Undermined:Fourteenth in a series about the impacts of longwall mining in Alabama.
JASPER, Ala.—Verby Burton said she wasn’t expecting much from Thursday’s meeting of the Alabama Surface Mining Commission, the agency tasked with regulating the surface impacts of underground coal mining in the state.
“And that’s exactly what I got,” Burton said after the meeting. “Not much.”
Burton is a resident of Oak Grove, a rural community in western Jefferson County, about 45 miles southwest of Birmingham, that sits above an expanding longwall coal mine. The impacts of the aggressive form of mining—cracking roads, damaging foundations, causing land subsidence and triggering the escape of potentially explosive methane gas—have plagued the community for years. That culminated in a home explosion atop the mine in March 2024 that that killed grandfather W.M. Griffice and seriously injured his grandson.
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Verby Burton said she left Thursday’s meeting unsatisfied by officials’ responses to the concerns of Oak Grove residents. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News
In December, after a series of investigations by Inside Climate News into the explosion and Alabama’s lax regulatory response, federal mining officials forced the state’s hand, issuing a so-called ten-day notice requiring the Alabama Surface Mining Commission to demand methane monitoring plans from coal companies in the state.
In a letter sent in January, the agency’s director, Kathy Love, did just that, requiring that the companies submit new “subsidence control plans” that include measures related to monitoring levels of potentially explosive methane gas in and around homes located above their operations.
At Thursday’s meeting, however, Love announced that she had unilaterally delayed the March 31 deadline she’d previously imposed for submitting such methane monitoring plans by six months, giving coal companies until Sept. 30 to submit the updated documents.
“I was under pressure to get an answer out for that ten-day notice, and, unbeknownst to me—I should’ve thought about it—March 31 is not enough time,” she said.
Love did not mention during Thursday’s meeting how she’d determined that the initial 90-day period was insufficient, but a draft letter from her agency to coal companies across the state obtained by Inside Climate News notes that her decision came after a request from the Alabama Mining Association, a lobbying group that bills itself as the “collective voice of Alabama’s mining industry.”
The draft letter says “mine operators sought assistance from the Alabama Mining Association (AMA) to obtain a deadline extension to allow adequate time for the completion of the comprehensive plans.”
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AMA then formally requested a 180-day extension of the deadline in a letter to the state agency dated March 18, the letter states, and “upon review of the facts and circumstances,” the Alabama regulator granted the request.
Meanwhile, residents who reside atop the expanding Oak Grove mine live in fear of a methane explosion in their home.
Resident Phyllis Wright said in an interview that during a recent thunderstorm, her home methane monitor alerted her to an unsafe level of the gas, advising her to “ventilate and evacuate” her home. Wright didn’t know what to do, she said, and still hasn’t received guidance from mine operators or state or federal regulators as to what should be done in such situations.
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W.M. Griffice’s home was completely destroyed in the March 2024 blast that would lead to his death. Credit: Courtesy of the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office
At Thursday’s meeting, Love, citing that incident, initially appeared somewhat dismissive of home methane monitors.
“I don’t know what caused that, but it was just an incident that may have been a false alarm or caused by the lightning,” she told residents and commissioners gathered for the meeting. “I don’t know. I can’t even verify anything like that.”
Asked later by an Inside Climate News reporter whether she would have such a monitor in her home were she to live above an expanding longwall mine, however, Love didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Yes, I would,” she said. “Just like I have a fire alarm.”
Love emphasized in the meeting that she believes that coal operators in Alabama are going beyond what’s required by law to monitor methane and ensure the safety of those living above mines. Residents like Lisa Lindsay, W.M. Griffice’s closest neighbor, are skeptical of that claim.
Commissioners prepare for the Thursday meeting of the Alabama Surface Mining Commission. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News
Crimson Oak Grove Resources, the mining company that owns and operates the mine below her home, placed methane monitors under her property following the fatal explosion in 2024.
Since then, Lindsay told Love and commissioners, she’s requested information on the observed methane levels. Only occasionally has she gotten a response, she said. And when she has heard back from company representatives, their answers aren’t specific, simply telling her that elevated levels of methane were detected beneath her home “fewer than five times.”
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“They’ve refused to tell me what’s happening under my house,” Lindsay said.
“I don’t know what the justification is for not giving you those readings,” Love responded. “I will make the phone call and see what I can do.”
Oak Grove Resources did not respond to a request for comment. The company hasn’t answered any of Inside Climate News’ questions since the explosion.
“Y’all need to get on it, then,” Lindsay told Love and agency commissioners. “Y’all are the last line of defense for us residents versus the mining industry. Your job is to regulate and help protect us, right? So that’s something that really, really has got to be followed up on. We need to know what’s going on underneath our houses.”
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Lee Hedgepeth
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Reporter, Alabama
Lee Hedgepeth is Inside Climate News’ Alabama reporter. Raised in Grand Bay, Alabama, a small town on the Gulf Coast, Lee holds master’s degrees in community journalism and political development from the University of Alabama and Tulane University. Lee is the founder of Tread, a newsletter of Southern journalism, and has also worked for news outlets across Alabama, including CBS 42, Alabama Political Reporter and the Anniston Star. His reporting has focused on issues impacting members of marginalized groups, including homelessness, poverty, and the death penalty. His award-winning journalism has appeared in publications across the country and has been cited by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, among others.
Alabama gymnastics was one of the top-five teams in the nation all season, but it will not be one of the last eight teams competing for a chance at a national title.
The No. 5 Crimson Tide finished in last place at the Corvallis Regional Final with a score of 197.175, its second-lowest of the season. No. 4 UCLA (197.725) and No. 13 Minnesota (197.625) will be advancing to nationals in Fort Worth while No. 12 Utah’s (197.500) season ended Sunday night alongside Alabama’s.
“I’m really proud of our team tonight,” Alabama head coach Ashley Johnston said after the meet. “This was pretty much the toughest regional in the country to be at. This team has been No. 3 and 4 in the country pretty much all season long, one of the most consistent teams, 197+ in every competition this year. I think every single person that has watched this group sees the culture, sees the camaraderie, the connection of what we have built to be one of the most consistent teams, and so it was a great competition tonight. I think all four teams could be national champions. There’s just so much talent, so much competitiveness on the floor, and unfortunately it wasn’t our night to move on tonight. These moments are really hard, but at the same time, it’s really important to bring the team together and say, what can we do, and what will we do? The sun is gonna come up tomorrow. There will be lessons learned. There will be fires ignited to find our next step.”
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This is the first time Alabama’s season has ended in the regional round since 2023. The Crimson Tide has not made it to the final night of NCAA competition since 2017.
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In what has been a theme for the Crimson Tide the last five meets, there were no major mistakes that caused the team to completely fall apart, but all the little mistakes added up to too many deductions with things like hops on landings, bad form on leaps or balance checks.
Alabama was in last place heading into the final rotation, trailing the second-place spot by three tenths. The top-two teams advance to nationals. It was a sizable deficit, but the Crimson Tide was heading to its best event on the uneven bars. Alabama was putting together a strong bars rotation, but unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, the teams ahead of it in the standings were putting up good scores as well.
The Tide needed near perfection from Chloe LaCoursiere and Azaraya Ra-Akbar, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on the event. LaCoursiere had not scored below a 9.875 on the bars all season but stumbled forward on her dismount, effectively ending any hopes Alabama had for a comeback.
“We wanted to end on one of our highest-scoring potential events, which was bars,” Johnston said. “I think starting on beam, starting fierce and aggressive, was the right move for our team. I think they were really excited coming off that event. I think finishing on bars, they finished really strong, too. There was a lot of stuck landings, a lot of hit handstands. It was hard to push over that 9.9 threshold for whatever reason, but I thought from a performance standpoint, they really gave it everything and put on some great performances.”
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Alabama opened up the meet with a 49.325 on the balance beam, which was a big improvement from the opening round of regionals on Friday and seemed to have some positive momentum heading into floor exercise.
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The Crimson Tide needed a big score on floor exercise to have some cushion heading into the back half of the meet, probbaly in the 49.500+ range. Alabama was ranked No. 2 in the nation on floor and had the capability of putting up a high score. Instead, there were some tiny mistakes throughout on leaps and landings that led to a team score of 49.350, tying the lowest score of the season on the apparatus.
Alabama was in third place heading into the third rotation on vault, but it was only trailing second place by .075. Vault has been the Tide’s toughest rotation all season, but it was an opportunity on Sunday to gain some ground. Freshman Jasmine Cawley started the rotation out with a bang and stuck landing on her Yurchenko 1.5. But Jamison Sears fell in the second spot, and other gymnasts had some big hops. Kylee Kvamme was a last-minute insert and stuck her Yurchenko 1.5, earning a 9.925, which was Alabama’s only score above a 9.9 all meet.
A once promising season ends in disappointment for the Crimson Tide. Alabama was so consistent and steady all year long, but its scores slowly declined the last few weeks of the season in Year 4 under Johnston. The Crimson Tide’s season reached its peak in mid-February with back-to-back 197.950s, and Alabama never came close to that score again.
No one from Alabama qualified as an individual to compete at nationals for an individual title. This marks the end of the collegiate careers of outstanding four-year contributor and individual SEC champion Gabby Gladieux along with Corinne Bunagan, Karis German, Jordyn Paradise, Natalia Pawlak and Rachel Rybicki.
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“I’m just so proud of our seniors,” Johnston said. “They will go down in history as leaders of a culture transformation, of building what Bama Gymnastics 3.0 is all about… I think every single one of them should hold their chin up and be proud of what they accomplished all year long. We’ll keep fighting as Bama always does.”
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Alabama State Parks has added new glamping tents at Oak Mountain State Park, part of an expansion officials say is driven by increasing demand for more comfortable outdoor stays.
The addition in Pelham marks the latest expansion of glamping offerings across the state park system, with the experience now available at six locations statewide.
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship said the growing popularity of glamping has prompted the expansion.
“It’s exciting to expand the glamping opportunities at our state parks,” Blankenship said. “Glamping has become increasingly popular in the last few years, and we’ve seen how much our visitors have embraced it. Being able to offer glamping at Oak Mountain allows more people to stay, play and explore everything the park has to offer.”
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The tents are designed to offer a more comfortable outdoor experience, with amenities including beds, electricity and climate control, while still providing access to traditional camping activities such as hiking, campfires and outdoor recreation.
The expansion builds on a partnership with Timberline Glamping that began in 2023. In addition to Oak Mountain State Park, glamping sites are available at Wind Creek, Lake Guntersville, Chewacla, Monte Sano and Cheaha state parks.
Sarah Johnson, who operates the Timberline franchise at Oak Mountain State Park with her husband, Jeff, said the sites are designed to balance comfort with the park’s natural setting.
“Opening these six new sites at Oak Mountain State Park allows us to bring a new level of comfort and accessibility to the outdoor experience while preserving the beauty that makes this park so special,” Johnson said. “We’ve thoughtfully designed each glamping tent so families, couples and groups can disconnect from the noise of everyday life and reconnect with nature — and with each other. We’re proud to expand our footprint here and create memorable stays that inspire guests to return again and again.”
State parks officials said the addition is part of a broader effort to expand overnight accommodations and enhance visitor experiences across Alabama’s park system.
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“Our goal is for our guests to enjoy a memorable stay and want to come back again,” Alabama State Parks Director Matthew Capps said. “There’s no doubt that the glamping tents accomplish that goal. People truly enjoy the glamping tents, and we’re pleased that we can expand this offering at Oak Mountain.”
Alabama State Parks operates 21 parks encompassing more than 50,000 acres statewide, offering a range of lodging options from primitive campsites to cabins and resort-style accommodations.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
4 killed in Pike County crash after chase involving Alabama trooper
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2028. IT’S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL DAY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. HOPE EVERYBODY’S HAD A CHANCE TO GET OUT AND SOAK UP THE SUN BEFORE THE RAIN GETS HERE, BUT IT’S 83 RIGHT NOW IN BIRMINGHAM. WE’VE STILL GOT SOME TIME BEFORE THAT RAIN MOVES INTO THE MAGIC CITY AND INTO THE METRO AREA. WE’RE IN THE 80S IN MOST SPOTS ACROSS THE STATE. MANY SPOTS IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA DROPPING TO THE 60S AND 70S AS WE SPEAK. THAT COOL AIR IS COMING IN THANKS TO THAT RAIN, TO COOL AIR DUE TO THE RAIN THAT’S FALLING NOW. SOME JUST SHOWERS AT THIS POINT OVER NORTHWEST ALABAMA AND LAUDERDALE. COLBERT, FRANKLIN AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES, EVEN LIMESTONE COUNTIES AT THIS POINT, GETTING READY TO CROSS I-65 AND HEAD TOWARDS HUNTSVILLE CLOSER TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. NOT TOO MUCH MARION COUNTY SEEING A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS. THEY SAW SOME THUNDERSTORMS EARLIER, BUT A LOT OF THIS RAIN COOLED AIR IS GOING TO LOWER THE INSTABILITY NOW, WHICH MEANS WHEN THE RAIN BACK BEHIND ALL OF THIS GETS HERE, IT WON’T HAVE THAT SEVERE PUNCH WITH IT. AND THAT’S JUST THE PRE-FRONTAL RAIN THAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR. WE STILL HAVE SOME THUNDERSTORMS BACK TO THE WEST, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE STARTING TO SEE SOME RAIN GETTING READY TO MOVE INTO TUSCALOOSA COUNTY TOO. SAMANTHA TUSCALOOSA DOWN TOWARDS MARION AND CENTREVILLE AS WELL, SO WE’LL KEEP AN EYE OUT ON THOSE. STORM OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA, TUSCALOOSA COUNTY, GREEN HILL, SUMTER UP TO ETOWAH AND SAINT CLAIR BIRMINGHAM JEFFERSON COUNTIES AND NORTHWARD. BUT OVERALL, I THINK THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS ALREADY STARTING TO DIMINISH. IT’S NOT TOO MUCH OF A CONCERN, AT LEAST THAT I’M WORRIED ABOUT A VERY LOW CHANCE OF SEEING THOSE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS UP TO 60MPH. AND THAT’S REALLY THE MAIN THREAT. THAT THREAT IS LOW. THERE’S ALSO THAT SMALL POTENTIAL FOR SOME ISOLATED FLOODING IN SPOTS THAT TYPICALLY SEES IT. AND THEN I THINK EVERYBODY WILL HAVE THAT POTENTIAL OF SEEING SOME RAIN AT SOME POINT, MAYBE EVEN SOME THUNDERSTORMS WITH SOME LIGHTNING TOO. SO IMPACT WEATHER THROUGH THE REST OF THIS EVENING THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. HERE’S THE FIRST WARNING FUTURE TRACK. YOU CAN SEE THOSE THUNDERSTORMS COMING IN FROM THE SOUTH LIKE WE SAW IN THE SATELLITE. AND THE RADAR THAT’S MOVING NORTH AND EAST. WE’RE ALSO TRACKING THAT LINE THAT’S MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA. THE REST OF THIS EVENING. WE’LL START TO SEE MORE WIDESPREAD, SCATTERED RAIN THROUGH 9 P.M. JASPER TUSCALOOSA. IN COLEMAN. GADSDEN. ANNISTON. YOU GUYS ALL HAVE THAT POTENTIAL FROM THAT SYSTEM COMING IN FROM THE WEST AND THE THUNDERSTORMS COMING IN FROM THE SOUTH TOO. THIS IS NOW 11 P.M. AT THIS POINT, THE INSTABILITY REALLY DROPPING A LOT OF THIS AT THIS POINT IS JUST A LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WITH NO ACTUAL THUNDERSTORMS OUT THERE. THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 1 A.M. SUNDAY. CROSSING THE METRO AREA. AND THIS IS 5 A.M. AT THIS POINT. BIRMINGHAM COLEMAN TUSCALOOSA. JASPER.HAMILTON. DUTTON. ANNISTON, ALEX CITY AND CLANTON. YOU GUYS STILL GETTING YOUR FAIR SHARE OF RAIN AND IT’S ON OUT OF HERE AS EARLY AS 9 A.M. AS LATE AS ABOUT NOON. SO THEN YOU CAN GET OUTSIDE AND HAVE YOUR EASTER EGG HUNT. JUST MAKE SURE YOU GRAB SOME RAIN BOOTS ON YOUR WAY OUT. EVEN IF THE RAIN IS GONE, THE GROUND WILL BE WET. WE GOT RAINFALL TOTALS ANYWHERE BETWEEN A HALF INCH AND UPWARDS TO EVEN TWO INCHES. IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA, UP IN DEKALB AND ETOWAH COUNTIES AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES TOO. AND ONCE THAT FRONT THAT’S BRINGING ALL THIS RAIN MOVES OUT OF HERE, TEMPERATURES FALL, THE WINDS COMING OUT OF THE NORTH IS GOING TO AFFECT THAT COOLER AIR INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. BACK IN THE MID 40S, ON YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR MONDAY MORNING. AND WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO STICK AROUND IN THE 40S, THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK, EVERY MORNING, TUESDAY MORNING IN THE 40S, WEDNESDAY MORNINGS IN THE 40S. NOW, AS THIS HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BEHIND THE FRONT PUSHES EASTWARD, IT’S GOING TO BRING IN SOME SUNNIER SKIES. MAJORITY OF THE WORKWEEK. EVENTUALLY, HIGHS GET BACK TO LOW 80S NEXT SATURDAY.
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4 killed in Pike County crash after chase involving Alabama trooper
Updated: 7:52 PM CDT Apr 4, 2026
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Video above: Weather forecastFour people, including a teenager, have died in a single-vehicle crash that followed a chase involving an Alabama state trooper in Pike County.The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said shortly before midnight Friday, Tykevious Russaw, 27, of Eufaula, was killed after the car he was driving on County Road 6628 left the road and struck a tree.Robert Hall, 27, of Clayton; a 17-year-old; and Quamay Richardson, 24, also of Clayton, who were passengers in the car, were also killed. Hall and the 17-year-old were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. ALEA said Richardson was not ejected in the crash but was also pronounced dead at the scene.It is not clear what caused the car to leave the roadway, but ALEA said the crash followed an attempt by Russaw to elude a trooper with its Highway Patrol Division. It is also not clear what initiated the chase.ALEA said the incident is under investigation.>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free
PIKE COUNTY, Ala. —
Video above: Weather forecast
Four people, including a teenager, have died in a single-vehicle crash that followed a chase involving an Alabama state trooper in Pike County.
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The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said shortly before midnight Friday, Tykevious Russaw, 27, of Eufaula, was killed after the car he was driving on County Road 6628 left the road and struck a tree.
Robert Hall, 27, of Clayton; a 17-year-old; and Quamay Richardson, 24, also of Clayton, who were passengers in the car, were also killed. Hall and the 17-year-old were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. ALEA said Richardson was not ejected in the crash but was also pronounced dead at the scene.
It is not clear what caused the car to leave the roadway, but ALEA said the crash followed an attempt by Russaw to elude a trooper with its Highway Patrol Division. It is also not clear what initiated the chase.
