Alabama

Alabama lawmaker files bill to allow chaplains in public schools – Alabama Reflector

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

Alabama lawmaker files bill to allow chaplains in public schools – Alabama Reflector

An Alabama lawmaker has filed a bill that would allow chaplains to be employed at public K-12 schools.

HB 59, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, would require local boards of education to vote on whether or not to allow public schools to have an employed or volunteer chaplain.

“This bill would not require schools to have a chaplain, it would only allow them to,” Gidley said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Gidley said that chaplains exist in other parts of society, such as fire departments and hospitals, and provide emotional and spiritual support in those spaces.

“They’re not coercive,” he said. “They’re there to support and be that place for people to come that they can have a safe place to share their needs, concerns and have someone that is trained to support them in that.”

Gidley cited benefits from school chaplains, such as school safety, from the National School Chaplain Association.

The National School Chaplain Association is a subsidiary of the Mission Generation Inc. Mission Generation Inc. described its mission to Guidestar, which tracks nonprofits and their financial filings, as addressing “the degradation of sociality because school-age children PK-12 are not being taught faith-based ethics and morals in schools.”

Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, wrote in a statement Wednesday that the Constitution promises that parents, rather than school officials, legislatures or “government-imposed religious leaders,” direct religious education.

“Replacing trained school counselors with religious chaplains would violate the religious freedom of every student and family in Alabama,” she wrote. “Families should be able to trust that public schools are welcoming and inclusive of all students and won’t force a particular religious perspective on their children. And students deserve to have access to certified school counselors who are trained to help all students. Replacing well-educated and licensed professionals with uncertified chaplains threatens the safety and education of our students. Public schools are not Sunday schools.”

A similar bill passed in Texas last summer, but the Texas version allowed chaplains to provide counseling to students.

While HB 59 states that chaplains can provide “support, services, and programs for students,” the Texas version included chaplains in the list of support of mental and behavioral health personnel.

Alabama schools pay for counselors with a mixture of local and state funds, wrote Alabama State Department of Education spokesperson Michael Sibley in an email Wednesday.

In June, Stateline reported that the Texas bill was part of a broader push for more religion in schools and could serve as a model for states.

Gidley said that he expects some conversation around the separation of government and religion but said the “separation of church and state” does not appear explicitly in the constitution.

“It’s a talking point that has been used, that really does not exist in our Constitution,” he said. “Our Constitution is far from that.”

The concept of the separation of church and state emerges from the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” it reads.

According to the Legal Information Institute housed at the Cornell Law School, Thomas Jefferson said that the First Amendment made a “wall of separation” between the government and religion when he was president. The term is also used in court cases.

Jefferson’s line came from a letter written to Baptists, according to PBS.

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Alabama

How to watch, stream Alabama softball vs Texas for SEC championship

Published

2 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

How to watch, stream Alabama softball vs Texas for SEC championship

For the first time in five years, Alabama is heading to the SEC Softball Tournament championship.

The No. 2-seeded Crimson Tide (49-6) is coming off a 9-1 run-rule win over No. 3 seed Florida (48-10) on Friday, May 8. Alabama first opened tournament play with a 7-1 win over No. 7 Arkansas (42-11) on Thursday.

The Crimson Tide will face No. 4 Texas, which is coming off a walkout 5-4 win over No. 9 Georgia.

Alabama had not reached the SEC Tournament championship game since 2021, when it won its last conference championship.

Here’s what to know about how to follow the Crimson Tide against Texas in the SEC Tournament title game.

When does Alabama softball play vs Texas in SEC Tournament?

Location: John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.

Game time — 4 p.m. CT Saturday, May 9

First pitch in the Alabama softball vs. Texas matchup is set for 4 p.m. CT Saturday, May 9 for the championship title.

What channel is Alabama softball vs Texas in SEC Tournament?

The 2026 SEC Softball Tournament conference championship game will air on ESPN.

How to listen to Alabama softball vs Texas in SEC Tournament

You can tune into each Alabama softball game on Catfish 100.1 FM.

2026 SEC Softball Tournament bracket

Click here to see the full 2026 SEC Softball Tournament bracket.

2026 SEC softball standings, conference records

All conference records are as of entering the SEC Softball Tournament.

Oklahoma (20-4)
Alabama (19-5)
Florida (17-7)
Texas (16-8)
Tennessee (16-8)
Texas A&M (16-8)
Arkansas (15-9)
LSU (12-11)
Georgia (12-12)
Mississippi State (9-15)
Missouri (9-15)
South Carolina (7-17)
Ole Miss (6-18)
Auburn (4-19)
Kentucky (1-23)

Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Alabama softball sends Florida home from SEC Tournament: What we learned

Published

14 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Alabama softball sends Florida home from SEC Tournament: What we learned

Alabama softball dominated all the way in its win to advance to its first SEC Tournament championship in five years.

The No. 2-seeded Crimson Tide (49-6) didn’t trail once in its 9-1 run-rule win over No. 3 seed Florida (48-10) on Friday, May 8. Alabama first opened tournament play with a 7-1 win over No. 7 Arkansas (42-11, 15-10) on Thursday.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Crimson Tide’s win over the Gators.

Alabama softball offense is starting to click at the right time

Alabama did not have to wait until the middle innings to find its offense this time.

Freshman Ambrey Taylor opened the scoring with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. It was Taylor’s 11th home run of the season and her second in as many days after also going deep against Arkansas in the quarterfinals.

Alabama continued to build from there. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the second, Ana Roman singled to right field to bring in another run. Marlie Giles followed with a two-run single, pushing Alabama ahead 4-0 before the inning ended.

Jena Young doubled to drive in two more runs, with one coming across on a fielding error, at the bottom of the third. Alexis Pupillo followed with an RBI single to stretch Alabama’s lead to 6-1 by the end of the inning.

Pupillo shot an RBI-double off the wall and Audrey Vandagriff doubled to score another, extending Alabama’s lead to 8-1, threatening run-rule territory with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, securing the run rule with an RBI single by Taylor.

After needing a later-than-preferred power surge to pull away from Arkansas, Alabama’s lineup looked more comfortable early against Florida. The Crimson Tide finished with nine runs on 13 hits.

Vic Moten handles early pressure in first SEC Tournament appearance

Vic Moten’s first SEC Tournament appearance did not start easily, but the freshman pitcher kept Florida from taking advantage of the new kid on the block.

Moten walked two batters in the first inning but answered by striking out three straight Gators to keep the game scoreless heading into the bottom half.

Her pitch count climbed quickly. Moten threw more than 30 pitches in each of the first two innings and more than 20 in the third, reaching 87 pitches after just three. But after battling through traffic early, she settled in with a seven-pitch 1-2-3 fourth inning.

Alabama’s lead gave Moten margin for error, but Florida’s offense still had enough firepower to threaten a comeback. Moten ended the complete-game effort striking out four and one run on three hits with seven walks. Not bad for the freshman’s first postseason appearance.

Alabama moves one win away from SEC Tournament history

Alabama’s win over Florida moved the Crimson Tide one step closer to separating itself in SEC Softball Tournament history.

Both No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Florida entered Friday tied with six SEC Softball Tournament championships apiece. With the semifinal win, Alabama will now have a chance to become the first program in conference history to win a seventh SEC Tournament title.

The Crimson Tide had won only two of its last seven meetings against the Gators entering Friday, including a loss to Florida in the 2024 Women’s College World Series. This was the first postseason meeting between the two programs since then.

Alabama had not reached the SEC Tournament championship game since 2021, when it won the tournament title.

When does Alabama softball play again?

After beating No. 7 Arkansas and No. 3 Florida on back-to-back days, the Crimson Tide will face the winner of No. 4 Texas vs. No. 9 Georgia in the SEC Softball Tournament championship game at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 9.

Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Rabies warning issued after fox attacks person in Alabama

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Rabies warning issued after fox attacks person in Alabama

State health officials are urging people to keep their pets vaccinated for rabies after a fox in Elmore County and a raccoon in Lee County tested positive for the virus.

On May 1, the raccoon was spotted acting strangely near Auburn, and the fox emerged from a wooded area and attacked a person in Tallassee, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The person has sought medical treatment.

“Rabies is not seasonal, and we continue to see cases year-round, but late spring is a time when activity peaks, particularly in wildlife,” said Dr. Dee Jones, state veterinarian for the ADPH, “The primary risk of rabies from wildlife is our pets, and keeping them up to date on rabies vaccine is critical.”

Alabama state law requires that dogs, cats and ferrets 12 weeks of age and older be current with rabies vaccination. In addition to vaccination, area residents are advised to take the following precautions to avoid possible exposure to rabies:

Do not leave uneaten pet food or scraps near your residence.
Do not allow pets to run loose; confine them within a fenced-in area or with a leash.
Do not illegally feed or keep wildlife as pets.
Do not go near wildlife or domestic animals that are acting in a strange or unusual manner.
Caution children not to go near any stray or wild animal, regardless of its behavior.

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

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