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Alabama schedules second execution by nitrogen gas

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Alabama schedules second execution by nitrogen gas


MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama has scheduled a second execution with nitrogen gas, months after the state became the first to put a person to death with the previously untested method.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey set a Sept. 26 execution date for Alan Eugene Miller, who was convicted of killing three men during a 1999 workplace shooting. The execution will be carried out by nitrogen gas, the governor’s office said. Miller survived a 2022 lethal injection attempt.

The governor’s action comes a week after the Alabama Supreme Court authorized the execution.

In January, Alabama used nitrogen gas to execute Kenneth Smith. Smith shook and convulsed in seizure-like movements for several minutes on a gurney as he was put to death Jan. 25.

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A nitrogen hypoxia execution causes death by forcing the inmate to breathe pure nitrogen, depriving him or her of the oxygen needed to maintain bodily functions. Alabama and some other states have looked for new ways to execute inmates because the drugs used in lethal injections, the most common execution method in the United States, are increasingly difficult to find.

Miller has an ongoing federal lawsuit challenging the execution method as a violation of the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, citing witness descriptions of Smith’s death.

“Rather than address these failures, the State of Alabama has attempted to maintain secrecy and avoid public scrutiny, in part by misrepresenting what happened in this botched execution,” the lawyers wrote in the lawsuit. It is anticipated that his attorneys will ask a federal judge to block the execution from going forward.

Attorney General Steve Marshall maintained that Smith’s execution was “textbook” and said the state will seek to carry out more death sentences using nitrogen gas.

State attorneys added that Miller has been on death row since 2000 and that it is time to carry out his sentence.

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Miller, a delivery truck driver, was convicted of killing Terry Jarvis, Lee Holdbrooks and Scott Yancy in the workplace shootings.



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Florida man caught with 81 gallons of moonshine in Alabama traffic stop, police say

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Florida man caught with 81 gallons of moonshine in Alabama traffic stop, police say


A Florida man is under arrest after police say he was stopped on an Alabama roadway with 81 gallons of moonshine.

Learndis Hamilton, a 61-year-old from Polk County, Fl., is charged with possession of more than five gallons of alcohol without a license, which is a felony.

Ozark police Officer Dylan Griffin, who is with the department’s Crime Suppression Unit, stopped Hamilton for a traffic violation on Jan. 9, police announced Wednesday.

Officers found Hamilton with multiple containers in his vehicle that police determined to be illegally distilled moonshine in plain sight.

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Hamilton was booked into the Dale County Jail Jan. 10 with bond set at $50,000. He was released the same day.

The case was turned over to the Alabama Beverage Control Board for further investigation.

The case is set to be presented to a grand jury in March.

“Had it not been for the diligence and proactive enforcement of Officer Griffin, the prohibited liquor would have likely been sold with zero oversight or regulation,” police said in a Jan. 21 statement, “possibly leading to additional crimes.”



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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ty Simpson, Quarterback, Alabama

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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ty Simpson, Quarterback, Alabama


The scouting reports keep on rolling, as in this one, we take a look at Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. This was a rollercoaster season for the Alabama quarterback, as mid-season, he was being mocked at the number one overall pick.

A rough end to the Crimson Tide season seems to have cooled those opinions, but is he still among the top quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft? Let’s talk about it.

Simpson, a former five-star prospect out of Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee, won a state championship in his senior year with offers from Clemson, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and others before landing at Alabama back in 2022. He would sit for three years before getting his shot this season, where he would throw for 3,567 yards, a 28/5 TD/INT ratio, and a 64.5% completion percentage.

The Alabama offense this season utilized motion quite a bit, which allowed Ty Simpson to break down defenses pre-snap. Quick at the line to make adjustments for blocking and routes. He has a quick throwing motion and release, which allows him to fire balls off quickly in the face of defenders. Short yardage throws are a plus, as he cand eliver an accurate ball in between the hashes. Fine enough pocket awareness, doesn’t take needless sacks.

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Now we get to where some feathers might get ruffled…

I don’t understand the Ty Simpson hype. He doesn’t have any physical tools that will translate to the next level. He can scramble, but will likely run in the 4.7 range. Arm strength is above average at best, and it shows on tape, as his deep-ball accuracy is significantly lacking. Not sure his frame can withstand a beating in the NFL, since he struggled with this in college, fumbling in 5 (!) straight games. Media members were quick to judge Oregon’s Dante Moore for his sample size, but failed to mention that Simpson has 15 career starts.

Simpson was horrible to close out the year. In his last six games, his completion percentage plummeted to 57%, and he averaged just 158 yards per game. He was horrendous in the SEC Championship game against Georgia, completing just 48.7% of his passes and throwing for 212 yards on 39 attempts. In the College Football Semi-Final against Indiaia was arguably worse, throwing for just 67 yards on 16 attempts.

The grade on Ty Simpson is going to be significantly worse than the national media, and that’s ok. Sometimes you have to go against the grain and have your own opinion instead of parroting what others say.

Simpson comes in with a fifth-round grade and is not someone I would draft to be my starting quarterback in the NFL. However, some NFL GMs will talk themselves into burning a first-round pick on him and regret it three years later.

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NCAA responds to Charles Bediako’s Alabama basketball eligibility lawsuit

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NCAA responds to Charles Bediako’s Alabama basketball eligibility lawsuit


On Tuesday, former Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, looking to return to the Crimson Tide. Bediako had been playing professional basketball in the G-League after entering the 2023 NBA Draft, where he was not selected by an NBA team.

Later on that day, the NCAA responded with a public statement about the lawsuit. The organization did not share Bediako’s way of thinking.

“The NCAA is aware of media reports about a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako,” the NCAA wrote in a statement provided to AL.com. “Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract. Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules.”

Bediako has signed a two-way contract in the G-League, something NCAA president Charlie Baker has said will make players ineligible to return. He is seeking both temporary and permanent injunctive relief in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court.

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Even temporary relief would be enough to allow Bediako to play for the Crimson Tide this season. Alabama has struggled on the glass, and the center would likely be a major contributor in that area, as well as on defense, for Alabama.

The NCAA also pointed to a previous statement that UA head coach Nate Oats made on the idea of G-League players returning to college basketball.

“If they’re eligible and somebody else is going to get them, I wouldn’t say that I’d be one of the guys that was necessarily for it to begin with,” Oats said on SiriusXM’s SEC This Morning show. “Because I think it’s taking away opportunities from kids coming out of high school. I was a high school coach for 11 years. I wanted my kids to get opportunities when they left my program. This is taking opportunities away from those kids. “But on a competitive level, if it’s allowable, and they’re going to be eligible to play and they’re the better players that you can get, then you probably have to go after them.”

The organization also noted that it has had some success defending eligibility lawsuits, claiming that, out of 52 filed eligibility suits, 26 preliminary injunctions have been denied, while 10 have been granted. The NCAA said eight cases are still pending and eight others were dismissed voluntarily.

Alabama plays Tennessee Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

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