power, could be the results of catastrophic long term power outages.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
NORTH PORT, Fla. A couple in Florida is facing charges after police said they left a 16-year-old boy by himself on the side of Interstate 75 and told him to fend for himself.
Police said the couple also left a bag of handguns and cash with the teenager.
According to a probable cause affidavit, North Port police received a call Oct. 1 just before 6 p.m. about a boy seen walking along I-75 about a mile south of Sumter Boulevard.
The responding officer found the teen, who told him he had been in a vehicle with Bradley Leon Guerrero Santos, 36, and Roseanella Mendola Borja, 35, and an 8-year-old sibling.
The teen said that when he got home from school, the couple informed him they were taking a trip. When he returned from walking the family dog, he saw they were frantically throwing clothes into duffel bags and loading them into their car.
When the vehicle got onto the interstate, the teen told the couple he did not want to go on the trip, which he was told was “either to Guam or Idaho,” the affidavit said.
At that point, the teen told police the couple pulled over to the side of the road, gave him two bags containing a .40 caliber handgun, a 9mm handgun and some cash. They told him to get out of the car and take care of the house as they drove away.
Attempts were made by police to call the couple’s phones, but each time, the person answering the phone either denied being Santos or simply hung up.
When police took the teen home, they found the garage door and the front door of the home wide open. When police entered the home to investigate, they found the home “to be cluttered in disarray, with firearms lying out in the open,” the affidavit said.
Police were able to track the couple’s phones to an address in Wauchula, Florida, where local police found and detained them.
Santos and Borja have been charged with neglect of a child without great bodily harm. Santos has also been charged with allowing a juvenile to have possession of a firearm.
As of Wednesday, both were still in the Sarasota County Jail, each under a $500,000 bond.
Copyright 2025 WWSB via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
DAPHNE, Ala. The Daphne Police Department hosted a training course provided by the nonprofit organizations The Little Tree Project and Skull Games, which covered areas of human trafficking, sex trafficking, and prostitution.
When the course was over, officers put their training into action.
Police held a one-day operation to combat human sex trafficking that followed the advanced human trafficking training course. The class was attended by several local law enforcement agencies.
Four men were arrested by police in Daphne on Thursday and charged with the solicitation of prostitution.
Daphne police said that they arrested Kelvin Demetrius Mason, Lew Carter Curry, William Timothy Waker, and Micha Christian Burton.
Additionally, two trafficking victims were also contacted and provided with information on rescue resources, police said.
Daphne police stated that more arrests are possible.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. After months of talking about and conferring with various agencies, the City of Spanish Fort is ready to begin trapping coyotes which are generally dangerous and destructive to area wildlife.
But some citizens are not on board with this decision, saying they’ve never had a bad experience with the coyotes.
But the mayor has signed a contract on Thursday, October 9, 2025, with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to begin trapping and removing coyotes and beavers. It’s a move many concerned residents have been hoping for. The $4000 contract will include the trapping of beavers and coyotes.
Coyotes in recent months have been seen during the daytime hours and late evening out hunting. A recent photo on social media showed two coyotes crossing a neighborhood street, each with a bunny in their mouth. Other neighbors have reported that there have been several reports of family pets, both cats and dogs, attacked and killed by coyotes.
One of the areas to be targeted includes the Spanish Fort Estates subdivision and several areas near Highway 31.
Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan said that beavers have caused major damage in some parts of the city, resulting in major repairs and drainage work.
Still, some residents had hoped for a different outcome, such as relocating the animals or using non-lethal measures.
Other residents, including Harry Pollock, have also wondered how the city will keep other beavers or coyotes from coming into the area, replacing those that are being euthanized. Coyotes also help keep other varmints in check, he said.
Before trapping begins, game cameras will be set up at monitoring stations to get a better idea of where and how many animals they’re dealing with.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
DAPHNE, Ala. The Daphne police department has reported that they’ve arrested a man responsible for stealing a vehicle from a local dealership for at least the second time during the past year.
Police said that 28-year-old Sequan Hudson is accused of stealing a 2026 Honda Civic from Tameron Honda on September 27, 2025.
This isn’t his first arrest for stealing a vehicle from Tameron, and he has been arrested by numerous other area law enforcement agencies.
This arrest follows several similar incidents involving Sequan and vehicles stolen from the same dealership:
October 2, 2025 – Arrested for theft of a 2026 Honda Civic (case #250900326)
July 1, 2024 – Arrested by Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office for Receiving Stolen Property 1st Degree after being found in possession of a 2023 Hyundai Elantra reported stolen from Tameron Honda between June 29 and June 30, 2024 (case #2400700010)
June 2, 2021 – Arrested by Mobile Police Department for Receiving Stolen Property 1st Degree involving a 2014 Lexus IS 250 stolen from Tameron Honda (case #210500239)
May 8, 2021 – Arrested by Mobile Police Department for theft of a 2020 Honda Pilot (case #210500049)
In total, Sequan has been arrested four times for stealing vehicles from Tameron Honda. Sequan also has similar cases across the state in Baldwin, Mobile, and Lee County.
There is another investigation into Hudson regarding debit and credit cards that were found on him and that are believed to have been stolen.
Hudson is being held at the Baldwin County Detention Center on charges of: Felony Auto Theft 2 Counts of Condition Release Violation
He is being held on a $110,000 bond.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. One of the most photographed areas in Fairhope has always been the mural painted on the Fairhope Hardware wall almost thirty years ago.
Residents and visitors alike have found their way to the old country store wall at Fairhope Avenue and North Church Street.
Tammy Hall said the colors were vibrant and pulled you in as you walked by.
The mural artist, America Tickle said that she first painted in 1997 and was surprised to see so many people over the years who have gravitated to the mural.
But now, the Fairhope Hardware store is set to be demolished within the next two weeks, and that means one of Fairhope’s most recognizable murals will soon be gone too.
The building that holds the mural was built more than a century ago, and now must come down after a demolition permit has been issued.
Residents are planning a downtown flash mob on Wednesday at 6 p.m. to capture one last memory before the beloved mural comes down.
“We’ll have a photographer here to come and take sort of a community portrait,” Tickle said. “Whoever wants to come out and be here with your kids, your dogs, your whoever. We’ll just fill the street and take a fun portrait of everybody.”
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
On Monday, October 6, 2025, at approximately 7:32 AM, officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the 18000 block of Pine Acres Road.
Witnesses described a damaged truck with its driver’s side door ajar and a male subject fleeing the scene, attempting to enter another vehicle nearby.
Further investigation revealed the truck had been reported stolen from Robertsdale.
Officers quickly established a perimeter and deployed a K9 unit to assist in the search. As the investigation unfolded, several community members came forward with valuable information about the suspect and reported that their vehicles had also been broken into.
At 7:59 AM, the suspect was located on County Road 8 and taken into custody without incident. The individual, a 16-year-old male from Robertsdale, now faces multiple felony charges, including Possession of Stolen Property and Unlawful Breaking and Entering of a Motor Vehicle.
The teen also allegedly entered a vacant house. The car and stolen property from the reported car break-ins were recovered.
This remains an active investigation. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Gulf Shores Police Department at (251) 968-2851 or via email at gspdpio@gulfshoresal.gov.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MONTGOMERY, AL. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has now opened certain areas of public oyster bottoms for weekday harvest.
Oyster Harvest Opens October 6
Pursuant to Section 9-12-28, Code of Alabama 1975 as stated by Rule 220-3-.02, the Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will open certain areas of public oyster bottoms for weekday harvest beginning on Monday, October 6, 2025, at 7 a.m.
Harvesters can view their locations and the open harvest areas with Alabama’s Oyster Management Station (OMS) Oyster Grid Map. A link to the map is available at https://www.outdooralabama.com/oysterharvest.
Harvesters are reminded to visit an Oyster Management Station (OMS) prior to the start of their harvesting trip to drop off their OMS ID cards and confirm which grids are open for harvest. The primary OMS is located across from Jemison’s Bait and Tackle (16871 Dauphin Island Parkway, Coden, Alabama 36523). Certain grids east of the Dauphin Island Parkway will open on October 6th.
Additional grids will be opened to harvest sometime after October 6th. At that time a second OMS located at Delta Port Boat Launch (5080 Green Drive, Coden, Alabama 36523) will be opened. Information related to grid and OMS openings and closings will be posted at OMS locations and on MRD social media sites.
All commercial oyster catchers, regardless of age, must have a commercial oyster catcher’s license to participate in the harvest. For information about licensing and regulations, please contact MRD, at (251) 861-2882, or visit the MRD office located at 2 North Iberville Drive on Dauphin Island.
Recreational Oyster Tags: Recreational oyster catchers must report their catch and purchase a recreational harvest tag at an OMS station. Recreational harvesters may take up to 100 legal-size (minimum 3 inches) oysters in the same open grids during the same times as commercial harvest. No license is required but commercial and recreational oysters may not be transported together on a vessel.
Harvest times: Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Grids will be closed on selected Federal holidays.
Harvest Limits: Commercial oyster catchers may harvest a maximum of eight (8) sacks per person/vessel/per day regardless of how many licensed harvesters are aboard. Recreational oyster catchers may harvest 100 legal-size oysters per person/per day. Recreational harvest may only occur in areas and at times that are open for commercial harvest.
Harvest Methods: Tong or Hand only.
Management Station Locations: Cedar Point Cutoff across from Jemison’s Bait and Tackle and Delta Port Boat Launch (see addresses listed above).
Management Station Hours: Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Management Station Contact: (251) 257-9966 (Jemison’s Bait and Tackle OMS).
ADCNR promotes wise stewardship, management, and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Learn more at www.outdooralabama.com.
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A motor vehicle collision in Foley on Monday morning involving a BRATS public transportation bus and a passenger vehicle injured one person, according to authorities.
The collision occurred shortly after 9 a.m., October 6, 2025, on West Laurel Avenue.
The Foley Police, Fire Department, and ambulances were dispatched to the wreck, and at least one bus passenger was treated for minor injuries.
Foley police are investigating the wreck.
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