Alabama
JD Crowe: Alabama Republi-chickens are scared to death of DEI
This is an opinion cartoon.
Old, white, homophobic GOP lawmakers in this state protest a little too much against diversity, don’tcha think?
Alabama Republi-chickens are scared to death of diversity, equity and inclusion. They see ‘DEI’ and they think it spells ‘DEVIL’. These chickens are obsessed with and threatened by everything they don’t understand.
Read Roy S. Johnson’s column: ‘Running scared’ from students supporting DEI, Republicans choke on their red-meat bill – al.com
Here a few excerpts: “They are running scared.”
“They are Alabama Republicans. On a day when they were to squash diversity, equity, and inclusion—daggumit—throughout the state; when they were going to defund programs that create safe, welcoming spaces for employees, students, and citizens; when they were going to emphatically ramrod Alabamians with a bill based on their ill-informed, unfounded fears, they shrank, hid, and squirreled away.
“They avoided more than 100 students—children!—from colleges and universities across the state who came to the statehouse in Montgomery Wednesday to protest divisive (yes, I’m boomeranging their word back on them) SB129. To share what DEI is to them. To tell their elected officials how DEI, as University of Alabama senior Sean Atchison bravely told my AL.com colleague Rebecca Griesbach, “saved my life.”
“They ducked, dived, and dodged the mosaic of students waiting patiently in the hall outside Room 200 where legislators were lunching. When they were done, “They ran out the back door to avoid us,” said University of Alabama-Birmingham sophomore Sydney Testman.
Related: Alabama college students rally against anti-DEI bill: ‘We won’t stand for it.’
“Added Atchison: “They are so afraid of students showing our voices and being heard on SB129 because they know the damage they are trying to do to this state and to students, and they are running scared from us.
“He added this: “They want to bring back Jim Crow.”
“Or hang a “white’s only” sign at the statehouse door.
“They were, quite simply, an embarrassment.”
Goodman: Alabama’s war on DEI could impact what unites us all – al.com
Joe Goodman agrees these lawmakers are an embarrassment and cites another problem with this anti-DEI bill: It could be devastating to college football. Lordy, now that’s a problem.
Goodman writes:
“The proposed bill, which has already passed through the Alabama House of Representatives, could make university compliance departments illegal. That’s a problem because universities are required to have compliance departments to be full members of the NCAA.
“The bill is a train wreck waiting to happen, in other words, and needs to be killed immediately. If not, and the NCAA doesn’t fit the mission of Alabama anymore, then I guess there’s always the ol’ Alabama Independent School Association to fall back on.
Woodfin says if anti-DEI bill passes, he would urge athletes to leave Alabama – al.com
“The AISA was formed back in 1970 to give the state’s segregation academies a league of their own, so to speak, or are we not supposed to speak about that at all anymore? When so-called “divisive concepts” form the backbone of a state’s history it’s hard to avoid all the topics.”
“Alabama should be attracting diversity and fostering inclusivity as public policy instead of fighting to keep it away. What’s next, Alabama anti-DEI nut jobs standing in the schoolhouse door?”
Read all of Goodman’s column here.
Anti-DEI bill heads to Alabama House of Representatives for final vote – al.com
Op-ed: What seeds are we planting when we attack DEI? – al.com
Guest opinion: The land of the free-ish – Alabama and the DEI ban bill – al.com
More cartoons by JD Crowe
Is Katie Britt auditioning for VP, SNL or The Handmaid’s Tale? – al.com
‘Burn the freaking books:’ Alabama libraries under fire from witch hunters – al.com
GOP owns this IVF minefield: Theocracy is a dangerous playground – al.com
Steve Marshall’s law: Alabama’s war against diversity – al.com
White fragility, fear of diversity rules Alabama legislature. The cost? Our future – al.com
Latest Alabama star in transfer portal hits Nick Saban hard – al.com
True stories and stuff by JD Crowe
The mysterious ‘Bubble Guy’ of Fairhope and the art of bubble Zen – al.com
How I met Dr. Seuss
Robert Plant head-butted me. Thanks, David Coverdale
I was ZZ Top’s drummer for a night and got kidnapped by groupies
Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe
JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler @jdcrowe@al.com.
Alabama
Kevin Turner Prattville YMCA Golf Tournament welcomes Auburn, Alabama players as guest hosts
PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) – One of the most anticipated golf tournaments of the year happens Monday — the 29th annual Kevin Turner Prattville YMCA Golf Tournament.
This year’s guest hosts are both placekickers — former Alabama kicker Michael Proctor and current Auburn kicker Alex McPherson.
Proctor, a Pelham High graduate, came to the Crimson Tide in 1992, a year after Turner was drafted by the Patriots. But he still remembers the Prattville native’s infectious personality that resonated with teammates. “I had heard about the tournament through the years,” Proctor said. “It’s a big deal. Kevin is a big deal. When he was playing here, and even after his unfortunate passing, he’s well remembered and respected. Anything I can do to help anything in his name, I would be willing to do. I met him when I was there. He came back, obviously knowing people on the team that he had played with. Anything I can do for his name … I’m sure anybody at Alabama or anybody that knew him would be willing to do anything for him because he would do the same for you.”
McPherson, a Fort Payne High graduate, came to Auburn in 2022, weathered an inflammatory bowel disease that sidelined him in 2024, and is now preparing for his fifth year as the Tigers’ kicker. And even though he never knew Turner personally, he’s looking forward to the tournament.
“I’m honored,” McPherson said. “I heard what the tournament was about, Kevin and his story. I heard that one of the former Alabama kickers was going to be in the tournament and that they would love to have a kicker from Auburn. They thought that I would be a great fit.”
Proctor was recruited as one of the nation’s top prep kickers and went through a high school and collegiate career where he made 184 of 185 extra points. He kicked a then-record 60-yard field goal at Pelham and nine of his 26 field goals were longer than 50 yards. He finished a four-year career as the Crimson Tide’s second leading scorer with 326 points, earning All-American honors in 1993 and 1994 after winning a national championship in 1992 and returning as the Southeastern Conference’s top kicker a year later.
McPherson was recruited as one of the nation’s top kickers and kicked a record 61-yard field goal in high school before joining the Tigers. Like Proctor, his breakout year came as a sophomore (in 2023) where he made 13 of 13 field goal attempts and 40 of 40 extra point attempts in becoming a Lou Groza Award semifinalist.
Turner went through a five-year battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which was triggered by CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a disease that hits home with many collegiate players from that era who witnessed it first with Turner and more recently with former Tide running back Kerry Goode.
The tournament helps fund the “Coach A Child Scholarship Fund Campaign” which provides financial aid to make YMCA services available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
The Prattville YMCA has provided financial aid to more than 3,300 people, many of them children, at a cost of more than $400,000. This year, the goal is to raise $285,000 for the Coach A Child Fund Campaign.
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Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.
Alabama
Alabama softball No. 1 overall seed in NCAA Tournament: Who does Tide play?
Alabama softball is the cream of the crop heading into the 2026 NCAA softball tournament, cemented as the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in 16 years.
The Crimson Tide’s ranking means it will host a regional and, if it advances, a super regional. The regional field will consist of USC Upstate (36-21), Belmont (40-11) and SE Louisiana (46-14).
The Tuscaloosa Regional is double-elimination. Action will run through May 15-17 on SEC Network.
It marks the 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance for Alabama and the 21st-straight season it is hosting a regional at Rhoads Stadium, not including the canceled 2020 season. The Crimson Tide has advanced to the Women’s College World Series 15 times and is looking to do so for the first time in two years.
Alabama has one national championship, which came in 2012.
Alabama is coming off a championship game loss in the SEC Tournament. Seven unanswered runs led to a 7-1 fall to Texas, securing the Longhorns their first SEC Softball Tournament title during their second year in the conference on Saturday, May 9.
Friday, May 15
- Game 1: Alabama vs. USC Upstate, noon CT
- Game 2: Belmont vs. SE Louisiana, 2:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 16
- Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, TBD
- Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, TBD
- Game 5: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, TBD
Sunday, May 17
- Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, TBD
- Game 7: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (if necessary), TBD
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.
Alabama
Alabama mom sentenced to life for hiring hitman to kill her child’s father over custody dispute
An Alabama woman was sentenced to life in prison Friday after authorities said she hired a hitman to kill her child’s father in a custody dispute.
Jaclyn Skuce, 43, of Madison, was convicted of capital murder after hiring a man to kill the child’s father in order to prevent him from gaining custody or further visitation, the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office said.
The Hartselle Police Department was dispatched on July 24, 2020, to a residence for a welfare check after Anthony Larry Sheppard failed to appear in court for a scheduled custody hearing.
His attorney had asked officers to check on him, investigators said.
Upon arrival, police discovered Sheppard’s storm door shattered and the main door ajar.
Officers later found Sheppard dead with multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators determined that Skuce hired Logan Delp to kill Sheppard in order to prevent him from gaining custody or further visitation with his child.
Prosecutors said Skuce used social media to hire the hitman, who lived in Hartselle, according to the Hartselle Enquirer. She allegedly offered to pay $30,000.
“There are never any winners in a case like this,” Chief Assistant District Attorney Garrick Vickery said following the verdict.
“This jury was incredibly thorough and took their time to make sure they made the right decision, both for Mr. Sheppard and for the defendant.”
Vickery added, “We are glad that they convicted her for the choice she made to take Mr. Sheppard away from his family.”
Skuce was found guilty of three counts of capital murder: murder for hire, murder of a witness, and murder committed by shooting into an occupied dwelling.
Four other defendants have been charged with capital murder in connection with Sheppard’s death.
Delp was convicted of capital murder in October 2025, the DA’s office said. Another defendant has pleaded guilty, and two others are awaiting trial.
Skuce will be imprisoned without the possibility of parole in the Alabama Department of Corrections.
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