BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. A missing child from Fort Myers was spotted in a Budget rental van on Interstate 10 in Florida by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper as it was entering the Alabama line.
ALEA was contacted by FHP and began looking for the van entering the state and within minutes an Alabama trooper spotted the vehicle and began to follow it westbound on I-10.
Additional troopers began to follow the van that had Oklahoma tags and eventually conducted a traffic stop on the rental van near the 30-mile marker.
The child was recovered and the driver was detained.
While on scene, the male suspect had a medical emergency and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital.
Currently, law enforcement in both states is conducting a further investigation into the incident.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SEMMES, AL. Sadly, today we are joining the Semmes Fire Rescue Department in mourning after Chief Kevin Brooks died Tuesday evening. An announcement by the fire department stated that the chief passed after a battle with cancer.
“The City of Semmes is saddened to share the passing of our Fire Chief, who faithfully served this community for many years,” the post said. “After a courageous battle with cancer, he passed away last night.”
Chief Brooks was a leader and a mentor to many said one firefighter.
A Facebook post said Brooks dedicated his life to protecting and serving Semmes residents.
“His leadership, commitment, and steady presence helped shape our fire department and made our community a safer place,” it said. “Beyond his role as Fire Chief, he was a neighbor, mentor, and friend to many.”
Brooks set the tone for the department and lives on through the firefighters who served under him, according to the post.
Steve Dawes knew him as a strong leader with a kind heart.
“We are deeply grateful for the years he gave to this city and the example he set through his service and character,” it said. “His legacy will continue to live on through the firefighters he led and the countless lives he touched.”
Fire departments around the area have been publishing messages of condolences.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. Two new hotels are coming to the city of Spanish Fort.
Mayor Brad Bass and city officials participated in festivities that included the official groundbreaking for a TownePlace Suites by Marriott and the topping-out ceremony (beam signing) for a Tru by Hilton. Both properties are located on the east side of the Eastern Shore Centre, across from Eastern Shore Lanes.
The mayor said that they are celebrating an exciting milestone in the community’s continued growth as city leaders joined RAM Hotels to commemorate the construction of two new hotels on the city’s eastern corridor.
RAM Hotels, an Alabama family-owned company, has strategically chosen to invest in Spanish Fort through collaboration with city officials and a shared commitment to strengthening the community. Once completed, the two hotels will collectively offer nearly 200 guest rooms, along with meeting spaces and modern amenities designed to serve visitors to the Eastern Shore.
“These projects represent another exciting step forward for Spanish Fort. We are proud to partner with RAM Hotels as they continue investing in our city and helping expand opportunities for visitors to stay, explore, and experience everything our community has to offer,” said Casey Raines, Planning and Zoning Official for Spanish Fort.
The I-10 Corridor between Mobile and the Forida line continues to be a hot area for development from residential communities to hospitality and other new businesses. Hotels are specially needed along this stretch of I-10 with the growth of tourism and large companies locating in the area.
The addition of these hotels will bring new energy to the developing east side of Spanish Fort and support the continued growth of the area surrounding the Eastern Shore Centre. City leaders say the development reflects the strong economic momentum taking place throughout Spanish Fort and the Eastern Shore region.
Other projects could also be announced soon.
Construction on both properties is currently underway. Tru by Hilton is expected to open in October 2026.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Ala. On Thursday, March 5th, Jennifer Wisenbaugh, 55, of Stockbridge, Ga., was killed after the vehicle she was a passenger in struck a tractor-trailer.
ALEA said that Chad Buckner, 44, of Cartersville, Ga., was the driver of the vehicle and that he was driving under the influence of alcohol and was speeding at the time of the collision.
Now Buckner is in police custody and faces felony charges of murder and DUI according to law enforcement.
Authorities said Buckner was not injured in the crash.
Authorities said the crash occurred on County Road 4 near Fir Lane, approximately 10 miles east of East Brewton.
No information has been released about the driver of the tractor trailer.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
On March 3, 2026, the MCSO ICAC Unit, along with MCSO Special Operations, executed a search warrant at Knollwood Drive involving Kiara Nicole Ford.
This investigation began after the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office received a Cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Based on the evidence collected during the search warrant and subsequent investigation, Ford was arrested and charged with five counts of Unlawful Possession of Child Pornography and five counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography. As a reminder, ICAC is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing over 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These agencies are dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children. A core initiative of the ICAC Task Force Program is educating the public through the development and delivery of awareness and prevention programs.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
ARAB, Ala. A city in northeast Alabama has lost over $432,000 in what they say was a cyber phishing scam which now has federal law enforcement investigating what happened.
According to the little information available, someone, somewhere, s said to have disguised themselves as an officer at FITE Construction, the company building the city’s new recreation center. The scammer received the fraudulent payments.
According to a city spokesperson, the scammer received one fraudulent payment for an invoice for work that another business had done.
An internal review confirmed the scheme did not include personal data, employee information or citizen information.
The Arab Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service are investigating.
Arab Mayor Bob Joslin released a statement saying that the city is working to recover the money.
“The city has implemented additional safeguards and enhanced verification procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
Joslin said other municipalities and school systems nationwide have been victimized, and it appears the perpetrators are working from overseas.
“The City of Arab is deeply concerned about the theft of taxpayer funds and is committed to pursuing every available avenue to recover the money and hold those responsible accountable,” Joslin added. “We want to reassure our citizens, employees, vendors, and community partners that this was an isolated financial scheme involving invoice fraud and did not involve a breach of personal or confidential information.”
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
In recent months law enforcement in several states including Tennessee have identified a newly emerging synthetic opioid being detected in fatal overdose investigations that does not always respond to Naloxone.
Narcan has long been used by police, firefighters and EMS to treat victims of an overdose on scene and reverse a drug overdose, but now it synthetic drugs may not fully respond to naloxone, prompting forensic officials to advise law enforcement to follow standard fentanyl safety protocols while toxicology data continues to develop.
The drug, N-Propionitrile Chlorphine, also known as cychlorphine, has been identified in 19 overdose death investigations in East Tennessee, with 12 confirmed and seven pending laboratory confirmation, according to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center. Forensic officials say laboratory data indicate the compound may be approximately 10 times more potent than fentanyl.
Synthetic opioids are powerful pain-relieving substances designed in laboratories to mimic the effects of natural opioids (such as morphine) by acting on the same brain receptors. While some are approved for medical use, such as fentanyl and methadone, many are produced illicitly and are often highly potent, causing a significant rise in fatal overdoses globally.
Chris Thomas, chief administrative officer and director of the forensic center in Tennessee, said officers and first responders should treat suspected exposures the same way they would fentanyl.
“There is currently insufficient data to determine whether this compound presents additional dermal exposure risk,” Thomas said. “Follow fentanyl protocols.”
In most confirmed cases, cychlorphine was detected alongside fentanyl and methamphetamine. In one confirmed case, however, it was the only drug identified. That case involved a measured concentration of approximately 0.5 nanograms in femoral blood, which Thomas described as extremely low.
Unlike fentanyl, cychlorphine does not appear on routine toxicology panels. Detection requires expanded laboratory analysis and, in some cases, referral to research laboratories for confirmation. The forensic center submits femoral blood samples to NMS Labs for toxicology testing. If the compound is detected, samples are forwarded to a research laboratory for confirmation.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other synthetics are the primary drivers of the overdose crisis in the United States, with synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) involved in over 70,000 deaths in 2023.
Synthetic drugs have become rapidly the culprit in many overdoes because it’s cheaper to manufacture and is often done in temporary labs and has even been found being made in a dirty bathroom.
Officials caution that the number of confirmed cases may reflect testing capability rather than geographic prevalence. Jurisdictions without expanded analytical panels may not detect the compound even if present.
Thomas said naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, may not be fully effective in reversing overdoses involving cychlorphine but should still be administered. Responders cannot immediately determine which opioid is present at a scene, he said.
“Always try,” Thomas said, referring to naloxone administration.
Cychlorphine belongs to a subclass of synthetic opioids known as orphine analogues. National forensic researchers first identified the compound in 2024, and a January 2026 public alert from the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education reported an increase in fatal overdoses in which the drug was detected.
At this stage, forensic officials are not recommending new field procedures beyond established fentanyl safety measures. Existing opioid response protocols remain appropriate while additional data continues to emerge.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
Early Tuesday afternoon, a police pursuit ended in a wreck that injured a motorcyclist and the arrests of two people.
A Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop at around 12L15 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026, after recognizing that one of the occupants in the vehicle had fled law enforcement during a weekend traffic stop.
The driver initially stopped for the deputy but as a Foley police officer pulled up to assist the deputy, the driver took off fleeing down Foley Beach Express.
During the pursuit the driver struck and injured a motorcyclist.
Deputies and Foley police surrounded the woods and eventually arrested both people who police say are brothers.
The driver, 21-year-old Max Lewis, and 26-year-old Blake Lewis face a number of charges, including felony attempting to elude and leaving the scene of an accident with injury.
Both are incarcerated pending a bond hearing.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
A new policy at some Buc-ee’s fuel pumps is sparking some debate among customers.
The new policy has been implemented at many of its locations and some customers are none too happy.
Signs have recently appeared at the pumps at certain Buc-ee’s that directs customers to only use their credit cards at the pumps but to continue prepaying with cash inside the stores.
This new policy began on March 1, 2026, according to the signs and people are already taking issue with this new method of paying.
Several customers online have spoken about the security of their card and skimmers, and one said that they will never enter a Buc-ee’s store again.
Social media reveals a divide between customers who believe the rule is justifiable and those who believe it poses an inconvenience.
We have contacted the corporate offices for their comment.
Local Buc-ee’s do not have public phone numbers and an assistant manager said that they are not allowed to comment on policies.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
A volunteer group has kept a watchful eye on the City of Chelsea for the past twenty-seven years and they’ve made a difference by providing free security patrols.
Known as the Chelsea Citizen Observer Patrol (COP), they were recently celebrated at the 27th annual awards dinner.
Former Birmingham police chief A.C. Roper served as the keynote speaker, highlighting the importance of volunteer patrols and their dedication.
I remember when the group first formed. They had one older patrol vehicle and a couple of retirees that volunteered their time to patrol the small town just off Highway 280. At that time, the community was policed by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and their fire service was provided by the volunteer fire department. As of today, the town still does not employ a municipal police force or a paid fire department.
At its incorporation in 1996, there were only 906 residents. Today there are over 16,000 residents. It is a rapidly developing residential area, boasting a median age of 37.6.
In 2025, COP volunteers contributed 8,227 hours of service to keep the city “safe, strong and connected,” the city stated.
“We are deeply grateful for the time, heart, and commitment these volunteers give to Chelsea and Westover,” the city added.
Officials honored COP members who have passed and awarded current members. Allison Couch was awarded Rookie of the Year and Johnna Barnes was awarded Volunteer of the Year.
The COP is sponsored by Chelsea and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Members receive training and patrol neighborhoods and businesses. Members are uniformed and unarmed. They work directly with law enforcement to report suspicious activities.
“The quality of life and community safety in Chelsea are enhanced as a result of the COP and the efforts of its dedicated members,” the city stated.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE, AL. On Saturday, March 7, 2026, at approximately 3:30 a.m., officers with the Mobile Police observed a vehicle acting suspiciously in the area of Halls Mill Road and McVay Drive and found that it had been reported stolen a short time earlier.
Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop.
The vehicle stopped in the area of Holcombe Avenue and Government Street where four juvenile male subjects bailed from the vehicle.
Officers detained all subjects, and upon further investigation, discovered the vehicle was stolen from the 2500 block of N. McVay Drive.
Three subjects were arrested and transported to Strickland Youth Center charged with Theft of Property, Attempt to Elude and Possession of Burglary Tools.
The fourth subject was arrested and transported to Strickland Youth Center charged with Theft of Property and Attempt to Elude.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. An update on the sex sting story in Spanish Fort that we brought to you first on Saturday, Police Chief Barber tells us that six people were arrested in the operation.
The Chief said that the sting occurred on Friday, March 6, 2026, and that charges were for engaging or participating in prostitution in two simultaneous operations that included eight agencies. As seventh person has pending charges. According to police, that person, who has not been publicly identified, was injured while trying to avoid arrest.
As we have previously reported, the police operation was the culmination of a two-day law enforcement training led by Skull Games, a veteran-led nonprofit focused on human trafficking, along with The Little Tree Project, a victim’s advocacy group, and hosted by The Spanish Fort Police Department.
“The training allows us the ability to understand the most current trends, and it helps our officers understand how to target it,” Chief Barber said.
According to a Facebook post by The Little Tree Project, which also led a training with SFPD in October 2025, the group “provided intel support, survivor advocacy and equipped law enforcement leaders with practical tools for trafficking detection and response.” The third day of the training included Friday’s very real operations, taking what the agencies had learned the previous two days and putting it into practice.
Some of the work entailed researching sex ads online and looking for those being forced into the sex trade.
Barber said that he wouldn’t rule out similar operations in the future.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. At approximately 9:25 a.m. on Monday, March 9th, 2026, 911 received a call for help along the causeway. The caller said that a person was stuck in an elevator.
Other callers identified that a cable snapped, the elevator car came down and people were injured.
The Spanish Fort fire Department was dispatched to a business located 1385 Battleship Parkway near the Felix Fish Camp.
Spanish Fort Fire Chief Few told me that it was a supply lift that was pulled by a winch cable. The injured party was riding the lift when it failed dropping them to the ground.
The person had head and leg injuries, and a medical helicopter was dispatched to the scene and transported one person to a trauma center.
In these types of accidents when an employee is injured at work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will take over the investigations.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
GADSDEN, Ala. – Global automotive supplier Minth Group Limited plans to turn a former steelmaking site in Gadsden into its largest-ever campus in a $430 million investment that will create more than 1,300 jobs, the company announced today.
The project is slated for the 400-acre brownfield site that was the previous location of Republic Steel and Gulf States Steel. The new facility will produce high-quality plastic and aluminum components for automakers’ U.S. plants including Hyundai in Montgomery and Kia in West Point, Georgia.
“Alabama is a worldwide leader in automotive innovation, and Minth Group Limited’s plans to build an advanced manufacturing hub in Gadsden is another successful chapter for our state industry,” said Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair.
McNair credited the stellar reputation of the state’s automotive workforce for its continued growth.
“Our automakers and supplier operations are filled with experts who are building high-quality, in-demand products for markets around the world,” McNair said. “Their work continues to draw new additions to our auto industry, where they find supportive partnerships and a true home in communities across the state.”
Taiwan-based Minth, an industry leader in automotive trim and structural components with 78 plants around the globe, said the new Alabama location will help the company better serve its North American customers, including those transitioning to electric and advanced vehicles.
Minth’s U.S. operations are part of Minth North America Inc., with regional headquarters in Wixom, Michigan, and two other locations in Michigan and Tennessee.
The Gadsden site is expected to be a flagship U.S. facility with nearly 1 million square feet of manufacturing space. The company plans to renovate and expand the former steel mill, and the new jobs’ average annual wages are expected to top $49,000.
Minth’s investment in Gadsden is expected to create hundreds of jobs initially, with the potential to reach up to 1,325 positions as operations grow, bringing additional economic renewal in a community that has seen departures of major employers such as Goodyear and Gulf States Steel.
“From rubble to renewal, from depression to prosperity – this site, once a reminder of jobs that moved overseas, now represents a bright future,” said William Chin, the son of Minth’s founder and the company’s chief strategy officer. “It’s not rubber and steel anymore; it’s plastic and aluminum. We see tremendous opportunity here to serve the evolving needs of the automotive industry.”
Chin commended the forward-thinking leadership in Gadsden for recognizing the site’s potential.
“I want to especially thank the mayor, our local economic development partners and Gadsden State Community College for seeing the diamond in the rough before we did. Their unwavering belief in their community will make this old steel mill shine again.
“Now, together we will bring it back to life and build something enduring for generations to come,” Chin added.
Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford said his top priority has been to bring high-paying jobs back to Gadsden. One key goal was filling the former Goodyear plant, and that goal was met with last year’s announcement that Wyoming-based Takkion will use the facility as a storage and handling hub for renewable energy materials, primarily solar panels.
“My remaining focus was finding a quality tenant for the old Republic Steel property, and man, we hit the lottery with Minth,” Ford said. “I didn’t think we could find someone who values the citizens of Gadsden as much as I do, but they’ve exceeded all our expectations.”
“They have tremendous plans for this facility, and I’m thrilled to have them become a part of our community and our future,” he said.
David Hooks, chief executive of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority, said Minth’s acquisition of the former steelmaking site marks a transformational moment for the community.
He thanked the Casey family, who for the past 25 years have worked to clean up and redevelop the property into a productive business operation. There are currently five businesses at the site, and those operations will continue.
“The new investment not only impacts the property itself, but will impact the broader economies of Gadsden, Etowah County and all of Northeast Alabama,” Hooks said. “We are honored that Minth Group has chosen Gadsden as the location to expand its North American presence. We look forward to supporting their continued growth and to the long-term economic opportunities this investment will bring to our region.”
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. A Sunday morning fire in Fairhope has caused heavy damage to a home and uncertainty for its occupants.
The Baldwin County 911 Communications Center received several calls reporting a structure fire at 20601 Thelma Ganey Lane at around 8:47 a.m.
The Fairhope and Daphne Fire Departments were dispatched to the scene and firefighters observed heavy smoke coming from the manufactured home upon arrival.
Additional mutual-aid fire departments were also dispatched for manpower and to assist in water supply due to no fire hydrants in the area.
At this time, no injuries have been reported.
Firefighters believe that the fire may have started in the kitchen.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
LOXLEY, Ala. Officers on patrol observed a traffic violation and attempted to pull the driver over. Even though the police had activated his emergency equipment, (blue lights and sirens), the driver, later identified as CHRISTIAN LILES DENTON, refused to stop and led police on a pursuit.
Loxley officers were able to stop the vehicle and detained Denton. A probable cause search of the vehicle and the driver turned up drugs, which may have been the reason that he fled law enforcement.
Denton has been charged with:
Cocaine Possession
Drug Paraphernalia-1st Offense
Resisting Arrest
Obstructing Police- Attempting to Elude Police
Driving Under the Influence (Controlled Substances)
Denton has since been released on bond from the Baldwin County Detention Center, pending a court appearance.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
Blue RAM Media was the first to report the plane crash on Saturday evening and have maintained contact with local authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard.
By Rick McCann Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
March 8, 2026
BON SECOUR, Ala.
UPDATE: The U.S. Coast Guard released more information on the deadly plane crash that occurred Saturday night.
After both the Pensacola and Gulf Shores airports control towers monitored a small aircraft slowing down and then disappearing from radar, the towers contacted local authorities to report a possible downed plane in Oyster Bay or in the Bon Secour area just before 7 p.m.
The towers reported that the plane was a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft.
The U.S. Coast Guard, local fire departments and area police were notified and began a search of the area.
Multiple agencies were soon dispatched to the area including the city of Orange Beach, the city of Gulf Shores, Daphne Search and Rescue, and Marine Police, began their search by air, land, and water.
The downed plane was located, and two bodies have been recovered.
Officials do not know how many people were on the flight.
At this time the Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and will be conducting an investigation.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. A sex trafficking sting on Friday in Baldwin County has netted multiple arrests.
The sting culminated a multi-agency training session and was set up at a local hotel in Spanish Fort.
This operation was similar to one conducted in Daphne on January 2nd, 2026, where ten persons were arrested at a motel by a multi-law enforcement team after completing a specialized training course.
Police has now released the details of the operation, but Police Chief Barber told us that further details will be forthcoming on Monday.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. The ground is dry in Alabama. Trees, leaves, brushland and forests are thirsty for rain but there has been little of it in recent months. From the south of the state to the north and all points in between, fires continue to burn and burn quickly because of the dryness of the land. Humans are the blame for most of them.
Forestry experts say Alabama’s dry conditions and the lack of rain are the primary threats for wildfires right now. Most of the fires that the Alabama Forestry crews are responding to are accidental fires. “I was driving down the road, the chain fell off of the trailer, and it threw a spark, that started a fire,” said Balsie Butler with the Alabama Forestry Commission. “A lot of people are flicking cigarettes out the window when they’re done.”
And there’s those who are burning waste and debris, burning off tracts of their land and contractors with burn permits who are clearing land and burning trees and construction debris that get of hand when the winds pick up or the fire burns more than it was supposed to. These are dangerous fires that burn out of control can easily start structure fires and leave people homeless.
Butler is urging caution because simple mistakes can make big problems for first responders.
“In the last 30 days, we’ve seen an explosion in these numbers, to the term of a 288% increase when you talk about the numbers of fires that we’ve responded to,” said Butler.
In 30 days, Butler said that Alabama has had 333 fires that have consumed more than 6,000 acres.
Locally in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, firefighters are being dispatched daily to outdoor fires that have gotten out of hand and move quickly. The state forestry team and area fire departments have teamed up to stop these fires at least six times during the past month and at least two structures have been destroyed.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
