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Fast-expanding cheeseburger slider franchise to open 4 locations in coastal Alabama

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Fast-expanding cheeseburger slider franchise to open 4 locations in coastal Alabama


Hunter Beaugez has been a physical therapist specialist for the past eight years.

His partners, including brother Taylor Rosson, own and operate ServePro restoration services from the Greater New Orleans region and into Texas and Tennessee.

On paper, they might seem to be the unlikeliest pairing to open a new hamburger concept in Mobile. But Beaugez said he’s excited about the opportunity after Smalls Sliders signed its latest multi-unit deal – what the Atlanta-based company calls a “four-Can agreement” – with the entrepreneurial team.

“Smalls Sliders is trying to enhance an old concept by making sliders bigger and more creative,” said Beaugez of New Orleans. “It’s a very innovative way of what they are trying to accomplish and plan to implement over the next year or so.”

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The first Smalls Sliders will open sometime next year likely in Mobile. From there, Beaugez said there will be a new Smalls Sliders eatery opening up per year. The exact locations, he said, have not been determined.

Similar announcements have been ongoing all year in Alabama. The chain announced earlier this year that as many as five locations will open in and around Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Auburn. They also plan to target real estate in Leeds, Trussville, Gardendale, Gadsden, Huntsville, Decatur and Florence.

The company, founded in 2019 by Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux creator Brandon Landry, expects to have about 350 total agreements signed by the end of this year. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is among the chain’s earliest investors.

Beaugez said in Mobile, his team is in the “early phases” of scouting sites though a Smalls Sliders press release said the sites could be in Foley, Daphne, Tillman’s Corner and Orange Beach.

Beaugez said once a site is picked out, the chain’s prefabricated modular structures – which look akin to a shipping container – will be “dropped” and construction will begin.

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“It’s a unique and interesting design,” Beaugez said. “Instead of locations, we say we’re ‘dropping a new can.’ (The company) makes a whole big thing of it when they ‘drop the can.’ And once the can is dropped, it takes eight to 10 weeks before the doors open. So once that can is dropped, it’s about hitting the ground running.”

The first Mobile area franchise, Beaugez said, will open in late spring 2025.

“It depends on the real estate, location and what we can do,” Beaugez said.

He said he had been wanting to partner with Smalls Sliders for the past year as well as with his brother whose team – which includes Will Love and Jim Metteauer – oversee ServePro sites in several states.

“We met with the executive team, and everything seems to be a home run,” said Beaugez. “It’s like they have a dream team going on over there. I have all the faith in our team and in them to make sure we put together an exceptional service and products.”

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Don Crocker, chief development officer at Smalls Sliders, praised the Mobile area team. Beaguez, himself, said he plans to move to the Mobile area to run the eateries.

“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group to our expanding Smalls Squad,” Crocker said in a statement. “Alabama has already shown tremendous enthusiasm for our brand, and we are confident that this ownership team will maintain our high standards of excellence as we enter new communities.”

Crocker added, “The demand for our premium cheeseburger sliders is growing, and experienced operators like Hunter, Taylor, Will and Jim are crucial to our continued expansion success.”



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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine



Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.

Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.

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Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.

Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.

Ty Simpson, Quarterback

Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.

The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.

Jam Miller, Running Back

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Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.

Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.

Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle

Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.

Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.

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The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.





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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child


A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.

Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, shot 24-year-old Precious Johnson at an Alabama hospital after she gave birth to their child. WVTM

Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.

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She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.

She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.

The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.

The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

Terry completed Army National Guard training before marrying Johnson. WVTM
The shooting sent Brookwood Baptist Medical Center into an hours-long lockdown. Google Maps

Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.

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Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.

Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.



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Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran

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Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran


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The United States and Israel-led attacks on Iran are having an impact in Central Alabama.

The military actions that began Saturday targets the military forces of Iran and the nation’s ability to build nuclear weapons.

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In Montgomery, Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex have stepped up security so that all entry points will have a 100 percent ID check, the bases said on social media. The Trusted Traveler Program is suspended, which allowed Department of Defense identification holders to vouch for passengers.

Visitors without base access will have to go through the visitor center to get a pass.

Central Alabama residents react to the Iran attacks

For Travis Jackson of Montgomery, the attacks bring back memories, bad memories. He served one tour in Iraq from 2007-2008 with the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of sergeant before leaving the service and has worked the last 10 years as a community activist and diversity, equality and inclusion coordinator.

“I had a flashback of being overseas again,” he said when he first heard news of the attack. “The first thing I thought of was corporate greed. Of yet again seeing what has transpired throughout the years of any war overseas.”

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He feels the attacks are a mistake.

“It’s going to be detrimental to the economy, notably with the increase in oil prices,” he said.

Removing the current regime in Iran and establishing a more western friendly country could improve hopes for a more stable Middle East, said Amy Stephens of Elmore County.

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“I don’t know if there will ever be peace there,” Stephens said. “But Iran has been the causing trouble over there for almost 50 years.”

Ray Roberts of Prattville served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 and 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He served in an ordinance company with the Alabama Army National Guard. He was a sergeant when he left the service and now works as a draftsman at a Montgomery manufacturing plant.

“It wasn’t a surprise,” Roberts said of the attacks. “President Trump had said they were coming. When he says something like that, he means it. I am glad we are working with Israel so it’s not just the United States. I wonder if Europe and some of the other Gulf nations will join the attacks.”

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

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