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USI Softball battles #11 Alabama to very end, falling 2-0

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USI Softball battles #11 Alabama to very end, falling 2-0


TUSCALOOSA, AL. (WFIE) – University of Southern Indiana Softball battled No. 11 University of Alabama to the final inning on Sunday to conclude the Easton Bama Bash, but the Screaming Eagles came up just short in a 2-0 final against the Crimson Tide. 

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning against ranked Southeastern Conference power Alabama (10-0), Southern Indiana (1-4) gave itself a chance by bringing the tying run to the plate and potential go-ahead run to the on-deck circle. Following a leadoff single up the middle by junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana), senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) stepped up to the dish. Unfortunately, for the Screaming Eagles, a groundball right to the second baseman led to a 4-3 double play, preceding a game-ending strikeout. 

Runs were at a premium on Sunday with only five combined hits. The game’s only two runs were scored in the bottom of the first inning. The Crimson Tide scored their first run on a bases-loaded walk and the second run in the next at-bat with a bases-loaded sac fly. From there, USI junior starting pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) settled into a pitcher’s duel against the Alabama pitching staff. 

Newman backed up her first win and first complete game of the season on Saturday with another strong effort in the circle on Sunday against Alabama. The right-hander went the entire way, allowing only two runs off two hits, three walks, and one hit-by-pitch. Newman struck out three in six innings of work. Newman finished the outing with three consecutive 1-2-3 innings, holding the Crimson Tide hitless after the third inning. The hard-luck loss moved Newman’s record to 1-2 in 2024. 

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For Alabama, right-handed pitcher Alea Johnson picked up her first win, hurling 5.1 innings of relief. Johnson struck out six and surrendered three hits. 

Offensively, for the Screaming Eagles, senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) and sophomore Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) tallied USI’s other two hits next to Gotshall’s single in the seventh. 

At the Easton Bama Bash, the Screaming Eagles faced their first Power 5 opponents against Alabama and the University of Virginia since USI made the jump to D-I last season. Plus, Sunday marked the first game for USI Softball against a Division I top-25 team since reclassifying. 

With their opening weekend in the books, the Screaming Eagles will next make a return trip to the state of Alabama next weekend, Friday through Sunday, for five games in the Cocky Classic at Jacksonville State University. USI faces the University of Southern Mississippi on Friday at 12:30 p.m., Jacksonville State at 10 a.m. and Belmont University at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, and Southern Miss at 10 a.m. and Jacksonville State at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page at usiscreamingeagles.com

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Gov. Kay Ivey sets execution date for Jeremy Williams

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Gov. Kay Ivey sets execution date for Jeremy Williams


Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday set an execution date for death row inmate Jeremy Williams, who was convicted in the 2021 kidnapping, rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland in Phenix City.

Williams is scheduled to be executed by the state’s three-drug lethal injection during a 30-hour window beginning at 12 a.m. August 13 and ending at 6 a.m. August 14. The execution date comes after the Alabama Supreme Court granted a request from Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office on June 16, authorizing the state to carry out the sentence.

In a letter to Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Lovelace, Ivey said the Supreme Court’s June 16 order serves as the official death warrant for Williams.

“By law, I am required to specify the time frame for carrying out the sentence of death,” Ivey said. “Accordingly, I hereby order that Jeremy Lee Williams’s sentence of death be carried out within a time frame beginning on August 13, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. and ending on August 14, 2026, at 6:00 a.m.”

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Ivey noted that she retains the authority to commute the sentence before the execution takes place.

Williams, 34, was convicted in April 2024 on four counts of capital murder stemming from Holland’s death. Prosecutors charged him with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a rape, capital murder during first-degree sodomy and capital murder of a child younger than 14.

Authorities said Holland disappeared from her family’s home in Phenix City on December 13, 2021. Her body was discovered two days later inside an abandoned house less than a mile away. An autopsy determined that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

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In addition to the death sentence, Williams received several other prison terms. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and for knowingly producing recordings depicting the sexual abuse of a child. He also received another life sentence for a separate sexual abuse conviction, along with a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to commit human trafficking and a 10-year sentence for abuse of a corpse.

Unlike most death row inmates, Williams sought to speed up the execution process. During a hearing, he told the court that he accepted responsibility for his actions and wanted the sentence carried out.

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In 2025, Williams dismissed his attorneys and informed the court that he wished to waive any remaining appeals and proceed with his execution. Russell County Circuit Court Judge David Johnson determined that Williams was competent to make that decision and allowed him to forgo further legal challenges.

Under Alabama law, capital convictions automatically receive appellate review. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals subsequently affirmed Williams’ conviction and death sentence in March.

After that review concluded, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office petitioned the Alabama Supreme Court in May to authorize an execution date. The court granted the request earlier this week, clearing the way for Ivey to schedule the execution.

If carried out as scheduled, Williams’ execution would occur nearly five years after Holland’s death and a little more than two years after he was sentenced to death.

Williams’ execution would be Alabama’s first by lethal injection since April 2025. The state’s three most recent executions were carried out using nitrogen hypoxia, which Alabama began using in 2024.

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Kids take center stage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival summer camp

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Kids take center stage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival summer camp


MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – You don’t find too many camps where you learn how to slap someone. But this summer, you will in Montgomery. It’s one of many kids camps put on by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

“We have our Camp Shakespeare Junior which is our half day for the littles, kindergarten through 3rd grade,” said Cameron Williams, the ASF director of education. “We have Big Kid Shakespeare camp and everyone is learning all about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”

They learn about on stage combat, different acting techniques, and also how to be creative and think on their feet.

Kids take center stage at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s kids camp and their learning more than just theater here.(WSFA)

“I think theater skills are life skills. So, what makes this camp special is we’re doing more than just boosting literacy and doing theater things. We’re doing life skills, learning what it means to be team players, about discipline, and working with people who may have different personalities than you.”

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Different kids have different talents. And even if your child isn’t up for a lead role in the next play, this place can leave a lasting impact.

Kids take center stage at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's kids camp and their learning more...
Kids take center stage at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s kids camp and their learning more than just theater here.(WSFA)

“If you’re looking for a place where your kid can come out of their shell, to learn how to speak in front of a group, and develop some confidence, this is the place to be.”

It’s a place that’s a real treasure in Montgomery, and its mining some young gems, who one day, could be on the big stage themselves. There are still more ASF camps going on this summer for pre-teens and even adults.

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Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.



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Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees to $507K Settlement Over Cybersecurity Allegations

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Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees to 7K Settlement Over Cybersecurity Allegations


Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.

Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.

According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.

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The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.

The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.

Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.

The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

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Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.



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