Alabama
Alabama police lieutenant killed while directing traffic outside church: 'True public servant'
An Alabama police lieutenant died on Monday after he was hit by a car while directing traffic at a church.
Irondale police Lt. Mark Meadows, 60, was setting out cones at an intersection outside the Church of the Highlands’ main campus when he was hit by a man driving a Chevrolet Colorado, local outlet AL.com reported. The driver immediately stopped.
The incident took place before 7 a.m. on Monday as the church’s popular “21 Days of Prayer” event, which runs from Jan. 5 to Jan. 25, was preparing to end for the day.
Meadows was taken to nearby Grandview Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, according to Irondale police.
DETROIT POLICE OFFICER KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN CRASH, PERSON OF INTEREST AT LARGE
Irondale police Lt. Mark Meadows died on Monday after he was hit by a truck while directing traffic outside an Alabama megachurch. (Irondale Police Department / Facebook)
Irondale Mayor James Stewart Jr., described Meadows as a “treasured member” of the city’s family for decades.
“He was a man of few words but always led by example and embodied the heart of a true public servant,” Stewart said in a statement. “Lt. Meadows will be dearly missed by his brothers and sisters at the Irondale Police Department, as well as by all of our City employees and citizens. We are comforted in knowing that he is with his heavenly father, and we will continue to cover his family in prayer as they grieve this great loss.”
The police department announced that grief support is available for officers and others in need following Meadows’ death.
FLORIDA SHERIFF MOURNS ‘REALLY GREAT’ DEPUTY KILLED DURING TRAFFIC STOP; SUSPECT LATER KILLED
Meadows was an Army veteran and had worked in law enforcement for decades when he was killed. (Irondale Police Department / Facebook)
Church of the Highlands lead pastor Chris Hodges said Meadows had worked with the church since its main campus at Grants Mill opened almost 18 years ago.
In a statement to AL.com, Hodges said “our hearts are heavy beyond measure,” adding that Meadows was considered family.
“All our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, daughter, son, family members, fellow officers and the many who loved him,” Hodges said. “Even in the most difficult and trying times, we know our God will provide comfort, strength and reassurance based on the promise of heaven. We as a church will do all we can to care for his family.”
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey expressed condolences to Meadows’ loved ones and church family following his death in a post on X on Monday.
“My heart is heavy as I have learned of the tragic loss of Irondale Police Lieutenant Mark Meadows, a veteran and true public servant. I join all Alabamians in lifting up his family, the Irondale Police Department and the Church of the Highlands community in prayer,” Ivey wrote.
Irondale Lt. Mark Meadows helped direct traffic at Church of the Highlands since it opened nearly 18 years ago, according to lead pastor Chris Hodges. (Irondale Police Department / Facebook)
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., also said he was “saddened to hear of the loss” and thanked Meadows for his service to Alabama as a police officer and the United States as an Army veteran.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Meadows began his law enforcement career in 1992 with the nearby Mountain Brook Police Department before transferring to Irondale.
He was an FBI instructor certified in pistol and rifle, and an NRA instructor certified in pistol, according to AL.com. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is leading the investigation into the deadly incident.
We reserve the right to moderate or remove comments that are hateful, contain inappropriate language, or violate YouTube community guidelines. Keep it civil, folks.
The SEC opponents for Alabama women’s basketball during the 2026-27 campaign has been officially revealed.
The Tide will face some of the top teams in all of women’s college basketball throughout SEC play this upcoming season. Alabama will face Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Texas A&M at home, with Ole Miss being the Tide’s only SEC opponent that they will face twice this year, both home and away. Alabama will be on the road for matchups against Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas as well.
The dates, start times, and television network for each will be revealed at a later date.
Alabama held a 7-9 record throughout SEC play last season. The Tide were widely regarded as one of the top teams in the nation despite struggling at times during conference play, and Alabama was able to make a run during the SEC Tournament with a shocking upset to the Tennessee Lady Vols in Nashville.
Alabama went 24-11 last season as a whole, but the Tide will undoubtedly need to play better during SEC play this year nonetheless.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Enjoy two nights of free dance at Stars on the Riverfront
Alabama Dance Theatre will present Stars on the Riverfront on June 20 and 21, at 7:30 p.m. each night at Riverwalk Amphitheater in Montgomery.
In Alabama’s coastal landscape, two Alabama bridges quietly stand among the longest in the United States.
A new World Atlas ranking of the 11 longest bridges in the United States is a reminder that not all crossings are so forgettable. These are the spans that stretch the idea of a “quick drive” into something else entirely.
As World Atlas notes, the country’s roughly 617,000 bridges are mostly routine. The ones on this list “swallow the horizon,” turning open water into a roadway that can take ten or fifteen minutes to cross.
Louisiana dominates the ranking, but Alabama also makes its presence known with two entries: the Jubilee Parkway and the General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge.
Jubilee Parkway: Alabama’s 7.5-mile bridge ranks No. 7 among longest in US
Ranked at No. 7 on World Atlas’ list, the Jubilee Parkway carries Interstate 10 across Mobile Bay as a pair of parallel viaduct bridges stretching 7.5 miles between Mobile and Spanish Fort/Daphne. Opened in 1978, the four-lane crossing is often called the “Bayway.”
The World Atlas says the bridge takes its name from Mobile Bay’s “jubilee” phenomenon, when marine life is pushed into shallow water, making it unusually easy to catch.
General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge: 6.08-mile span ranks No. 10 in U.S.
The General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge ranks No. 10 on the World Atlas list, stretching 6.08 miles across the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta northeast of Mobile as part of Interstate 65.
World Atlas says the bridge is better known locally as the “Dolly Parton Bridge,” a nickname inspired by the paired arch design that, locals say, resembles a distinctive silhouette when viewed from certain angles.
Completed in 1980, it features twin parallel weathering-steel arches and concrete viaducts carrying four lanes over the wide, marshy delta.
Longest bridges in the U.S. Full World Atlas ranking
World Atlas ranks these as the longest bridges in the U.S.:
- Lake Pontchartrain Causeway: 23.83 miles
- Manchac Swamp Bridge: 22.8 miles
- Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge: 18.2 miles
- Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel: 17.6 miles
- Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge: 11 miles
- Louisiana Highway 1 Bridge: 8.26 miles
- Jubilee Parkway: 7.5 miles
- San Mateo-Hayward Bridge: 7 miles
- Seven Mile Bridge: 6.79 miles
- General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge: 6.08 miles
- Norfolk Southern Lake Pontchartrain Bridge: 5.8 miles
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.
-
Minnesota4 minutes agoMinnesota bans crypto ATMs after scam surge
-
Mississippi7 minutes agoIconic Mississippi foods and top US foodie states
-
Missouri12 minutes agoMan shot, killed after argument spills out of south Kansas City home
-
Montana19 minutes agoPhotos: Montana East-West Shrine Game
-
Nebraska22 minutes agoDeadline looms for filing Nebraska Homestead Exemption applications
-
Nevada27 minutes agoThe nation’s data center debate has reached Southern Nevada
-
New Hampshire34 minutes ago'New Hampshire Outright' creates open, safe spaces for LGBTQ+ families
-
New Jersey37 minutes agoGun shots fired in Greenwich Township NJ, police investigating
