Alabama
'Why on earth do you live in Alabama?' Because I love it.
No one has ever asked me directly, but sometimes when I’m traveling (or, more recently, am on Facebook), I see in their eyes the unspoken question: Why on earth would anybody want to live in Alabama?
I hadn’t seen that look in a while. But then along came the Alabama Supreme Court with its ruling that embryos created through in vitro fertilization — IVF, for short — have the same rights as children.
Some analysts said justices thought they were doing the politically astute thing, seeing as how many religious conservatives (and there are a whole lot of them in Alabama) contend that life begins at conception. And if it does, then life is life right from the get-go.
Other analysts claimed that, in particular, Chief Justice Tom Parker’s opinion inappropriately quoted from the Book of Genesis as well as 13th century theologian Thomas Aquinas; while still others said the court was bound to rule as it did because of how the state Legislature, back in 2017, worded a constitutional amendment regarding “the rights of the unborn child.”
Whatever. When the Alabama Supreme Court issued its ruling a couple of weeks ago, the law of unintended consequences immediately kicked in.
Instead of being celebrated for protecting unborn children, the ruling shocked Americans from coast to coast who have friends and relatives whose pregnancies were made possible by IVF. When fertility clinics halted their operations in Alabama, women went public with heartbreaking stories of years-long attempts to conceive. Some were scheduled for embryo implantation when the ruling was issued, after which their clinics abruptly closed.
If you live in Alabama, you’re used to carrying a certain amount of baggage. After all, it gave the nation George Wallace, the Montgomery bus boycott and “Bloody Sunday,” and its largest city — Birmingham — was once known as “the most segregated city in America.” Birmingham was also the place where police turned dogs and fire hoses on black children and Ku Klux Klansmen bombed 16th Street Baptist Church and killed four little black girls.
Years later, we had a governor who, as he ridiculed the notion of evolution, pretended to be a monkey in front of other officials. He was succeeded by a governor who was convicted on corruption charges and spent six years in federal prison.
I could go on, but let’s just agree that Alabama has a shameful history of racism, and that its politics are marred by corruption, scandal and sometimes sheer idiocy.
So why stay? the looks say. Or why move to Alabama in the first place?
Why indeed? As the saying goes, it’s complicated.
I moved here in 1978, to be married to an Alabama resident. Nearly 46 years, two children and two grandchildren later, he and I are still together, I am still here, and I have developed a fierce affection for the state in spite of its flaws.
Geographically, Alabama is stunning. Its beaches and mountains are beautiful. There’s no better barbecue in the country, nor fresher seafood; and its people are as diverse as their soft Southern accents. Moreover, Alabama has given the world such notables as George Washington Carver, Tim Cook, Harper Lee, Helen Keller, Lionel Richie, Hank Aaron, Emmylou Harris, Rosa Parks and Nat King Cole.
Yes, we can be stubborn and foolish, and sometimes we act out of fear and ignorance. We are as likely as many other Americans to fall for political rhetoric and faux religious fervor. But we also can be kind, generous, thoughtful, deeply spiritual and authentic.
Alabamians care about one another, and it shows in how people greet you on the street, hold the door open for you at the bank and — young and old — routinely say “please,” “thank you,” “ma’am” and “sir.”
Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson left the White House for good, heading home to his beloved Texas Hill Country. It was, he said, a place “where they know when you’re sick and they care when you die.”
From the good to the bad and the sometimes downright ugly, and in spite of the questioning looks we all occasionally get, that’s exactly how I feel about Alabama.
Frances Coleman is a former editorial page editor of the Mobile Press-Register. Email her at fcoleman1953@gmail.com and “like” her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prfrances.
Alabama
Top-30 overall recruit Jaxon Richardson commits to Alabama
Jaxon Richardson, the No. 27 overall recruit in the 2026 class per the Rivals Industry Ranking, has committed to Alabama.
The 6-foot-6 four-star small forward out of Southeastern Prep (FL) ultimately chose the Crimson Tide over USC, Creighton, and Ole Miss. He also received offers from Miami, Cincinnati, Michigan, Florida, Villanova, and others.
Richardson, a McDonald’s All-American, becomes the Crimson Tide’s third commitment of the 2026 cycle. He joins four-star shooting guard Qayden Samuels (No. 28 NATL) and four-star small forward Tarris Bouie (No. 54 NATL).
He’s the son of NBA veteran and two-time NBA Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson. His older brother, Jase, played for Michigan State last season before being selected 25th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.
More on Richardson
Rivals’ National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw says Richardson is one of the most explosive players in the 2026 class:
Jaxon Richardson is able to combine fluid athleticism with explosive burst in a way no other player in this class can. He uses his athleticism to his advantage on the floor. He fills the outside channels with a purpose in transition, he is aggressive in the passing lanes, and he plays as a vertical floor spacer in the dunker spots and lob plays. Last summer, playing with the Florida Rebels on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 12.8 points on 54.0 percent shooting and 10.5 attempts per game. Last high school season, he averaged 12.9 points on 61.0 percent shooting on 8.9 attempts per game. He is a highly efficient player, as 84.4 percent of his makes last high school season were at the rim.
Alabama
Alabama Baseball Ties Stolen Base Record In Win Over Hornets
Alabama baseball cruised to a win over Alabama State on Wednesday night, beating the Hornets 13-4 to complete the season sweep. The Crimson Tide tied a program record with nine stolen bases in one of the stranger contests that will be played this season.
The tone was set for a tumultuous night on the basepaths in the opening minutes of the game. Leadoff batter Bryce Fowler, who exited Tuesday’s game after getting beaned in the head, was walked, and promptly took second base. He advanced to third on a wild pitch in Justin Lebron’s at-bat, paving the way for Lebron to steal second when he was ultimately walked as well.
The successful baserunning instantly paid off, as Brady Neal drove both in with a double to left-center field before John Lemm walked two at-bats later. Both runners stole their respective bases on the same pitch in Jason Torres’ plate appearance, meaning that four of the first five batters of the game stole a base.
Alabama has been exceptional on the basepaths, sitting at 30-for-30 on the season. Lebron, who swiped two bags on Wednesday, leads the team with 12. The junior had an up-and-down night, hitting his eighth home run of the season, but also committing an error at shortstop for the fourth consecutive game.
“Get those things out of there now, baby. The dude is unbelievable,” an unconcerned Rob Vaughn said on Tuesday of Lebron’s errors. “We’re going to look up at the end of the year, and that guy is going to have five or six errors, which one he’s got right now, and we’ll be like, ‘Man, that guy is the best of all time to do it.’”
Wednesday’s game was a very prototypical midweek contest with no shortage of quirks and oddities throughout its nearly four-hour runtime. Fifteen Alabama batters were walked, falling just one shy of the program record, and the hit by pitch record was tied as seven batters were plunked.
The game was never competitive from an on-field standpoint. After barely escaping with a 2-1 win in the first matchup with the Hornets two weeks ago, this was a far more accurate representation of what these games typically look like, as Alabama now leads the all-time series 15-0.
Freshman Joe Chiarodo made his first career start, allowing two hits and one walk over two scoreless innings. He was named the winning pitcher. Luke Smyers, Connor Lehman, Anthony Pesci and Tate Robertson were the other pitchers to take the mound. Lehman allowed a three-run blast in the sixth inning, and those were the only runs until the incredibly-named Skywalker Mann drove in a run off Robertson in the ninth.
Perhaps the most shocking figure from the game was that Alabama had 19 runners left on base. The Crimson Tide left the bases loaded in four different innings. As stated, this was just a bizarre baseball game across the board. With the midweeks out of the way, the Crimson Tide gets to prepare for its final weekend tune-up before SEC play as North Florida heads into Tuscaloosa on Friday.
Alabama
New Alabama law to set screen time limits for kids in day care, pre-K and kindergarten
The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act was signed on Wednesday, March 4, by Governor Kay Ivey to introduce limits on children’s screen time access in Alabama.
The Act is one of Ivey’s 2026 legislative priorities.
“Video screen access in classrooms can boost learning skills among our young children, but too much screen exposure can also be detrimental, harming critical social and cognitive development,” Ivey said. “The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act ensures our youngest students are provided a healthy balance of screen time and traditional learning in order to protect social and emotional development.”
Under the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education will be required to work with the Department of Human Resources and the State Department of Education to develop guidelines for screen-based media.
Guidelines will be implemented in early childhood education programs like day care centers, day care homes, night care facilities, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and group day care homes. The Act was sponsored by Representative Jeana Ross and Senator Donnie Chesteen.
“House Bill 78 establishes clear, research-based expectations for how technology is used in early childhood settings,” said Ross. “The goal is not to eliminate technology, but to ensure its use is developmentally appropriate and never replaces the hands-on learning and human interaction young children need most. By setting thoughtful guardrails and aligning classroom practices with the best available research on early brain development, this legislation supports educators, protects the quality of early learning and reinforces our commitment to giving Alabama’s youngest students the strongest possible start.”
A training program will also be created by the Department of Early Childhood Education to create a baseline for the appropriate use of child screentime for teachers and staff members supervising children.
“The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act represents another important step in ensuring Alabama’s youngest children grow and learn in environments that prioritize human interaction, exploration and healthy development,” said Chesteen. “Building on the progress made with last year’s FOCUS Act, this legislation continues our commitment to protecting the most formative years of childhood. I am grateful to Governor Kay Ivey and my colleagues in the Legislature for recognizing the importance of this issue and working together to support Alabama families.”
The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act will become effective on January 1, 2027.
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