Alabama

Miss America 2025: Miss Alabama Abbie Stockard wins the crown

Published

1 year ago

January 5, 2025

Miss America 2025: Miss Alabama Abbie Stockard wins the crown

Abbie Stockard, Miss Alabama 2024, was crowned Miss America 2025 on Sunday night at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Florida.

Stockard, 22, will receive a $50,000 in scholarship money as Miss America and immediately start a yearlong reign. Stockard, from Birmingham, is a student at Auburn University, where she majors in nursing. Her goal is to earn an advanced degree, a doctorate of nurse anesthesia practice, and specialize in pediatrics.

READ: Miss Alabama thanks her home state before Miss America finals: ‘Your support means the world’

Stockard is the fourth Miss Alabama to win Miss America, following in the footsteps of previous winners Diedre Downs, Miss America 2005; Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995; and Yolande Betbeze, Miss America 1951.

Miss America 2024, Madison Marsh, crowned her successor at Sunday’s finals competition, which streamed on the Miss America YouTube channel and PageantVision.com.

Stockard received a glittering crown and a bouquet of roses at the end of the ceremony. She also received hugs from her fellow contestants and took her first walk on stage as Miss America 2025.

Stockard was prominently featured throughout the finals on Sunday, competing in evening gown, talent, fitness and “Hot Topics” segments. (The “Hot Topics” questions focused on technology, immigration, health care, climate change, censorship and more.) For talent, Stockard performed a contemporary dance to Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.”

Also, Miss Alabama was one of six women who earned the AHA Go Red for Women Leadership Award at Miss America, in affiliation with the American Heart Association. These awards go to contestants who promote women’s heart health in their communities.

“As I step into this evening, I am filled with excitement, honor, and gratitude,” Stockard said in an Instagram post before the finals. “Thanking the Lord for placing me here this week and giving me one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Regardless of the outcome, I want to express my deepest thanks to my friends, family, the amazing Miss Alabama board, and the wonderful people of Alabama for making me feel so appreciated and loved. I hope I’ve made you proud and represented you well.”

A total of 52 women competed in the Miss America finals, from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Aside from Stockard, the top five finalists were:

Miss Texas 2024, Annette Addo-Yobo (first runner-up)
Miss Tennessee 2024, Carley Vogel (second runner-up)
Miss Florida 2024, Casana Fink (third runner-up)
Miss Ohio 2024, Stephanie Finoti (fourth runner-up)

The runners-up each received $10,000 in scholarship money, according to the Miss America organization.

The top 11 were:

Miss Alabama 2024, Abbie Stockard
Miss Florida 2024, Casana Fink
Miss Texas 2024, Annette Addo-Yobo
Miss Wisconsin 2024, Mandi Genord
Miss South Carolina 2024, Davis Wash
Miss Colorado 2024, Alexandra Lotko
Miss Oklahoma 2024, Lauren Frost
Miss Georgia 2024, Ludwidg Louizaire
Miss Minnesota 2024, Emily Schumacher
Miss Tennessee 2024, Carley Vogel
Miss Ohio 2024, Stephanie Finoti

Terrence Jenkins, an actor and TV personality known as “Terrence J,” was the host of Sunday’s finals ceremony, along with model and actress Nikki Novak.

Judges for the Miss America finals included Heather Whitestone McCallum, the Dothan native who was named Miss America 1995. She moved on to the national pageant in September 1994, after winning the title of Miss Alabama earlier that year. Whitestone McCallum lost her hearing in early childhood due to a severe ear infection, and was the first deaf woman to win Miss America. She became a strong advocate for people with disabilities, regained her hearing in 2002 through a cochlear implant and lives in Georgia with her husband and four sons.

Other judges for the Miss America finals were Olympic medalist Carl Lewis, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Stayce D. Harris, Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells Hawkes and “Cheer” star Gabi Butler.

The past week has been a busy one for the Miss America organization. Miss America’s Teen, a sister pageant to Miss America, announced its 2025 winner on Saturday, also at the Walt Disney Theater. Peyton Bolling took the national crown, competing as Miss Arkansas’ Teen. Ali Mims, Miss Alabama’s Teen, was named first runner-up.

READ: Miss Arkansas wins Miss America’s Teen 2025; Miss Alabama is first runner-up

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Alabama

Is flashing your headlights legal in Alabama? Here’s what the law says

Published

2 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Is flashing your headlights legal in Alabama? Here’s what the law says

A quick flash of your headlights can catch someone’s attention faster than a horn. On busy or quiet streets, it’s a simple, wordless way drivers communicate.

Sometimes it’s a quick “thanks,” a warning or just a mystery. But is this way of communicating legal? Here’s what Alabama law says about flashing headlights.

Is it legal to flash your headlights at other cars in Alabama?

Yes, in Alabama, it technically is legal to flash your headlights at another car. There are no laws that explicitly say it’s illegal. However, some codes prohibit the use of high beams.

Alabama law says drivers must use low beams when within 500 feet of oncoming traffic or 200 feet of the vehicle ahead. These rules help everyone see clearly and stay safe.

Is flashing headlights to warn drivers of speed traps a form of free speech?

See a speed trap? Flashing your headlights to warn others is common. Is it legal? The Free Speech Center at MTSU notes that courts have protected this as free speech.

In 2012, Michael Elli of Ellisville, Missouri, was pulled over for warning of a speed trap by flashing his headlights. Officials said he hindered police, but later agreed he did not.

Other similar cases were Elliott v. Warrick County in 2014 and Beaver v. City of Federal Way in 2018.

Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Breaking Down Auburn’s Path to the NCAA Tournament Ahead of Alabama Clash

Published

15 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Breaking Down Auburn’s Path to the NCAA Tournament Ahead of Alabama Clash

The Auburn Tigers are firmly on the bubble heading into the final game of the regular season, and the urgency couldn’t be higher for Steven Pearl and company.

Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa for a rematch with the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, currently standing at 16-14 overall and 7-10 in the SEC. Alabama knocked off the Tigers on their home floor at Neville Arena just over three weeks ago, meaning Auburn should be seeking revenge this weekend inside Coleman Coliseum.

The Tigers have dropped seven of their last nine games, most recently falling to Ole Miss 85-79 last Saturday and defeating LSU by 14 points on Tuesday’s senior night. Auburn played like two extremely different teams in these two matchups, and it certainly needs to carry the momentum it garnered from the midweek win into Saturday.

The newly updated NCAA Tournament projections feature Auburn on the outside looking in, according to multiple outlets. The Tigers are listed as ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s second team out of the field, which is disappointing after sitting as a solid No. 7-seed just a few weeks ago.

In CBS Sports’ latest bracketology, Auburn is projected to land as the First Team Out, alongside New Mexico, Seton Hall, and Indiana. However, the Tigers actually boast a higher NET ranking than all seven of the other squads featured in CBS Sports’ Last Four In and Last Four Out.

Prior to its clash with Ole Miss last Saturday, the general consensus was that if Auburn took care of business on its home floor against the Rebels and LSU, the Tigers would put themselves in a good position to crack the tournament, assuming they lost to Alabama in the season finale.

However, obviously, Auburn was unable to get both tasks done, as Pearl’s squad, frankly, seemed uninspired in what was a near must-win game for the Tigers versus Ole Miss. Auburn looked slightly more motivated in its victory over LSU on Tuesday, but could it be too late?

Now, with Auburn sitting just two games over .500 overall and playing some of its worst basketball as of late, it feels as if its season is absolutely on the line in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

ESPN’s most recent betting odds lean toward Auburn missing the tournament, but a win over the Crimson Tide could, and would, certainly shift that line.

If the Tigers are able to emerge from Coleman Coliseum victorious, which would be a top-20 Quad-1 win on the road, they will most likely hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

But on the flip side, if Auburn falls to its arch rival to close the regular season, it would likely need to win three games or more in the SEC Tournament next week to feel somewhat hopeful about its postseason fate.

Nonetheless, as mentioned previously, there’s no excuse why urgency shouldn’t be at an all-time high on Saturday. With their NCAA Tournament hopes virtually on the line and a chance for revenge on their most-hated rival, the Tigers should come out desperate and hungry from the tip.

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Alabama

Southern 88-85 Alabama A&M (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

Published

1 day ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Southern 88-85 Alabama A&M (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — — Terrance Dixon Jr.’s 19 points helped Southern defeat Alabama A&M 88-85 on Thursday.

Dixon shot 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line for the Jaguars (15-16, 11-7 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Michael Jacobs scored 15 points while going 4 of 11 and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line, and added five rebounds. AJ Barnes shot 3 for 7 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points, while adding six rebounds.

Koron Davis finished with 23 points for the Bulldogs (17-14, 10-8). James Graham added 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals for Alabama A&M. Kintavious Dozier also had 12 points.

The Jaguars led by 10 points with 59 seconds to go, before the Bulldogs executed a three-point play from Bilal Abdur-Rahim then got a 3-pointer from Dozier in the span of nine seconds, cutting the deficit to four. A free throw battle closed out the result for the Jaguars.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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