Only In Alabama: When We Made The National News In 2022 For … – NewsBreak Original

January 28, 2023 ndowd

The Saga of a Love Struck Corrections Officer
How could any of us forget this one? This is probably the biggest story to come out of Alabama in a while – and certainly the biggest to originate in my hometown of Florence, Alabama, in decades. Vicky White was an officer who worked at the local jail in Lauderdale County. Apparently, she fell in love with inmate, Casey White, facilitated his escape on April 29, 2022, and spent the next 11 days with him on the run. During those 11 days, their story caught the attention of the world and dominated the news. Their tale ended in Evansville, Illinois, on May 9, 2022, as officers closed in on the pair after a short car chase. Casey surrendered and Vicky tragically committed suicide. If you'd like to read more about their story, a wikipedia page was created (see it here) which goes into excruciating detail about the incident. There has also been a movie made about the couple which aired on the Tubi network appropriately titled "Prisoner of Love" (read about it here on IMDB). I think my favorite part about this story was the fact that Vicky and Casey just happened to share the same last name….and, of course, because this story began in Alabama, the clarification of "no relation" was added anytime their names were mentioned. That had to be clarified, you know….because, Alabama. Newsflash: we don't all date our cousins down here…just saying.

Florence Gets an F
Who would have thought that my humble hometown of Florence, Alabama would have another go at national news in 2022? Well, we did…and we got an F….literally. This story actually took place quite early in 2022 in the month of January. Way to start the new year, guys! When Florence city leaders proudly revealed the design and purchase of a brand new city logo, people went crazy – and not for good reasons. Rather than try to describe the city logo and the connotations that seemed to go along with it, I'll just post a photo of the image below. As you can imagine, Florence residents were not happy…especially when it was revealed that the logo had come at a price tag of $25,000 for the city! An online petition was circulated almost immediately that the logo not be used – but that's not before national news outlets had picked up on the story and circulated it around the globe. In fact, even Newsweek thought the story worthy of coverage (see it here). Here's, to another facepalm for Florence, Alabama.

The Dangers of Being a Cat Lady
So, you're a little old lady in Alabama who decides to do a kind deed and feed a few stray cats – maybe even help spay and neuter the stray cats out of your own pocket to cut down on the stray population. What could possibly go wrong? Apparently, you can get arrested if you live in Wetumpka, Alabama, and then face multiple charges and be found guilty! If it sounds surreal to you that such a thing could happen, you're not the only one who thinks that way. Media outlets literally around the world have been busy sharing this shocking story and extremely bad publicity for the town of Wetumpka, Alabama. According to an article in the Montgomery Advertiser, "City Judge, Jeff Courtney, sentenced 85 year old Beverly Roberts and 61 year old Mary Alston to two years of unsupervised probation and 10 days in jail. The jail sentence was suspended but the ladies were also ordered to each pay $100 in fines, plus court costs." Read the full account of how the pair of elderly cat advocates were manhandled by the police and why they believe they were arrested in the first place in The Montgomery Advertiser here. The story was covered by USA Today here and was featured on the CBS Evening News in the video below.

Alligators in the Tennessee Valley
We've all heard the rumors that alligators lurk in the Tennessee River. Apparently, those rumors are true. Yes, we have alligators in north Alabama! Just a couple of months ago, the Decatur Police captured several baby alligators on a call to a local neighborhood and multiple alligators have been spotted and confirmed to live in the Tennessee Valley. It may seem out of place for gators to be that far north – but they've actually been confirmed all the way into Tennessee. This story has been making national news for a while. Want to know more about sightings in north Alabama and how the alligator population got a boost from the government? Read my article about it here.

Botched Executions
It seems that the Alabama prison system was making national news every other day in 2022. From prison guard arrests, inmate strikes and overcrowding, to inmate violence and deaths, there has been a national cry for Alabama to step up and make some changes to it's prisons. Bringing even more attention to Alabama's prison system were three consecutive botched executions in 2022. According to an article by PBS dated November 21, 2022:

Happy Birthday….and Birthday…and Birthday!
What are the odds that a married couple who both share the same birthday would give birth to a baby…..on their shared birthday? According to CBS news, the chances are 1 in 133,000 – but that's exactly what happened. In Huntsville, Alabama, on December 18, 2022, Cassidy and Dylan Scott gave birth to their first baby on their shared birthday. News agencies picked up the story across the country. Finally a "feel good" story from Alabama! I wonder if they play their birthday numbers in the lottery. They probably should – that is, if Alabama ever gets a lottery.

We Take Our Football Seriously Here, Y'all!
Well, who'd-a-thunk-it? Yet another story from my hometown of Florence, Alabama making national news? Yep….and this one about our deep rooted love of football. We hold the ritual of college athletes tossing the pigskin around very sacred in these parts. So sacred, in fact, one Florence man was willing to shoot into his neighbor's house over a football game dispute. This story even made headlines with Inside Edition where it was reported:
I should probably add that this was the Alabama vs. Tennessee game which led to Alabama's first loss of the season. A lot of people were upset over that game….but only one guy was upset enough to shoot his neighbor's house, thankfully.

Is The Best Yet To Come?
So there's my list of the top oddball stories that Alabama gifted the world in 2022. Stay weird, Alabama, we've got a whole new year ahead! What do you think – can we top these stories in 2023? Know of a story I left off the list? Leave a note in the comments!

Click "follow" below to keep up with my latest articles about the south, my home state of Alabama, and my hometown in the Shoals of north Alabama. Click on my photo and scroll down to read all my past articles. Have a story to tell or an interesting topic you'd like to see covered? Email me at April.newsbreak@gmail.com. As always, thanks for reading!

April Killian is a native of Florence, Alabama and writes about her home state of Alabama and the Shoals area. She is the mom of many pets and 3 adult children. Along with writing, she sells vintage items online and conducts estate sales in her area. She is a lifelong supporter of charity work, loves life, and tries to be a positive force in this world in everything she does! Her writing passions include: family and social issues, nature, humor, the paranormal and anything interesting or weird! Click on "follow" to see more of her articles in the future! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Aprilkillian
More from April Killian
There are currently 157 adults in Alabama listed as actively missing on the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Community Information Center website. Some of the listings on the website go back as far as 1980 concerning a missing persons case from Birmingham. Among the total missing adults are 7 active cases from Florence, Alabama along with 1 missing persons case from Haleyville which I am including in this article. Although the cases are not believed to be related (and there is no implication here that they are) still…that's a lot of missing persons from one area in the state. Here is a list of the 8 active missing adults cases from Florence and the Shoals area….
There are very few species of giant salamanders in the whole world. They can be found in Japan, China, and, remarkably, in the Tennessee Valley. This freshwater salamander may have a scary name – but they're perfectly harmless. They just might frighten you a little if encountered (if you're lucky enough to encounter one), as they grow up to 2 to 3 feet in length and look like some ancient otherworldly creature. In fact, they are ancient: scientists believe they've been around 65 to 150 million years. Read along to find out about the elusive Hellbender: where it can be found and it's future in the Tennessee Valley.
If you're a fan of the original classic black and white episodes of The Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock Presents, you may have heard of an early 1960s television anthology named Boris Karloff's Thriller or simply Thriller as it was named by producers. The show ran for two seasons from 1960 through 1962, producing a total of 67 hour long episodes which aired on NBC. The show was hosted by iconic horror actor, Boris Karloff, and was intended to appeal to the audience of Alfred Hitchcock Presents which had been very successful. At the end of Season I, an episode titled "Parasite Mansion" aired which was taken directly from the short story, "Parasite Mansion," that was written by a well known horror writer from our own state of Alabama. Read along to find out more about this native Alabama author and view "Parasite Mansion" as it appeared on Thriller in 1961 for yourself.
This article is not meant to be a definitive guide for harvesting morel mushrooms. As with all mushrooms, if you are not 100% sure of what you have, don't eat them! Please do your own research and be safe!
One thing I've always admired about Elvis Presley was the exhuberant way he seemed to tackle life. He was more than just a stage persona – Elvis had a remarkable and consistent "bigger than life" flair. He poured out his heart and pushed the boundaries of his day….in music, dancing, fashion, even lifestyle. Nothing done by Elvis was half hearted – and being the King of Rock n Roll, Elvis certainly had the financial means to go all-out and over-the-top whenever he wanted. From his customized home and cars to his personal relationships, Elvis seemed to be an "all or nothing" kind of guy. Probably the most personal testament to this was his relationship with Lisa Marie, his daughter. From day one, Elvis went all-in as a parent. With his resources, nothing was out of bounds for his baby girl. With Lisa Marie's untimely death on January 1, it seems like an appropriate time to share a touching story of how Elvis poured his heart into a special project and how Lisa Marie, herself, was at the heart of it all.
The Eagle has landed! Did you know that the Tennessee Valley currently has a large population of bald eagles that live here year round? Plus, we have hundreds more that migrate here to visit their southern cousins every winter. That makes January and February prime eagle viewing months in the Tennessee Valley. Here's how and where you have the best chance to spot a bald eagle in the Tennessee Valley…
This fall of 2023 will mark the 100th birthday of the "King of Country Music," Hank Williams, whose life and legendary career began in our own state of Alabama. Read along for a look back at his life and rare photos and video of his career, family and untimely death at age 29. (Bonus rare footage at end of article!)
Alabama has it's share of popular tourist attractions. The Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville and our beautiful white sandy beaches on the coast, for example, attract thousands of tourists each year. If you're someone whose taste in adventure and sightseeing is a bit more eclectic, however, Alabama has lots of places where you can stray off the beaten path of tourism. Planning your summer getaways now? Take a look at the list below – I bet you'll find something new even if you've lived in Alabama your whole life! These places in Alabama should definitely be on your bucket list!
Can you believe it's been a whole year since failing last year's resolutions? Neither can these people..but they're ready to try another round. Here we go: a couple, their dog, and a whole list of redneck new year's resolutions…
Start the new year off with a….splash! This Sunday at 1pm, hundreds of people are expected to gather and brave the frigid waters of the Tennessee River at the annual "Plunge Into The New Year" at McFarland Park in Florence. The story behind this event and the reason it continues into it's 7th year, is one of love, compassion, re-birth and remembrance. It started small – as a way for a few people to honor the life of a friend but has grown into a big event for bringing awareness to suicide prevention in the Shoals. This is definitely an event you don't want to miss!
Don't worry, north Alabama – by New Year's Day we'll be completely thawed out. After experiencing extremely low temperatures with the invading "arctic blast" over the Christmas weekend, temperatures are expected to go back up…and quickly. By New Year's Day, forecasters are expecting temperatures in the mid 60's. By Monday, January 2nd, temperatures are expected to be close to 70° across north Alabama. Once again, we can all sigh and say "only in Alabama!"
A fair Housing Act lawsuit has been settled in Ashland, Alabama.The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama has approved $275,000 in damages that will be paid to 23 current or former tenants of public housing. The lawsuit involved The Public Housing Authority of Ashland, Southern Development Company of Ashland Ltd., Southern Development Company of Ashland #2 Ltd., and Southern Development Company LLC who were the private owners and agent of two of the low-income housing communities managed by the Housing Authority. These defendants denied the accusations but were able to reach a settlement. They will also face a civil penalty.
An Alabama business owner based in Harvest, Alabama of Madison County is in big trouble with the U.S. Federal Government over recent business dealings where he is accused of evading U.S. sanctions and smuggling parts to Iran.
There's a general consensus among a lot of Alabamians that "the only good snake is a dead snake." People hate snakes because they're afraid of them or think they're all scary, slimy or evil. Some people kill any snake they encounter "just in case" it's venemous. But what if the snake they kill is non-venemous and actually keeping the poisonous snakes away? There is an extremely rare black snake being spotted in Alabama that does just that. Not only is this snake harmlesss to humans, it actually kills and eats venomous snakes like the cottonmouth, copperhead and rattlesnake! In fact, most black snakes in Alabama are more beneficial to keep around than you may think. If you see this black snake in Alabama, don't kill it!
This is an opinion article. Please consult your local law enforcement agency for current gun laws in your state and/or local area. Alabama is officially becoming a "Constitutional Carry" state as of January 1, 2023. This means that a state issued gun permit from the Sheriff's Office will no longer be required for a legal gun owner 21 years or older in Alabama to carry a firearm concealed on their person or in their vehicle. This new law makes it easier than ever for women to carry a weapon on their person for self protection – but, how that weapon is carried can sometimes defeat the whole purpose of having one. For example, a lot of women naturally choose to carry their firearm where they carry everything else: in their purse. While concealment in a purse may seem like the most logical choice, it can often be one of the worst – even with the specially made conceal carry handbags. I am pro-gun myself and pro-concealed carry for women, especially – but I'm also of the mindset that if you can't carry safely and responsibly as a woman, you shouldn't carry at all. Please take a look at the following scenarios about concealed carry and why a woman should think twice about carrying a gun in her purse.
Alabama and Tennessee both have a relatively new law you should know about that was passed in 2016 and 2017 respectively: The Purple Paint Law. In fact, Purple Paint Laws now exist in 15 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Maine and Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, this new law won't prevent your neighbor from having the tackiest house on the block – but here's what it does mean and what you should know….
In 1970, I was 5 years old. I spent the first half of the 70s begging my parents for a dog – and the last half of the 70s finally having my own pup and also having the job of picking up it's poo from the yard. It wasn't that hard to do. Every Saturday, I spent the morning scouring the back yard with shovel in hand – easily spotting the little white "packages" left by my dog, Rusty. Wait…did I say "white?" Yes, I did – and I bet if you're old enough, that you remember when dog poo was chalky, dry, and white, too. In the 70s and 80s, even into part of the 90s, bright white, dry, chalky dog poo was common….and everywhere. We never see that now. So, what happened to white dog poo?
If you grew up in the Shoals area of north Alabama and you're over 40 years old, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about when I refer to "the strip" that was located in Florence. Take a look back at some of the places along the strip and see if you remember. I've even found a few old photos that are sure to take you back. Let's take one more loop, Shoals….let's cruise the strip!
A lake can hold many secrets underneath her deep murky veil of water. When the water level is low and the the lake pulls back her veil for a moment, we can get a glimpse into that secret world – and it's often a glimpse into history. Underneath the lakes of the Tennessee Valley lie flooded places that people once called home. There were farms, homes, schools, churches, and graves. What happened to those places in the Tennessee Valley when the lakes were formed? Come with me down another rabbit hole and see what secrets the lakes hold. Flooded graves in the Tennessee Valley: a rare look when the water level is low.